Easy Fabric Pumpkins

Crafting Autumn Charm: Easy Fabric Pumpkins to Match Your Decor

        As fall wraps us in its warm embrace, it's the perfect time to bring a touch of seasonal charm into your home. Fabric pumpkins are the ideal DIY project for this. They're easy to make and offer endless customization possibilities.

In this blog post, I'll show you how to craft these delightful autumn accents to perfectly match your decor. Whether you're a crafting pro or just starting out, you'll soon have a collection of unique fabric pumpkins that infuse your space with the essence of fall and reflect your personal style. Let's dive in and create your own autumn charm! 🍂🎃

How to Make Fabric Pumpkins

Materials

-Fabrics that measure with the long side 2x the length of the short side

-rotary knife

-self-healing mat

-needle and thread

-sewing machine

-Poly-Fil

-embroidery floss or macrame string

-large eye needle

-hot glue gun

-wooden stick for stem

Step 1: Prepare Fabric

Cut the fabric so that the long side is 2x the length of the short side. For my pumpkins, I cut the large pumpkin fabric to measure 18” x 36”, the medium pumpkin was 12” x 24”, and the small pumpkin was 9” x 18.”

Step 2: Make Pumpkin Pouch

With the right sides together so that the short sides meet, sew ¼” seam from the edge of the short sides. This can be done by hand if you don’t have a sewing machine, but a machine makes everything quicker (and mine is always out on the table).

Now the fabric should be about square. Using a needle and thread, double-thread the needle to make the thread studier. Tie a knot at the end of the thread. Hand stitch across one of the open edges using a basting stitch or big stitch. Sew all around the edge until you’re back at the beginning. Pull both ends of the thread tightly to cinch the fabric together. Knot the threads and cut the needle free. Turn fabric right sides out.

Step 3: Stuffing and Closing

Stuff the pouch with Poly-Fil. I like my pumpkins on the fuller side because I don’t want them wrinkly or baggy. But I also didn’t want them so full that I wouldn’t be able to fit my needly through (later step).

Once filled to your desire, double-thread your needle again. Hand stitch all around the top opening about ¼” from the edge of the fabric. Once you’ve stitched the whole way, pull both ends of the string to cinch the top of the pumpkin closed. I needed to have my husband (and later, son) hold the thread down with their finger so I could tightly knot the thread. Now your pumpkin poof is made!

Step 4: Pumpkin Ribs

Using the embroidery floss or macrame string, cut a length that’s a few inches more than 6x the length from the top to the bottom of the pumpkin (because you will be making 6 pumpkin ribs and loop the string 6 times through the pumpkin). I used macrame string because I liked the look and color of the string. However, the thickness of it was a little bit of a challenge, especially on the larger pumpkin. But it can be done!

Thread the needle with the floss, knot the end, and insert needle through one open end of the pumpkin through to the other end of the cinched pumpkin opening. Make sure the knot catches the fabric or else it will pull right through the Poly-Fil.

Feed the needle back through to the top of the pumpkin, through the pumpkin, and back out the bottom. Repeat until you’ve made 6 rib sections on the pumpkin. Knot the string and cut needle free. Space out the string so that the ribs are equal.

I used a large needle, and this helped especially with the larger pumpkin. It was a challenge to get the string through to the other side without busting the pumpkin cinched stitches (I did have to re-sew them once on the large pumpkin). But I was determined! With a little help from my son, we were able to make the ribs on the larger pumpkin. I think this is where the thicker macrame string made it more of a challenge. I think embroidery floss would be easier to use at this step.

Step 5: Finishing

Using a wooden stick or even a wine cork, hot glue the “stem” onto one end of the pumpkin. I bought wooden stick pieces from Hobby Lobby, and my husband teased me that I could have just gotten sticks from the yard. But these stick pieces were already cut and about an inch in diameter. They were perfect and worth the couple of dollars.

I only hot glued the stem onto the smaller pumpkin because I wanted to stack my pumpkin. My pumpkins all sit nicely on top of each other without wobbly or falling over, so I decided to not secure them in place. However, you could try inserting a small wooden dowel or even hot glue to attach the pumpkins to each other. I also like having the option to attach a stem to each pumpkin so they are three separate pumpkins.

In conclusion, crafting these fabric pumpkins is a delightful way to usher in the beauty of fall into your home. Embrace the imperfections, make them uniquely yours, and let them add a touch of warmth and charm to your decor. I can't wait to see the pumpkins you create! Cheers to a cozy and creative fall season! 🍂🎃✨