DIY Terracotta Pumpkin Jack-O-Lanterns: (Pottery Barn Dupe)

We’ve all seen the viral terracotta pumpkins from Pottery Barn that all of us basic fall girlies are going gaga over. The problem is they are no longer available. So I decided to make my own DIY Terracotta Pumpkin Jack-O-Lanterns.

When they were available, they were super expensive. If you find someone selling them, it will still be a fortune. Let’s look at how to make a dupe for these gorgeous handmade terracotta pumpkins.

a pottery barn dupe of diy terracotta pumpkin candle holders

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The original Pottery Barn set of terracotta jack-o-lantern candle holders are $218. I knew that I could make my diy terracotta pumpkins for much cheaper.

Table of Contents

Supplies For DIY Terracotta Pumpkins

Here are the Supplies you’ll need to complete this project:

supplies needed for the diy terracotta pumpkins

Small, Medium and Large Plastic Jack-O-Lanterns (mine are light up ones from Lowe’s, but Walmart and Amazon sell them as well)
Paint (I used a sample from Lowe’s)
Paint Brush
Baking Soda
Calcium Carbonate

How To Make DIY Terracotta Pumpkins

Here are the steps to follow for making a DIY Terracotta Pumpkin Jack-O-Lantern:

Step 1-Pick Out Your Pumpkins

small, medium, large plastic jack-o-lanterns to be made into terracotta pumpkins

First, I made a trip to Lowe’s to gather my supplies. The original set of handmade terracotta pumpkins came with a small, medium, and large. I love this pairing, so I tried to find something similar. These are the ones I ended up finding.

Step 2-Choose Your Paint Color And Add Baking Soda

perfect terracotta color for our diy terracotta pumpkin pottery barn dupes

picked spiced cider from sherwin williams for terracotta color

Next, I had to pick out my paint color. Some blogs have you mixing paint colors, or choosing a specific color. It really comes down to personal preference. I wanted these pumpkins to look as close to terracotta as they could.

Taking a look in the paint section at Lowe’s, I landed on the what I think makes the perfect terracotta color–Spiced Cider by Sherwin Williams.

I used a 2:1 ratio of paint to baking soda when making terracotta paint texture mixture

Then to mimic the texture of terracotta, I mixed baking soda into the paint. There isn’t really an exact formula or ratio, but I would say 2 parts paint to 1 part baking soda is a good place to start. I am being completely honest when I say I eyeballed it.

That’s the beauty of adding “texture,” it doesn’t have to be perfect, in fact the more imperfect, the more authentic it looks.

Step 3-Paint Your Pumpkins

painted the pumpkins with spiced cider and baking soda

showing the texture that the baking soda added to the terracotta diy pumpkins

The next step is simple, paint your pumpkins with the paint and baking soda mixture. I used an old wooster paint brush (my favorite), but a foam brush or chip brushes will work as well. I did two coats to add the maximum texture to my diy terracotta pumpkins.

Let the pumpkins dry completely before moving onto the last step.

Step 4-Dab On The Calcium Carbonate

The last step is to add what I call the “aging agent” to our diy terracotta pumpkins. I’m using calcium carbonate because I have it on hand from recently making some homemade chalk paint. I’ve seen different substances used, but I think any white powder will work. Heck, use the baking soda again!

layer on calcium carbonate to add terracotta texture to the jack-o-lantern

dab the calcium carbonate into the terracotta pumpkin

Sprinkle the calcium carbonate on the top of a pumpkin and let it fall where it wants to on the textured surface. Use a paper towel to dab and push the “aging agent” onto the pumpkin in different spots until you are happy with the look. Repeat for the other two pumpkins.

Step 5-Step Back And Admire Your Pumpkins!

repeat the process of adding calcium carbonate to the other painted
pumpkins

That’s it for the tutorial! How super freaking cute are these Terracotta Pumpkin Cuties!!! I love that the light up too! These look great inside and outside. Making these was the kick in the pants I needed to start transitioning my porch to fall and halloween!

diy halloween decoration terracotta pumpkins homemade

diy terracotta pumpkin pottery barn dupe candle holders

Other Halloween DIYS:
Hanging Ghost Garland
Pumpkin Pillow DIY (PB Dupe)

Cost Breakdown

Some of you asked how much this project cost to make so I wanted to add it all up:

Pumpkins:

Small-$10

Medium-$16

Large-$17

Paint: $6

Total: $55 (certainly better than $218)

I had the paint brush and baking soda at home as well as the calcium carbonate.

Final Thoughts

I am a huge fan of DIY so making these diy terracotta pumpkin jack-o-lanterns. It was pretty easy because I am used to thinking creatively and figuring out how to make something I want for cheaper.

I hope for those of you who are not so quick to DIY, that this tutorial was clear and helped you see how easy and fun making your own Decor can be!