Cheap orange pumpkins can work for fall decor without keeping the bright finish they came with. A coat of dark wax can settle into the grooves and give each pumpkin an aged brown surface.
Debbie found small resin pumpkins at Dollar Tree and decided to change their orange finish with dark furniture wax. The same wax used as a finishing coat on furniture became the key part of the fall project.
The idea did not stop with the resin pumpkins. A butternut squash from the grocery store got the same treatment, turning a piece of produce into table decor.
Orange Pumpkins Came From Dollar Tree
The small resin pumpkins already had deep ribs, curled dark stems, and an orange finish. Those grooves gave the wax places to collect once it went across the surface.
Their size also makes them suited to a fall table, shelf, or grouped display. No paint or base coat was added before the wax.
Dark Wax Went Straight Over the Orange Finish
Dark wax was brushed across each pumpkin, covering the raised ribs and sinking into the narrow channels between them. The orange remained visible under the brown coating.
The creator used wax she already had on hand. Dark furniture wax from brands such as Minwax, Maison Blanche, or Annie Sloan can create a similar aged finish.
Grooves Hold More of the Dark Finish
Once coated, the pumpkins no longer have one flat orange tone. Dark brown sits inside the grooves and around the stem, while patches of orange show across the raised sections.
That contrast brings out the ribbed shape that was present from the start. The wax changes the finish without hiding the molded detail beneath it.
Fall Leaves Finish the Pumpkins
Red and brown faux leaves were tied near the stems with twine after the wax was applied. The additions cover little of the pumpkin, leaving the dark finish exposed.
The twine and leaves also give the small pumpkins enough detail to work as individual accents instead of needing a larger arrangement around them.
Butternut Squash Got the Same Dark Wax
A real butternut squash became the second test. Its pale tan skin offered more contrast than the orange resin pumpkins as dark wax was brushed down one side.
The smooth squash does not have deep grooves to catch the wax, so the brown finish spreads in broader marks across its surface. The stem was left exposed.
Grocery Store Squash Became Fall Decor
Once coated, the squash looks far removed from its original pale finish. Brown wax covers much of the skin, with lighter patches left visible beneath it.
A red faux leaf and twine at the stem connect it with the smaller pumpkins. The result turns inexpensive pumpkins and grocery-store produce into a fall display with one furniture-finishing product.
Would you try dark wax on cheap fall pumpkins, or keep the classic orange finish?
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