To prep your pumpkin, soak it upside down in a mixture of ten parts water to one part bleach. Let it sit for 10 minutes before drying it off. This will keep your pumpkin fresh for weeks to come. Polish any part of the pumpkin you plan on leaving natural (no glitter or paint) with petroleum jelly to give it a shiny finish.
To gild your pumpkin, first cover any sections of the pumpkin you want to leave bare with blue painters tape. You can divide the pumpkin in half, coloring only the top or the bottom, or you can use smaller sections of tape to cover alternating sections of the pumpkin for a pinwheel effect. You can even cut the tape into unique shapes like circles or diamonds for a patterned look. Use any color of metallic spray paint to add a shiny pop of color to your gourd. Make sure you work in a well-ventilated area to avoid inhaling any fumes.
To add glitter to your pumpkin, use a small craft brush to apply a clear-drying adhesive, such as mod-podge, in the areas you want covered. Apply glitter as desired and let dry. To keep glitter from flaking off after drying, apply another coat of adhesive to the dried layer of glitter.