Spirit Board Pumpkins

$20 - $25 (based on 2017 prices)

Makes two pumpkins

The farm theme for 2016’s haunt left me with numerous pumpkins and I have spent the last few years finding ways to repurpose them. For a witch display in 2017, I decided to incorporate the element of a spirit board onto the gourds. To achieve this, I used adhesive lettering to wrap the traditional design of the board around the surface of the pumpkin. Although I selected a black and purple color scheme, you can use alternate colors: for example, black and green or black and orange.

• Two medium-size artificial pumpkins (roughly twelve inches in diameter)
• One 10 oz. can of interior/exterior, fast-drying spray paint in flat black
• One 10 oz. can of interior/exterior, fast-drying spray paint in flat purple
• One package of alphabetical and numerical stickers in glittery black
• One package of alphabetical and numerical stickers in glittery silver
  

1. On a newspaper-lined surface in a well-ventilated area, give the pumpkins three even coats of spray paint. For visual interest, paint one black and one purple. To protect the stems, wrap them in plastic prior to the painting process.

2. Once the paint has dried, adhere the alphabetical and numerical stickers to the pumpkins. You want the design to mirror that of a spirit board, so keep one nearby as a reference. If the adhesive fails to attach the lettering, especially along the pumpkins’ curves, consider using superglue. Also, purchase a set of stickers with more than one of each number and letter (this gives you a backup in case stickers tear).

3. If you want additional detail, add voodoo beads or other trinkets to the prop to enhance the theme. You could also superglue the pumpkins to ornate candlesticks to give them added height.