Make your Own Mandala Pumpkins DIY

How to Decorate Pumpkins with Mandala Designs for Fall 

Are you ready for a Fall carve-free pumpkin DIY today? ​This is a seasonal autumn project that can last Halloween through Thanksgiving! 
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Lately, I have been inspired to create mandala designs using lines and patterns on paper and stone, I thought, why not try out a  mandala pattern on a pumpkin too? 

We scored some fabulous little pumpkins on our latest trip to the Underwood Farm, our favorite farm in the agricultural valley north of Los Angeles. We also picked up a few more pumpkins at Whole Foods! 
For this project, I used: 

• White and orange pumpkins, I think gray pumpkins would look stunning too!
• Fine point metallic paint pens
• Bright paint pens (optional)
• Permanent markers (optional, recommended for little kids)

Read on to find out how you can make one too and see the stunning results!

When drawing the mandala pattern, I start in the center of the pumpkin and work my way out. I use the bumpy shape of the pumpkin to help establish my pattern. Consider using: wavy lines, dotted lines, straight lines, spirals and curved lines. All of these things make for great mandala designs, which are nature-inspired patterns. Once I establish a pattern. I work my way out! 

I used dots of various sizes in my pattern, also directional lines and shapes. ​One pumpkin below leant itself to becoming a spiderweb! I found the web fit naturally on top of the pumpkin shape and even mirrored the shape of the stem. The bumpy surface can be a challenge. 

On the next one, I combined gold and silver paint pens. I liked the effect of the two metallic colors together. I also want to try black. These paint pens where the brightest metals of all the ones that I tried out. I have to mention that after testing out all the colors, the pastels, showed up only on the orange pumpkins, so I did not use them very much. 

If you can, please try to guess, which one was decorated by my 3-yr-old son? haha, you guessed it~the blue one!
I gave him permanent markers to use, although he did do pretty well with the paint pens, he preferred the quick and easy results of the marker on the pumpkin...also this took him about 20 minutes to color it in #winning! Lastly, I love this project for kids because it is carve-free. I like that we don't have to get out knives or the mess that accompanies carving, although we will do it someday!

I hope you have enjoyed this pumpkin mandala how-to project! ​I feel like there are an abundance of mandala designs that you can create and I would love to see what you do. 

How will you decorate for the autumn holidays? Do you prefer carving pumpkins or carve-free? I would love to see what you are working on and let me know, if you try this one out!