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I’ve had this thrifted candlestick sitting on my craft shelf just waiting for the right project, and fall finally gave me the perfect excuse to pull it out! With a little paint and a few supplies from my craft stash, I turned it into this sweet Pumpkin on a Pedestal for my fall decor.
Supplies Needed for This Project :
- Candlestick or small pedestal
- Pumpkin
- Paint : Acrylic and Chalk
- Antique wax
- Moss Greenery
- Hot glue and glue gun
- Small sanding block
- Jute twine
- Vintage fall tag
- Small stick from the yard for the pumpkin stem OR actual pumpkin stem
- Curling twine for pumpkin tendrils
You can find the vintage fall tags I used for this project in my Etsy shop here.
One : Start With the Candlestick
The first thing I did was give my thrifted candlestick a completely different look with paint. Don’t worry about finding the exact candlestick that I used. This is one of those projects that works beautifully with all kinds of thrifted candlesticks and small pedestals. Look for an interesting shape rather than worrying about the original color or finish. Give the candlestick a good cleaning and then paint it in the color of your choice. Depending on the original finish and the paint you’re using, you may need more than one coat.
Once the paint is completely dry, use a small sanding block to lightly distress some of the raised areas and edges. I love doing this because it brings out all of those pretty details and gives a freshly painted piece a more aged, collected look.
Two : Give the Pumpkin a Makeover
Next, it’s time for the pumpkin! You definitely don’t need to purchase an expensive pumpkin for this project. I used a simple craft pumpkin that I already had in my fall stash from the Dollar Tree. Paint the pumpkin in whatever color works with your fall decor. I used my favorite chalk paint in the color, Pumpkin Pie. Once the paint has dried, add a little antique wax to bring out the grooves and give the pumpkin some dimension. Start with a small amount of wax. You can always add more, but it’s much easier to build the color gradually than to remove too much wax.
Next, I darkened my paint a bit by adding a brown color to my orange, then I added some baking soda to the mixture. Using a rough brush, I created texture on the pumpkin. You can see that in the first photo below. Once that was dry, I did a dry brush with an orange/cream mixture to create even more detail on our foam pumpkin. You won’t even be able to recognize it as a Dollar Tree pumpkin when you’re finished!
Three : Adding the Stem and Finishing Details
I had an actual dried pumpkin stem in my natural elements craft tote, so that is what I used for this project. You can keep the stem that is on it, but I recommend replacing it with at least a stick from your yard. You can get creative with this part though. I removed the foam stem, then carved out a space large enough for my dried stem. Don’t glue it down yet though.
I added Spanish moss around the opening first, using hot glue to secure it in place. I kept the moss fairly loose and wispy because I wanted it to have a natural, slightly wild look rather than a perfectly neat ring around the stem.
Next, I added my dried pumpkin stem. I absolutely love using real pumpkin and gourd stems whenever I can save them because no faux stem can quite duplicate all of that natural texture and character. I tucked the bottom of the stem down into the opening I had created and secured it well with hot glue.
To give the pumpkin a little more movement and dimension, I added a tendril made from paper-covered wire. I simply wrapped the wire around a narrow object to create the coil, then stretched and shaped it until I liked the way it curled around the stem and moss. Don’t worry about making your tendril perfect. Real pumpkin vines certainly aren’t! I also tucked in a vintage velvet leaf that I already had in my craft stash. The rich green was such a pretty contrast against the warm pumpkin color, and the velvet added another layer of texture without making the top feel too busy.
Four : Adding the Fall Tag
For one final embellishment, I chose one of my vintage-inspired fall tags that says hello FALL. I threaded a piece of jute through the hole in the tag and used a pin to attach the jute near the top of the pumpkin. I love the way the tag hangs casually down the front. It gives the pumpkin another little vintage detail while still allowing all of that paint texture and shading to show.
Five : Placing the Pumpkin on the Pedestal
At this point, the pumpkin itself was finished and ready for its pedestal!
Originally, I had considered using moss between the pumpkin and the top of the candlestick, but once I started putting everything together, I changed directions. Instead, I used a small cotton doily from my stash.
I placed the doily over the top of the candlestick and then centered the pumpkin on top, allowing just a little bit of the crocheted edge to peek out around the bottom. That tiny detail ended up being one of my favorite parts! The soft cream cotton ties in beautifully with the distressed finish on the candlestick and gives the pumpkin a pretty vintage foundation without competing with everything happening at the top.
And that was it! What started as a simple foam pumpkin and a candlestick I already had became a completely different piece of fall decor. Between the layered paint finish, the natural stem, wispy moss, curled tendril, vintage velvet leaf, fall tag, and that little peek of cotton doily underneath, it has exactly the collected, aged look I was hoping for.
And as always, use what you have and make it your own. One of the things I love most about this project is how many different ways you could make it.
A black pedestal with a cream pumpkin would be beautiful. You could use traditional orange and brown for a classic fall look or go completely neutral with shades of cream, tan and green. You could even leave a pretty wooden candlestick unpainted.
Use what you have and make yours fit your home. That’s half the fun!
Thank you so much for stopping by My Eclectic Treasures! I hope this Pumpkin on a Pedestal inspires you to look at those old candlesticks, pumpkins and forgotten craft supplies a little differently and create something beautiful for your own fall home decor.
If you enjoy easy crafts, thrift flips, seasonal decorating and creative ways to use what you already have, make sure you sign up for my weekly email newsletter so you don’t miss the latest projects.
Save This Pumpkin on a Pedestal for Later!
Don’t forget to save this project to your favorite fall crafts, thrift flips or DIY fall decor Pinterest board so you’ll have it when you’re ready to make your own.
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Love your crafts
I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed this! Thank you so much!
Did you add the baking soda to a mixture of paint? Not understanding how you added the baking soda to the pumpkin!
Yes, I did! I added it to the darkened orange paint, then used the rough brush to add textured spots to the pumpkin.
Love your creations! Thanks so much for sharing !
Thank you so much for taking the time to comment! I am glad you liked this diy!
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Awesome! So excited to hear you would like to join our email family! There is a signup box here in this blog post where you can sign up for my emails! Let me know if you need help finding it!