12 Mini Pumpkin Painting Ideas for the Cutest Fall Decoration
Small pumpkins, big payoff.
Every item on this page was chosen by an editor from The Pioneer Woman. We may earn commission on some of the items you choose to buy.
It's almost time to pull that cardboard box of Halloween decorations out of storage! You know, the one filled with light-up ghost lanterns, spooky skeletons, and pretty painted pumpkins. But this year, instead of displaying store-bought pumpkins or ones from years past, why not think outside of the (Halloween decorations) box and spruce up your seasonal display with these mini pumpkin painting ideas? Full-sized pumpkins are great for carving jack-o-lanterns or filling space in an otherwise sparse Halloween setup, but it takes much longer to paint them than their mini counterparts. On the other hand, mini pumpkins are so cute and easy to paint with fun designs or spooky symbols in just a matter of minutes!
The mini pumpkin painting ideas go beyond your typical fall designs. There are so many creative mini pumpkin ideas on this list, like mini pumpkins that look like bite-sized donuts or black cats. Or, you can take a simpler approach and craft some minimalist pumpkins, like the herringbone and gold geometric patterned mini pumpkins that come together with a few strokes of a paint pen! Whatever you choose to paint on your mini pumpkins this fall, you can't go wrong. Plus, if you use a mini foam pumpkin rather than a real one, you can use these handmade decorations for many Halloweens to come!
Make the most out of pumpkin season:
Gold Geometric Mini Pumpkin
These gold and white geometric printed pumpkins are the perfect balance of minimal and festive! Begin by drawing a small triangle on one side of the pumpkin. Add more triangles beside it, continuing until a vibrant, randomized design emerges!
Get the tutorial at Lovely Indeed.
Mini Donut Pumpkins
These donut-inspired mini pumpkins will give your Halloween candy a run for its money as the sweetest Halloween treat! To start, paint the bottom half of your pumpkin a tan donut color. Once it's dry, flip it over and paint a circle around the stem. Then, paint the blank half white, brown, or pink to look like icing, and use a tiny paintbrush to scatter mini sprinkles all around!
Get the tutorial at Studio DIY.
Black Cat Mini Pumpkins
Just because you're retiring your usual black cat costume this Halloween doesn't mean your pumpkins have to follow suit! Paint your mini pumpkin with black or chalkboard paint. Then, use a silver marker to draw a cat face on the front of the pumpkin and hot glue two craft paper "ears" to the top.
Get the tutorial at The Crazy Craft Lady.
Rainbow Mini Pumpkins
Add a pop of color to your fall decor by placing these rainbow-hued pumpkins around the house! Simply spray paint each mini pumpkin in fun shades of pink, red, gold, green, and blue, then display them all together in a basket or side by side.
Get the tutorial at Lovely Indeed.
Mini Burger Pumpkin
These mini pumpkins painted to look like sliders look almost good enough to eat! To craft your burger pumpkin, paint your mini pumpkin all over with a coat of tan paint for the 'bun.' Then, glue thin strips of brown, green, red, and yellow streamers to the middle of the pumpkin to serve as the burger toppings. Sprinkle the top with sesame seeds, and there you have it!
Get the tutorial at Studio DIY.
Herringbone Mini Pumpkin
These pretty patterned pumpkins will look perfect on your table, porch, or anywhere in between! These painted mini pumpkins once again require a paint pen to craft the fine-line herringbone design. To recreate the pattern, use the pen to trace each of the vertical pumpkin lines. Then, fill in the space between each pair of lines with diagonal lines, making sure to draw them in opposite directions for each section.
Get the tutorial at Lovely Indeed.
Checkerboard Pattern Mini Pumpkin
These mini checkerboard patterned pumpkins are so chic that we won't blame you for displaying them around your house past Halloween! Making the symmetrical color-blocked cubes is easier than it looks: First, paint your whole pumpkin in a lighter shade. Then, use a marker to draw lines down the pumpkin grooves in a contrasting color. Draw even horizontal stripes around the pumpkin and fill them in with the darker paint!
Get the tutorial at The House That Lars Built.
Paint Pen Patterned Pumpkin
Mini pumpkins are so cute, but they also mean you have to paint even smaller designs on their surface, which can be hard. That is unless you have paint pens, making it much easier to create patterns like moon cycles, triangles, eyes, and more!
Get the tutorial at Lovely Indeed.
Marbled Indigo Mini Pumpkins
For a painted mini pumpkin idea that doubles as a work of modern art, get out your favorite blue nail polish and follow this foolproof tutorial! To paint these cool designs on your pumpkins, you'll need to first add a few drops of indigo nail polish to a plastic container full of warm water. Then, stir the mixture and dip the pumpkin in the water, spinning it around. Let it dry before doing the same to the other side, and you'll be left with a beautiful finished product!
Get the tutorial at Alice and Lois.
Simple Floral Mini Pumpkin
Paint your mini pumpkin with a pretty pastel shade of your choice. Then, use the end of a pencil or paintbrush to create circles of petals around the pumpkin. Paint contrasting circles in the center of the petals to finish off your flowers!
Get the tutorial at The House That Lars Built.
Temporary Tattoo Mini Pumpkin
If the thought of painting pretty watercolor clusters of flowers on your mini pumpkin is intimidating, you'll love this foolproof temporary tattoo hack! All you have to do is imprint a temporary tattoo on the mini pumpkin's surface using a damp towel, then seal it with a thin layer of Mod Podge.
Get the tutorial at Club Crafted.
Glitter Mini Pumpkins
Give that basket of orange mini pumpkins a sparkly switchup with a little spray paint and glitter! First, spray the pumpkins with thin, light coats of paint. Then, give them a shot of spray adhesive followed by a layer of glitter coordinating with the color of the painted pumpkin!
Get the tutorial at Mad In Crafts.
Nitya Rao is the editorial assistant at The Pioneer Woman, covering stories ranging from food, fashion, beauty, lifestyle, news, and more.
Chili Mac and Cheese
Try the Best New Pumpkin Spice Products for 2026
This Is First Day of the Fall Season
10 Cozy Shows for Fall Decorating
