A pink pumpkin door hanger is one of the easiest ways to put a fun twist on your fall decor. In this step-by-step tutorial, I’ll show you exactly how I painted a wooden pumpkin cutout in soft pinks, added black and gold accents, and hand-lettered “Hey Pumpkin!” across the front.

Pink fall decor is popping up everywhere right now. I painted this one in the same colors as my hand lettered Halloween buckets. It’s perfect for a little girl’s room, a craft space, or a gift. And if you paint door hangers to sell, a pink pumpkin stands out from all the traditional orange.

Supplies for Your Pink Pumpkin Door Hanger

Paint and Brushes

• Wooden pumpkin door hanger cutout
• FolkArt Seashell Pink (light base coat)
• DecoArt Blush Pink (darker pink for the ribs)
• White acrylic paint
• Linen acrylic paint (a grayish taupe)
• Territorial Beige acrylic paint (for the stem)
• DecoArt Glorious Gold
• Black acrylic paint (for accents)
• Round brushes in a few sizes, plus a small liner brush

You’ll find many of my favorite painting supplies in my Amazon storefront.

Lettering Tools

• Watercolor pencil (it erases more cleanly than regular pencil)
• Tracing paper (optional, for testing your layout)
• Black India ink brush marker: I use the Faber-Castell Pitt Artist Big Brush, also included in my Hand Lettering Starter Pen Pack
• Scissors (for trimming the marker tip)
• A traceable lettering template, like the ones from the Template Library

Finishing Touches

• Empire Gold Gilding Wax (find it in my Amazon storefront)
• Spray sealer (not brush-on)
• Ribbon for the bow: I found a velvety pink ribbon at Michaels, plus a little black ribbon and soft pom-poms

How to Paint a Pink Pumpkin Door Hanger, Step by Step

Step #1: Base Coat in Light Pink

1. Paint the whole pumpkin in Seashell Pink and let it dry.
2. Add a second coat. I don’t love the wood grain showing through, so I usually do more layers than most people.

Step #2: Add Dimension to the Ribs

The curved sections of a pumpkin are called ribs.

1. Put Blush Pink, white, and Linen on your palette.
2. With a round brush, follow each rib using a loose mix of the three, leaving streaks for texture.
3. Take your time on the middle ribs. They’re the trickiest.
4. Streak a little more of the darker pink back in.

Step #3: Paint the Stem

1. Mix Territorial Beige with Linen so the stem isn’t too dark.
2. Add a few darker streaks. If a spot goes too dark, don’t panic. The bow will cover part of it.

Step #4: Pencil On Your Lettering First

1. Once the paint is completely dry, sketch your phrase with a watercolor pencil. I wrote “Hey” in cursive and “pumpkin” in a whimsical print.
2. Trace the letters in the air first to check your spacing.
3. When stacking words, work backward from the last letter. I made the “i” shorter so it tucks under the loopy “y” in “Hey.”
4. Fill awkward gaps. I added an exclamation point to balance the layout.

→ Nervous about hand lettering? Traceable lettering templates for signs take care of this step, so you can transfer the design and skip the guesswork.

Step #5: Trace It With a Brush Marker

1. Go over your pencil lines with the black brush marker.
2. Go slow, start thin, and build up your lines.
3. Clean up any uneven spots.

→ Want to build your skills? My Lettering for Signmakers class teaches hand lettering on signs from the beginning.

Step #6: Take Care of Your Marker

1. Seal with spray, not brush-on. Brushing over India ink a second time can make it streak.
2. When the brush tip gets floppy, snip the very end straight across. It becomes a bullet tip that’s easier to control.

→ For more on choosing markers, see Which Lettering Pen Should You Use?

Step #7: Add Soft Black Accents

1. Dip a liner brush in a tiny amount of black and wipe most of it off.
2. Lightly tap along the edges, ribs, and stem so it looks splotchy, not like solid lines.
3. Balance the accents on both sides so the black lettering looks like it belongs.

Step #8: Layer On Gold

1. Brush Glorious Gold over the black accents. A little gold softens any black that looks too harsh.
2. For a deeper, more pigmented gold, add Empire Gold Gilding Wax.

Step #9: Highlight the Lettering

1. Add thin white highlights inside the letters.
2. Brush a touch of gold over them.

These accents show your sign is hand painted and really help your hand lettering pop!

Step #10: Seal and Add a Bow

1. Seal your pumpkin with spray sealer.
2. Tie a bow with your pink ribbon, a little black ribbon, and soft pom-poms.
3. Attach it wherever there’s a gap in the design.

Ways to Customize Your Fall Door Hanger

The same door hanger design looks completely different in new colors.

Color Combos to Try

• Pink and gold (the version in this tutorial)
• Orange and pink, using DecoArt Marigold for the orange
• Gray and pink
• Spooky black and pink for Halloween
• Pink with gold polka dots or a floral print

Fall Phrase Ideas

• Hey Pumpkin!
• Hey Boo
• Hey Y’all
• Happy Fall
• Hello Fall
• Thankful and Blessed

Want more phrases to practice? The Template Library is full of them!

Lettering FAQs

What paint colors work best for a pink pumpkin?

FolkArt Seashell Pink for the base, DecoArt Blush Pink for shading, plus white, Linen, and DecoArt Glorious Gold.

Do I need hand lettering experience to make this?

Nope! Traceable lettering templates let you transfer a finished design onto your door hanger. If you use a Cricut or Silhouette, SVG files make it even easier. Not sure which membership fits you? Read Template Library vs. Happy Lettering Club.

What marker is best for lettering on wood door hangers?

A black India ink brush marker. Its soft tip makes smoother lines than a paint pen.

How do I keep black lettering from looking too harsh?

Add faint black accents around the pumpkin so the lettering looks intentional. Then brush a little gold over the accents to soften them.

Should I use spray or brush-on sealer over ink?

Spray sealer. Brushing over India ink can make it streak.

Get Fall Lettering Templates for Your Door Hangers and Signs

Want to skip the erasing and get straight to the fun part? The Template Library has 500+ hand lettering templates ready for your fall door hangers and signs, from pumpkin phrases to seasonal sayings, with new designs added every month.

Every template comes as a PDF, PNG, Procreate file, and an SVG for your Cricut or Silhouette. The template does the heavy lifting for you, so you can focus on the colors and the bow. It’s $15 a month, and you can cancel anytime.

Join the Template Library and start your next fall project!