Western Halloween Crafts: Cowboy Silhouette Pumpkins

Add a touch of western flair to your Halloween decor this year with these fun cowboy silhouette pumpkins. Look for a cowboy silhouette stencil at your local decorative wall paint store or craft supply store.

For this project, you will need (per pumpkin):

- One faux pumpkin or real pumpkin in any size
- Mild dish detergent
- Water
- Paper towels
- Krylon Indoor Outdoor Primer in All-Purpose White
- Krylon Indoor Outdoor Paint in Satin Brown Boots
- Krylon Premium Metallic Paint in Copper Foil
- Krylon Short Cuts Hobby and Craft Paint Pen in Gloss Black
- Krylon Crystal Clear Acrylic Finishing Spray
- Painter's tape or masking tape
- Craft paper or a dissembled paper bag
- Pencil
- Bucking bronco or other cowboy style silhouette stencil
- Newspaper and/or a large drop cloth

Use a few sheets of old newspaper and/or a large drop cloth to cover your work area prior to starting. Carefully wash the outside of either a faux pumpkin (available at most dollar stores) or real pumpkin using a mild dish detergent. Rinse the pumpkin well. Dry the outside of the pumpkin and stem with paper towels. Allow the pumpkin to set for an hour or so to finish drying completely.

Prime both the outside of the pumpkin and the stem using layers of Krylon Indoor Outdoor Primer in All-Purpose White. Continue to add coats of primer until the stem color and orange color of the pumpkin no longer show through. Let the pumpkin dry completely.

Cut a piece of craft paper or a dissembled paper bag to fit over the body of the pumpkin. Secure the paper in place with strips of painter's tape or masking tape. Only the pumpkin stem should be exposed. Paint the stem of the pumpkin using a few coats of Krylon Premium Metallic Paint in Copper Foil. Dry completely.

Remove the paper and tape from the pumpkin. Cover the copper painted pumpkin stem with additional tape to protect the metallic color. Paint the body of the pumpkin with several thick coats of Krylon Indoor Outdoor Paint in Satin Brown Boots. Let the pumpkin dry for several hours. Remove the tape from the pumpkin stem.

Use a pencil and a bucking bronco or other cowboy style silhouette stencil to transfer the image to the side of the painted pumpkin. Fill in the design completely using a Krylon Short Cuts Hobby and Craft Paint Pen in Gloss Black. Let the design dry fully. Coat the entire pumpkin in a couple layers of Krylon Crystal Clear Acrylic Finishing Spray. Dry overnight before displaying.