Posh Pumpkins

By Kate Riley October 21, 2010

A few glamorous pumpkin displays have caught my eye lately.  Have you seen Heather’s velvet beauties?  They’re my new favorite.   Oh how I adore all three shades: the pear green, the watery blue and the deep rust velvet.  Aren’t they lovely?

heather velvet pumpkins

 

Eddie always gets it right, bring on the gold paint!

eddie ross gold pumpkin lonnyvia Lonny

 

Martha’s yarn pumpkins are more cozy than glamorous, but to me, their texture is luxurious.  I love her glittered versions too.

martha stewart pumpkins

Last year’s mercury glass pumpkins from Wisteria and Pottery Barn are so pretty.  Reader update: Wisteria has some for sale this year!

wisteria and pb mercury glass pumpkins

 

Seasonal squash becomes elegant when placed under glass.

pumpkins under glass country living

via Country Living

   

And I love Julia’s charming mixed metal glass pumpkins.

mercury glass pumpkins hooked on houses

   

Last year, these golden ladies graced our front porch . . .

cg gilded pumpkins

 

. . . but this year I’m adding metallic effects on a much smaller scale ~ with Rub ‘n Buff!

cg golden pumpkins crop

 

Rub ‘n Buff is a new favorite crafting tool of mine ~ no need to spray paint or bring out brushes for craft paint.  It’s just so darn easy.  I used ‘Antique Gold’ on the orange mini, and ‘European Gold’ on the white mini pumpkin. 

antique gold rub n buff

     

For a fun pop of color, I used ‘Pearl Blue’ on the last one.

pearl blue rub n buff

 

I’ve seen a few shades of Rub ‘n Buff at my local craft store, but you can also find a greater selection of metallic finishes here.   I’m going to make just a few more golden versions for our harvest table for Thanksgiving.

cg rub n buff pumpkins

 

What’s your favorite way to decorate with pumpkins?  Give them a faux finish or display them au natural?  Perhaps a little of both?  Have you done something special with your pumpkins this season?  Share your creativity! 

 

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71 comments

  1. Love your Pumpkins, such a cute idea! And so easy! I just spray painted my pumpkins a glossy white and added a little german glass glitter to a few! I just posted it on my blog if you want to read more about it!
    Love your Blog by the way! So many wonderful ideas!

  2. Okay, I’m flipping over those velvet pumpkins! This is the first I’m seeing those. I didn’t think I needed any more pumpkins in my house, but now I’m looking around, wondering where I could fit just a few more…

    P.S. Nice of you to mention mine in your roundup! :)

  3. Wisteria does offer a mercury glass pumpkin this year. It is listed under “antique glass gourds” in their Thanksgiving seasonal section, and come in a set of 3 for $34.00. I keep hoping they will put them on sale. :)

  4. Love the Rub n buff pumpkins, those colors are so nice! And those yarn pumpkins!!!??? I’m going to make those today!

  5. Are the little pumpkins that you Rubbed and Buffed real or fake ones? I am looking for some little fake ones as the others eventually have to be thrown away.

  6. Looks like we’re on the same wave length today (although your pumpkins are much more posh than mine :-) ). It would have never occurred to me to use rub and buff! They look great – so pretty.

  7. Love those velvet beauties! Looks like they would be easy to make-cut a circle, running stitch around the outside, pull to gather and stuff. I don’t know about the stems, though- are they real ones? Would it be weird to go to grocery or farmers’ market and ask for stems that have fallen off? :)

  8. Pumkin Love – the velvet ones are so yummy, but I have a soft spot in my heart for the mercury glass ones too. And I adore the blue one you made – so cute!!

    :)
    ButterYum

  9. Where do you find this rub’n’buff? It looks so easy! Now, I’ll need to find some pumpkins…

  10. Pottery Barn had the mercury pumpkins, but our store has been sold out for weeks. Have to jump on those things early.

  11. I love the velvet pumpkins that Heather showed us, and would looooove to buy some, but no luck finding them (even on the sites she mentioned). May have to get creative and figure out how to make them myself!! I also love your rub n buff mini pumpkins. I have loved using this product for many a project!

  12. Rub ‘n buff! I think I have some tubes of that, that are about 800 years old, lol. Didn’t even think to use them but the [umpkins look wonderful! I’m not a talent at pumpkin carving so I usually paint mine. This year I pained a lovely black and gray argyle pattern on a white pumpkin, adding circles of glitter where the diamonds met in the middle. I took a quick phone photo while I was setting them up for their “real” photo shoot. http://twitpic.com/2zd2js
    Oh I just loved those velvet pumpkins at the beginning! The colors are fantastic!

  13. Who would have thought that there could be so many different ways to use pumpkins. I have never seen Rub and Buff before. I’m going to have to try to find some to give it a try.

  14. I LOVE the velvet pumpkins! AND the yarn! This post has gotten me so excited, I don’t even know what inspiration to go with! I too have never seen Rub and Buff before — I believe a trip to Michael’s is in store!

  15. I adore all of those! I love carving pumpkins the old-fashioned way, but they only last a day or two before they start melting on my porch here in south Florida. Thanks for the lovely inspiration for some non-carved pumpkin beauties!!

  16. I like your idea, Kate, using the Rub ‘n Buff. It’s gives a nice effect on the small pupmkins! I’ve also had my eye on those velvet ones. Here’s a link where they can be ordered online if anyone is interested. http://www.hotskwash.com/ The woman who makes them, Daria Knowles, uses unwanted pumpkin and squash stems and recycles them. She has some gorgeous colors on her site and different sizes. They’re really stunning.

  17. I decided long ago that my decor for our Thanksgiving this year would be Chocolate Browns, Rusty Orange and Pale Blue Sky with White Pumpkins. That Rub ‘n Buff blue is AMAZING and just what I was envisioning but didn’t know quite how to execute. Thanks Kate for sharing once again sheer genius.

  18. I’m with you, Kate…. the velvet pumkins are to die for…..wish i could whip up a few right now inthose same choice colors…YUM! I love the Rub ‘N Buff also….. I think you could give glamour like this to the “fake” ones and they sure last longer….. BTW. I tried putting a few real ones (Squash, etc.)under my cloche and after a few days, I was startled to see how “dusty” my glass looked, then burst out laughing as i realized these things, just like fruit, give off a gas that fogged up the glass to the point you could hardly see thru it! that was the end of that! and now Ihave “good ole fakes!”… hope your day is bright!

  19. Janet, thank you!!! I’ve updated the post to reflect they are available at Wisteria.

    Lori, “they’re real and they’re spectacular”. $0.67 from the local grocery store, score!

  20. Pumpkins are all the rage in blog world this week!

    I’ve never heard of rub n’ buff, but I really like it’s look. Too bad I live 1.5 hours from a craft store!

    I’m going to try to craft up some pumpkins this year – I like them natural too but better crafted. I also have my eyes peeled for some gourds, haven’t seen any yet.

  21. “Seasonal squash becomes elegant when placed under glass.”

    Unfortunately it also quickly becomes stinky mush….. ask me how I know….. :)

  22. thanks CG! i am def going to do this! i have two regular craft pumpkins in orange and they just dont work well with my halloween decor. i have to find this stuff! and i want to add glitter to mine too!

  23. Do you find that the Rub n’ Buff gets all over the place? Like after you apply it? I asked Beckie at Infarrantly Creative about it, because she raves about it all the time and she mentioned having to sand something before you apply. But you obviously can’t sand a pumpkin.

  24. I’m in love with the velvet pumpkins. I’m also going to look into the Rub and Buff…the blue one is really great!

  25. Beautiful inspiration! My fall decor is majorly lacking…I need to go find some Rub n Buff. Looks like a lot of fun and the beautiful Pearl Blue color matches my kitchen decor perfectly:o)

  26. Wow, I love your fancy pumpkins – I think it’s a great way to add some Halloween and Autumn decor without being too kitschy. Thanks for the great idea :) The velvet pumpkins are great too – love their long stems!

  27. The blue pumpkins are very Cinderella to me. That’s all I think of when I see the fancy (pretty) pumpkins – Cinderella’s coach – not Fall so much. :) I’m surrounded by boys, having a few Cinderella songs in my head is a nice change from Thomas and Cars. Maybe I should get a blue pumpkin in the house….

  28. I love those velvet pumpkins. I am giving you credit for finding them as I feature them today at somedaycrafts.blogspot.com. Thanks for all you do! Your blog is beautiful and inspiring.

  29. If you find a source for the velvet pumpkins, please share. I would love to have some, or to even try and make some if there is a tutorial out there.

    I love your metallic rub and buff pumpkins. They are lovely!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  30. I have never heard of rub n buff. I will have to find it and learn how to apply it (and apply it well, more importantly, heh). I absolutely love your soft blue painted pumpkin. Unique and so, so pretty! Great idea!

  31. I did the Rub & Buff pumpkins for my Thanksgiving table and got so many compliments on it. It was a fun project to do with my 11 year old daughter and it really dressed up the table.

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