Sioux Falls Duo Launches Custom Pumpkin Art
Patricia Anderson and Jeanne Mehlhaff offer personalized hand-painted pumpkin designs for local clients.
Updated on Oct. 28, 2026 in Painting
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Sioux Falls residents Patricia Anderson and Jeanne Mehlhaff founded the artist group Pumpkin Paintin' Pals. The duo creates custom hand-painted pumpkin decorations tailored to specific requests from their recurring clientele.
Why it matters
The group provides specialized, client-requested designs for seasonal decor. This personalized approach allows recurring customers to receive pumpkins featuring specific cartoon characters, fall themes, or custom typography.
Each pumpkin requires approximately 15 minutes to complete using acrylic paint. Artists apply a white base coat to ensure proper color coverage, particularly for orange and white designs that demand multiple layers.
The players
Patricia Anderson
Patricia Anderson is a co-founder of the Sioux Falls-based artist group Pumpkin Paintin' Pals.
Jeanne Mehlhaff
Jeanne Mehlhaff is a co-founder of the Sioux Falls-based artist group Pumpkin Paintin' Pals.
The details
The artists select specific pumpkins based on their unique shapes to inform the final design. They utilize acrylic paints to produce diverse themes ranging from word-based art to detailed cartoon characters.
Timeline
The group completes customized pumpkin designs for clients every year.
Culture Shift
The rise of the personalized seasonal craft market highlights how local artisans are moving away from mass-produced holiday decor toward bespoke, commission-based offerings. This movement underscores a broader societal shift toward prioritizing unique, handmade items over generic store-bought goods.
Residents seeking custom seasonal decor can utilize the group's services to obtain personalized pumpkin art. Customers should anticipate that the artists choose pumpkins based on physical shape, which may influence the final design outcome.
The takeaway
Custom seasonal decor provides a unique alternative to mass-market holiday items. Clients interested in commission-based art should communicate specific character or theme requests early to account for the artistic design process.
Further reading
Learn more about local creative projects in the Painting section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Dakotanewsnow.
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Do you prefer creating handmade holiday decorations over buying mass-produced store items?
