How to Create a Rustic Look on Wood

by Tamara Bennett | Sep 8, 2022

Supply List

DecoArt Americana Paint Colors:

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Stripe the Background

This painted pumpkin uses brighter colors, but we’ll still be able to achieve the same look. In order to achieve the rustic paint pallet look, you have to start by striping the background of the pumpkin we’re painting.

Start by using the large flat tip brush to paint a vertical chunky line in the center of your pumpkin with the color Canyon Orange.
Paint a red vertical stripe to the left of the orange stripe.
Paint to the left of the red stripe a Peacock Teal color.
Moving to the right of the orange, paint a vertical stripe using the color True Ochre.
Finally, add a Hauser Light Green stripe to the far right stripe on the pumpkin.
Using the color Dark Chocolate paint the stem of the pumpkin.

How to Distress the Background

One of the keys to distressing is a good, frayed brush. I use an old chip brush that I got from the Dollar Tree.

Start by dipping the chip brush in the Dark Chocolate color and gently brush it vertically along the pumpkin.
Without cleaning your brush, dip in white paint and brush vertically along the pumpkin.
Using a fine tip brush and Dark Chocolate paint add lines between the color stripes to give it the paint look.
Grab Black paint and go back over those lines separating the colors.
Strike a few White streaks across the pumpkin to brighten up the paint and make everything brighter.

I finished up this pumpkin by adding some lettering, making it the perfect attachment to a wreath or welcome sign. I absolutely love it for fall. I especially love the distressed look of this pumpkin and how easy it is to accomplish.

Watch the Replay

You can see how I painted this Rustic Pallet Pumpkin by watching the replay below. It’s a great tutorial as you learn how to distress with acrylic paint and create a pallet look.

Learn to Create a Rustic Look with Acrylic Paint

I taught this painting technique with acrylic paints to create a farmhouse look on a wooden letter. You can get instant access to this rustic, farmhouse video tutorial for free on my website. With this tutorial you can take the guesswork out of creating a rustic look and you’ll have access to a vide that you can refer back to anytime you would like.