First, use the paint brushes to paint the craft pumpkin with the aqua paint and let it dry for at least 24 hours.
On the same day, take small pieces of the model magic clay and use them to fill in the mermaid tail mold. When the mold is completely full, gently remove the clay. Repeat this process so you can combine the two tail halves to form one full tail later on. Set these aside to dry for 72 hours.Repeat this process to create however many mermaid tails you would like on your pumpkin.
Next, paint the craft shells, starfish, and clay mermaid tails various colors using the acrylic paint.
After drying completely, the mermaid tails and craft shells can be accented in glitter. To do this, brush Elmer's glue onto the surfaces and then immediately sprinkle the wet glue with glitter.This glitter step can also be done on the painted craft pumpkin.I like to pour my glue in a small cup to make it easier to dip a brush into.
Next, apply the rhinestones down the sides of the pumpkin in decorative lines, using a small dab of the E600 glue on each rhinestone.I like to use cellophane-wrapped baking sheets to keep this decorating mess contained.
Then, glue the mermaid tails, shells, and starfish to the top of the pumpkin using a hot glue gun.
Finally, fold the felt pieces into flower-like patterns and hot glue each one to the top of the pumpkin to create a coral effect.