How-to Découpage Fall Leaves on a Pumpkin

Looking for a fun no carve and kid friendly way to decorate pumpkins? Using Mod Podge to découpage paper cutouts or fall leaves is a great option!

Have you ever heard of découpage? It’s an OLD art form dating back thousand of years! It is the art of decorating an object by gluing colored paper cutouts onto an object in combination with special paint effects, gold leaf and other decorative elements (source Wikipedia).

Why not glue leaves onto a pumpkin?

Last year I bought all of these preserved fall colored leaves and they’ve been sitting in wait (in my hoarder’s closet) for a project. Then this year I scored BIG on faux white pumpkins at Hobby Lobby 40% off and wanted to marry the two.

I searched online and found this great tutorial on the Plaid website!  Never had I used Mod Podge on anything and thought alright I must give this a try! It looks easy enough 😉

I realize I am very late to the party on this product, but hey better late than never!

My pumpkins don’t look as perfect as the ones above, but I get a smile on my face knowing that they were homemade!

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How-To Apply Fall Leaves to a Pumpkin

Now you could do this with a real pumpkin, but I would suggest finding a plastic pumpkin for this project. Then you can reuse it year after year! If kids are involved, buy some colored construction paper and create leaf cutouts with them!

The preserved leaves I used were a bit more challenging because they had actual stems. I had to really work to get them to stick! However, the look was amazing with the variety of color.

Supplies

• Craft brushes 
• Mod Podge in matte
• Mod Podge applicator set
• Fall leaves
• Faux pumpkin (Hobby Lobby was sold out!)
• Kitchen trash bag

Mod Podge is glue, so you definitely want to put down some plastic to protect the surrounding surfaces. I used my regular kitchen trash bag and folded it in half. 

In preparation, I also cut the leaves into individual pieces so they were ready for application. It was important to avoid leaves with thick branches because they won’t stick!

Step 1

Map out where you want to place your first leaf. You can lay them out however you wish! I decided I wanted a design that fanned out from the stem of the pumpkin.

Step 2

Pick up the leaf and set it aside. Brush on Mod Podge in the same area the leaf will be placed.  Add a little extra at the stem area for extra hold.

I found letting the glue dry for about 30 seconds made it a bit stickier and held down the leaf faster.

Step 3

Apply leaf. Press down with your fingers or using the Mod Podge applicator.  Count to 10 and specifically hold down areas that don’t automatically adhere. 

Then brush on more Mod Podge to smooth down the leaf to the pumpkin.

Step 4

Keep adding leaves in the same manner. Watch to see where they are lifting. Brush on Mod Podge underneath the leaf and over the top of the leaf.

Remember it gets stickier as it dries making it easier to adhere the leaves.

Step 5

Once all leaves are applied, cover over with a generous coat of Mod Podge.

If you have over applied on the pumpkin itself, just wipe away with a damp paper towel.

I also had some color bleed from the leaves onto the white pumpkin and I removed it in the same manner.

Step 6

Let the Mod Podge dry about 1 hour. Then apply 2 more coats to protect the leaves. Dry 1 hour in between coats. Here is what it looks like before it dries clear.

You can apply as many coats of Mod Podge as you wish, but I felt 3 was plenty.

Clean Up

Clean up was a snap! I liked having the package with multiple brushes so I could wash one and use a different brush while it was drying. Just use a little dish soap or hand soap with warm water.

Rinse out the Mod Podge thoroughly from the brush fibers.  I used a sponge to clean off the applicator with a little soap.

Découpage Fall Leaves on a Pumpkin

The final result! Stay tuned for how I use these pumpkins in my fall home decor. I have several fun ideas and will share them in September. 

Fall Decorating Ideas

Want more fall decorating ideas? Check out these posts:

Simple and Elegant Fall Home Tour

15 Minute Fall French Country Table

Halloween Fun: Pick Your Poison Bar Cart

Make an Upside Down Witch Leg Candy Bucket

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Until next time…

Porch Daydreamer

Tracey