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Okay, today’s project might be one of my favorites ever…DIY glitter pumpkins! I know, just when you thought pumpkins couldn’t get any more fun, you have been proven wrong. This is the best pumpkin decorating idea ever!

These pumpkins with glitter are one of the easiest fall craft projects I’ve ever done, and they last forever.

I made my first batch of glitter pumpkins over ten years ago, and they are still going strong. They are absolutely gorgeous too – you’ll want to pull these out year after year and layer them in with your fall decor.

Glitter Pumpkins at a Glance

The project – foam pumpkins given a serious upgrade with mod podge and glitter.
Skill level – beginner friendly, even with kids (if you take the project outside!).
Time needed – 15 minutes of hands-on time + 24 hours of dry time.
What you’ll need – foam pumpkins, mod podge, foam brush, glitter, and a box or tray.
Perfect for – fall mantles, porch displays, Halloween tablescapes, front porches…and it’s reusable year after year!

pastel painted pumpkins in orange, copper, mint, blush, and lavender topped with glitter

Feel free to stick with me through this whole tutorial, or use the table of contents below to skip ahead!

Supplies

That being said, if you like sparkle, you’ll LOVE this project.

Another fun thing about this project is the limited supplies needed. All you need to make these pumpkins with glitter are:

Foam craft pumpkins
Mod Podge
Foam brush
Extra fine glitter
Glossy Mod Podge (for sealing)
A box that your pumpkin can fit inside (highly recommended for minimizing mess!)

pastel colored pumpkins dropped with a sprinkle of glitter at the top

Optional Supplies for Variations:

Acrylic or chalk paint in your favorite shades – for the painted base look
Painter’s tape – gives you clean lines if you do a layered, ombre, or want to mask the stem
Chunky glitter and/or iridescent glitter – adds mixed texture
Gold leaf paint – to give your stems a glam vibe

Budget tip: Almost all the items above can be purchased online but you can find them much cheaper at the dollar store. They have everything you need including foam pumpkins, glitter, mod podge, paint, and foam brushes. Plus, I have a whole round up of easy Dollar Tree Halloween decorations if you want some more ideas!

Supplies for diy glitter pumpkins - craft pumpkin, mod podge and fine glitter

How To Make DIY Glitter Pumpkins

Making these pumpkins with glitter is both quick and easy, especially if you implement the tips I’ll share below.

1. Start with foam craft pumpkins. Any type of foam pumpkin will do, but if you want to make your pumpkins with glitter that is gold or a lighter color, it’s a bit easier to start with a white or light-colored pumpkin.

If you have a dark-colored pumpkin, you could even spray paint it a lighter color first.

2. Next, use your foam brush to cover your pumpkin in a coat of Mod Podge. You definitely want to lean towards a thicker coat rather than a thin one.

LOVE these diy glitter pumpkins! These are so cute and seriously the easiest craft I've made in a long time. So excited for fall!

Step one of the glitter pumpkin - cover pumpkin in mod podge.

3. Cover the pumpkin in glitter. Make sure to use extra fine glitter to get that pretty sparkle.

How to make glitter pumpkins - sprinkle glitter over mod podge pumpkins.

Pumpkins with glitter being made on a table top.

Remember above, where I recommended having a couple of small boxes on hand? This is where they will come in handy.

Pour the glitter into the shoe box, hold your pumpkin by the stem over the bigger box, and use the shoe box to pour glitter on your pumpkin as you rotate it.

When the smaller box is empty of glitter, pour the glitter from the big box into the smaller one, then start the process again.

Give it a good shake and set it to dry for 24 hours (I put mine in another box for glitter control).

4. Let it dry for 24 hours or so. You can do an additional coat of Mod Podge to seal the glitter in or do a second coat of glitter if needed.

That’s it! Aren’t DIY glitter pumpkins so simple?

3 Glitter Pumpkin Variations to Try

Love this look? Here are 3 other ways to use glitter on pumpkins!

The Ombre Pastel Look – Paint your pumpkin in the shade of your choice (I tend to go for pastels, but choose your fave!). Once it’s dry, use painter’s tape to mark where you want glitter to start then glitter above the line using the original insructions above.

pastel pumpkins topped with glitter at the top and a gold stem

The Chunky Iridescent Look – Same mod podge base, but instead of using extra fine glitter use chunky flakes for added texture. I personally like to add iridescent chunky glitter over a painted pumpkin!

Painted pumpkins with iridescent chunky glitter on top

The Golden Stem – adding gold leaf paint to your stem is an easy way to elevate any pumpkin with glitter! Want to kick it up a notch? Add a layer of mod podge to your pumpkin stem and cover it in gold glitter!

Tips for Working with Glitter ✨

Because I vow to always keep it real with you…I’ll be completely honest here. This project can get very messy.

I have done dozens of projects using glitter over a decade or two, so I consider myself to be a glitter expert, and even I spilled a few particals here and there during this project.

Oops. Now our living room floor has some sparkle too…I’m not mad about it. 🙂

If you have never worked with glitter before, be prepared—it gets pretty much everywhere! If you want pretty glitter pumpkins but don’t want your entire house to be covered with glitter, make sure to follow these tips:

This might be a great project to do outside rather than inside if you are glitter-adverse, especially if you are making these with kids!
If you prefer to make these pumpkins with glitter inside, make sure you have a plastic tablecloth or roll of paper on hand so that you can roll it up, capture all the glitter and toss it.
When making this, keep the pumpkin inside a box, so all the glitter falls within the box rather than your floor. You’ll see what I mean below!
Seal your pumpkin with a protective coating once it’s done. I recommend using glossy mod podge so you don’t lose any shine! Just keep the brushstrokes thin and even.

Group of DIY glitter pumpkins - easy fall craft.

Are you on team glitter or team no way? I feel like people are very black-and-white on this issue—let’s hear it! I think you know where I stand…sparkle, sparkle!

More Fun Halloween Crafts to Try: