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Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Henna & Wood Burned Pumpkins

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Pumpkin season is here, and now is the time to start decorating!
Something different I’ve noticed this year are all of the light indigo colored pumpkins and gourds– they are beautiful! A muted shade of blue with little specks of white showing through…these have got to be my favorite ones of the season. It’s always fun to come up with new ways to decorate them, and I’m really excited to share this DIY with you all. I’ve carved,painted, and decoupaged pumpkins before, but never did I think to incorporate henna and wood burning techniques until now. Here’s how to put a unique twist on holiday pumpkin decorating!

pumpkins
My first stop was Whole Foods to pick out the pumpkins.
tri colored pumps
The white and blue pumpkins ended up working out best with these techniques, but classic orange is forever a fan favorite, so don’t be shy if you want to stick to the traditional holiday color!
wood burner and henna
Next, you’ll need a wood burner and some henna. Most craft stores should carry both of these things. The wood burner is simple to use – all you need is an outlet! For the henna, depending on the type you get, just follow the directions to prepare it. Mine was ready in 45 minutes.
drawing design
First, draw out your design in pencil directly onto the gourd or pumpkin. The henna application and wood burning process will be a lot easier if you have a line to follow.
painting henna
Our intern Aubrie helped me out with the henna one. The earthy color of the henna looks great against a lighter color, so we chose to use it on the white pumpkin. Starting from the top and working your way down works best. Try to keep a steady hand, and the more consistent you are with the line thickness, the better your design will look.
henna on pumpkin
Aubrie drew a mandala at the top, then added in some other traditional shapes to fill in the empty space. Once you are done, set the pumpkin aside to allow all of the henna to dry completely.
wood burning on pumpkin
If you are going to try wood burning, I highly recommend doing it on a blue pumpkin. The wood burner will carve away some of the flesh from the pumpkin, leaving a dark blue/green outline. Don’t be alarmed by the burning smell…this is supposed to happen! Use caution when doing this technique because the wood burner gets very hot.
wiping off wood burner
I used a thick cloth to wipe off the excess pumpkin flesh from the tip every now and then to avoid build up. This will help to achieve a thinner line.
pumpkin8sss
drawing stripes
Feel free to follow along with the same patterns we created, or come up with your own!
two pumps
The end result is unique, and a fun alternative to traditional pumpkin carving!
pumpgif22
The henna looks great on mini pumpkins too! If you are crunched for time, try picking up a few of these to decorate.
pumpkins
Have fun!

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