Halloween décor is even more fun when you make it your own! We’re excited to welcome Tracey of Tracey’s Fancy to the Dixie Belle Blog with a larger-than-life project packed with color, pattern, and plenty of personality.

Tracey took a viral giant pumpkin nutcracker and turned it into a whimsical Halloween statement piece using Dixie Belle Chalk Mineral Paint. With bold orange, classic black and white, bright green, purple, and playful patterns, this project shows just how creative you can get with seasonal décor.

Follow along as Tracey shares how she painted and detailed this giant Halloween nutcracker from start to finish!

Unpainted giant pumpkin nutcracker standing beside a person in a garage before its colorful Halloween makeover.

(The following is an excerpt from Tracey’s Fancy. Read the full article here.)  

About four years ago I was asked by a client to paint her giant Christmas nutcracker!  I’d never seen it done before and I had no idea it would become so wildly popular!  

Fast forward to today and now stores such as Walmart and Target have gotten smart and are producing these giant nutcrackers in a matte white – made for custom painting!
AND NOW…..they are making giant pumpkin nutcrackers for HALLOWEEN!
See the DIY transformation of this giant pumpkin nutcracker from bright white to a whimsical MC inspired masterpiece!
Giant pumpkin nutcracker painted in colorful Halloween patterns with a jack-o’-lantern head, harlequin hat, striped pants, and black boots.

Supplies Used: Giant Pumpkin Nutcracker DIY

To Prime or Not to Prime…

If you plan to use acrylic paints from a craft store, I highly recommend using a primer, such as Bonding BOSS, first.
However I am using a quality chalk mineral paint that has great adhesion and sticks to literally anything…. so I chose to paint directly onto the matte plastic.
I covered the entire nutcracker in Fluff – my favorite white.  This was sort of like priming but I love to detail on top of the chalky finish that the paint has when dry… which was my main reason for using Fluff vs. a traditional primer.
Don’t come at me over this….it works!

The Pumpkin Head: The Most Challenging Part to Paint

The most challenging of the entire thing was this pumpkin head!  I started with a true orange, but I really didn’t like how the one color flat orange looked at all.  So I began to layer oranges.
Orange Dixie Belle Chalk Mineral Paint held in front of the unpainted giant pumpkin nutcracker during the Halloween makeover.

I painted over the Florida Orange with swatches of Terracotta…. just to deepen the crevices of the pumpkin. 

I then painted another semi-solid layer of Florida Orange over that.
Giant pumpkin nutcracker in progress with its jack-o’-lantern head painted orange and facial details painted black using Dixie Belle Paint.

The Rest: A Giant Blank Canvas

The rest is up to you!  It’s just a giant blank canvas that you get to choose colors and patterns for!
You can go as plain as you want….or as wild as you want!
Giant pumpkin nutcracker makeover in progress with colorful painted pieces featuring harlequin, striped, and geometric patterns.
I chose Caviar black and Fluff white for my patterns, such as the harlequin hat, the checkered shirt, and striped pants.
Hand-painting a black and white harlequin pattern on the giant pumpkin nutcracker hat during the Halloween makeover. Hand-painting a black and white checkerboard pattern on the giant pumpkin nutcracker during the colorful Halloween makeover. Giant pumpkin nutcracker legs painted with bold black and white stripes, black boots, and a coordinating base during the Halloween makeover.
I used a blend of the bold Tree Frog Green and Limeade for the bow tie.
Close-up of the giant pumpkin nutcracker painted with a bright green bow, colorful ruffles, purple accents, and a black and white checkerboard pattern.
The shoulder epaulette and jacket lapels are Tree Frog Green and Amethyst.  I used Clear Coat Satin to apply the purple glitter over the Amethyst.  I just painted a thick coat and sprinkled on the glitter……let dry and shook off the excess.
Painted arms of the giant pumpkin nutcracker featuring black textured sleeves, orange hands, green and purple accents, and metallic gold details. Purple glitter being applied to the colorful giant pumpkin nutcracker featuring a green bow, orange and yellow ruffles, and black textured details.
And my favorite part of the entire nutcracker is the candy corn colored jabot!  I couldn’t help myself…..candy corn is my favorite Halloween candy and the triangular shape just took me there immediately!
Giant pumpkin nutcracker torso in progress with orange and yellow ruffles painted beneath the unpainted bow and jacket details.

Finishing Off with Gold Accents

The very last color needed was GOLD!
Hand-painting metallic gold accents on the black boot and base of the giant pumpkin nutcracker during the Halloween makeover. Close-up of the giant pumpkin nutcracker featuring black and white striped legs, checkerboard details, black boots, and metallic gold accents. Painted arms of the giant pumpkin nutcracker featuring black textured sleeves, orange hands, green and purple harlequin details, and metallic gold accents.
All trims, buttons and buckles oh my!
Giant pumpkin nutcracker painted in colorful Halloween patterns with a jack-o’-lantern head, harlequin hat, striped pants, and black boots.

The Finished Look: DIY Giant Pumpkin Nutcracker

To protect my hard work AND my clients investment, I chose the Clear Coat Gloss as the final coat.  I carefully applied two thin coats for an amazing shine!
I LOVE this guy!  And I especially love him here in my entryway!
Giant pumpkin nutcracker painted in colorful Halloween patterns with a jack-o’-lantern head, harlequin hat, striped pants, and black boots.

What a fun way to make a big statement for Halloween! Tracey’s giant pumpkin nutcracker proves that seasonal décor doesn’t have to stay straight off the store shelf. With Dixie Belle Chalk Mineral Paint, a little imagination, and plenty of playful details, you can customize your favorite finds to fit your own style.

Feeling inspired? Grab your favorite Dixie Belle colors and put your own spin on this trending Halloween DIY. Whether you keep it classic or go completely whimsical, we’d love to see what you create!

Be sure to check out more creative projects from Tracey’s Fancy and keep following the Dixie Belle Blog for more furniture makeovers, seasonal DIYs, and colorful inspiration.

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Color Inspiration, Guest Author, Holiday, Home Decor, How To

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About the Author

Traceys Fancy

Tracey Bellion is well known for her innovative, brilliant, and over-the-top furniture designs that encompass a Whimsical Wonderland. She loves to paint with playful colors and infuse multiple mixed patterns and textures not usually seen together. Tracey’s signature black and white checkerboard pattern is not only one of her favorite patterns to use to add visual interest, it also serves as a neutral in her furniture designs.

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