Transform Your Pumpkins with Chrome Powder & Pro Painting Techniques
Learn how to create stunning metallic finishes and dimensional painting effects on your fall décor!
Hey everybody! Welcome back! Today I'm sharing one of my absolute favorite techniques that's going to completely transform the way you think about painting pumpkins and seasonal décor. We're diving deep into chrome powder application, my signature wet-on-wet painting technique, and all the tips and tricks I've learned along the way (including some mistakes you'll definitely want to avoid!).
What You'll Learn in This Tutorial
How to achieve that gorgeous metallic chrome finish using nail powder
The wet-on-wet painting technique for dimensional pumpkins
Essential fall painting colors that work for everything
The critical priming step you can't skip
How to create that beautiful tufted diamond look
My double-load brush technique (no formal training required!)
The Star of the Show: My 6-Foot Walmart Nutcracker
Before we get into the techniques, can we just talk about this spectacular 6-foot nutcracker from Walmart? He was only $159 with free shipping, and he's become the talk of all the nutcracker groups! He's all lightweight plastic, animated with lights, and the perfect canvas for showcasing these incredible painting techniques.
Chrome Powder: The Game-Changing Technique
What You'll Need:
Chrome nail powder (I buy the 24-pack on Amazon)
Bare wax or clear wax (yes, you could even use your husband's Turtle Wax when he's not looking! 😂)
Dark base paint colors (I used dioxazine purple and navy blue)
Liquitex High Gloss Varnish for sealing
Small wax brush
The Chrome Powder Secret
Here's what makes this technique so incredibly fun and forgiving: you don't need a perfect base coat! The chrome powder covers up everything beautifully. I experimented with both a black base and my purple/navy combo, and honestly, while the black takes the colors slightly stronger, the difference isn't huge. The purple and navy actually gave me more color variation, which I loved.
My Process:
Prime first with Bonding Boss (this is crucial - more on that later!)
Base coat with dark colors - I double-loaded purple and navy
Apply the chrome - and here's my game-changer: put some powder on a plate instead of working from the container. It's SO much easier!
Work in sections - apply wax to a larger area first, then use your wax brush with powder
Layer colors - don't be afraid to add unexpected pops of color!
Seal immediately once a section is done with Liquitex High Gloss Varnish
The Color Pop Secret
I'm a huge fan of throwing in a crazy color just to make everything pop! The navy and purple were nice, but when I added turquoise and pink? That's when my whole nutcracker came to life. Don't be afraid to experiment - the chrome powder changes appearance depending on where you're looking, creating the most gorgeous dimensional effect.
Pro tip: Do your chrome powder work FIRST before painting anything below it, because that powder will drop down and get on everything underneath. Learn from my mistake!
The Wet-on-Wet Pumpkin Painting Technique
This is literally one of my most favorite techniques to teach because it works every single time. If I can do it with no formal training, you absolutely can too!
Your Essential Fall Color Palette:
Traditional Burnt Umber (DecoArt)
Canyon Orange (or Pumpkin Orange)
Cinnamon Stick
Antique Gold (for that 3D highlighted effect)
The Double-Load Technique:
Start with light colors - dip in orange, flip your brush completely over, and dip in cinnamon stick
Never wash your brush - I want all those colors mixing together!
Work wet-on-wet - this is the key to that beautiful blending
Add dimension with darker colors - flip to orange, then burnt umber for the ribs
Highlight with antique gold - just a touch where the sun would hit creates that 3D pop
The antique gold is absolutely magical. It makes your pumpkin look like it's catching the light and gives it so much dimension. Picture where the sun would be and just add a little tap of antique gold with a touch of orange for movement. Gorgeous!
Why One Coat is Enough:
When you prime your pumpkin first with Bonding Boss, the paint glides on so smoothly. You're working wet-on-wet, constantly moving and blending colors on the surface. It's truly a one-and-done technique - don't keep going over it again and again!
The Critical Priming Step (Don't Skip This!)
PSA: If you're taking an orange pumpkin and painting it with lighter colors like white, black and white checks, or diamonds, you MUST prime it first!
Ask me how I know... 🙈 I've ruined a couple of projects learning this the hard way. Here's what happens: you won't see the orange bleeding through right away. Everything looks perfect! But when you seal it, that orange dye will start coming through your beautiful checks or diamonds. Heartbreaking!
Use Bonding Boss in gray (or clear) to prime the entire surface first. Let it dry completely - I give it a couple of days. This creates a barrier so that orange can't bleed through your lighter colors.
Creating the Tufted Diamond Look
For those gorgeous dimensional diamonds on the nutcracker's hat:
Trace, don't stencil - I use a diamond stencil from Amazon or Temu, but I just trace around it with pencil rather than painting through it
Paint with a small, firm brush - short, fat, flat, and firm brushes work best
Offload in the center first - just like we do with checks
Add the tufted detail - use a dry brush with white paint in a feather-light touch to create a little comma or half-moon shape
Embellish - I added 12mm cabochons with B7000 glue between each diamond
Seal with Liquitex - that high gloss finish takes it from good to WOW
The Finishing Touch: Sealing Your Work
I'm a huge high gloss fan, and I know not everyone is, but hear me out. Look at your project before sealing - it's pretty, but it's a little dull. Now add that Liquitex High Gloss Varnish and watch what happens. The shine takes it from "okay, that's nice" to absolutely professional-looking.
For chrome powder especially, sealing is essential. It keeps the powder from getting on your hands and everything else, and it actually helps blend all your colors together so nothing is sticking out too much.
I buy the large bottle of Liquitex High Gloss Varnish on Amazon because it's so much cheaper than buying small bottles, and it lasts forever. I use it for everything!
You Can Absolutely Do This!
Raise your hands if you think you can do this! 🙋♀️ Because I know you can. I always say - if I can do it with no formal training whatsoever, you absolutely can too.
The keys to success:
Double (or triple!) load your brush
Work wet-on-wet
Don't be afraid of color
Prime when going from dark to light
Seal your finished work
Have fun with it!
This technique works on anything - not just pumpkins and nutcrackers. Try it on flat surfaces, other décor items, whatever your creative heart desires. The chrome powder especially is an instant joy. It's so satisfying to see those colors come to life right before your eyes!
Watch the Full Tutorial
I've embedded the complete video tutorial below where you can watch every technique in action. I break down each step, show you exactly how to load your brushes, and demonstrate the wet-on-wet blending in real-time.
Supply Links
I'll be adding links to all the products I mentioned:
6-foot Nutcracker from Walmart ($159)
Chrome nail powder sets (24-pack on Amazon)
Diamond stencils (Amazon or Temu)
DecoArt paints in all the fall colors
Liquitex High Gloss Varnish
Bonding Boss primer
B7000 glue
Check back soon or follow me on social media for all the direct links!
Join Me for More Tutorials
I go live regularly to teach new techniques and answer your questions in real-time. This Saturday I'll be showing how to attach finials and stems to your pumpkins, plus finishing up this big guy. My member group gets bonus content tomorrow!
Can't wait to see what you create with these techniques. Tag me in your projects - I absolutely love seeing your creativity!
