Autumn is a wonderful time to nest and make your home feel cozy. Warm up your home by creating handmade autumnal décor. These crafted pumpkins projects are not only simple, but you can also upcycle old decorations and give them a fresh, new look! Take these examples of fall holiday crafts as guides, and then add your own personal spin. The next thing you know you might have a pretty pumpkin patch sprouting up right inside your home.
Basket Woven Gourds
Tuck woven gourds and pumpkins into your existing décor to add interest and character. The textural elements of these charming crafts make them stand out as handmade works of art.
WHAT YOU’LL NEED:
Plastic pumpkins, gourds or fruit
Weaving materials (reed, raffia or ribbon)
Straight pins
Glue
Twigs
Scissors
WHAT YOU’LL DO:
1. Gently loosen the stem of a plastic gourd, pumpkin or fruit for easy removal after wrapping.
Pin or glue an end of the ribbon, raffia or reed to the bottom of the gourd.
3. If using reeds, it will be necessary to soak them in water to make them more pliable.
4.Wrap the entire surface of the gourd by overlapping and weaving in a haphazard fashion.
5.When finished, neatly tuck in the end and cut off the excess. Add a dab of glue or pin to secure.
6. Gently remove the plastic stem. Place a drop of hot glue in the hole and replace the stem with a natural twig.
7. The natural fiber wrapping can be painted or stained if desired.
Felt Crafted Pumpkin
WHAT YOU’LL NEED:
Felt and coordinating solid-color cotton fabrics
Manila folder and pen or pencil
Small bag of cotton fiberfill (and clean pebbles)
Needle and thread
Florist wire
Scissors
Glue gun and glue sticks
Brown marker or brown shoe polish
WHAT YOU’LL DO:
1.Make a template for the pumpkin “panels” using a manila folder. The widest width is 3 inches and the length is 12 inches (see photo).
2. Using the manila template, cut out 12 pattern pieces from felt or a fabric of your choice.
3. Pin the panels’ right sides together.
4. Stitch the panels together to form the pumpkin shape (it will be inside out) and leave a small opening for filling.
5. Turn the pumpkin right side out and fill it with fiberfill or batting. Sometimes it is helpful to add weight to the pumpkin. Consider tucking a few small clean pebbles into the center of the filling. Close the opening with a few stitches.
6. Create a fabric stem or use a real twig or branch. Sew or hot glue the stem at the top of the pumpkin.
7.Make leaves by cutting a 5- x 5-inch square of fabric. Sketch by hand or use a template to create a leaf pattern on the fabric square, and neatly cut out the design.
8. For more realistic detail, hand-stitch the leaf veins using contrasting thread.
9. Hot glue lengths of wire to the back of the leaves to give them shape; then hot glue them in place at the base of the stem. Make a few vines by wrapping wire around a pencil and then glue the wire vine at the base of the stem near the leaves.
10. To give the felt an aged appearance, lightly darken along the seams with a brown marker or a touch of brown shoe polish. Be careful and use a gentle touch!
Burlap Gourds
No matter your crafting skill level or time constraints, these small burlap gourds can be created in little to no time at all. Add your personal style by varying the fabrics and sizes. These tiny treasures make lovely favors and hostess gifts too!
WHAT YOU’LL NEED:
Burlap
Needle and thread
Fiberfill (and pebbles)
Raffia-wrapped wire
Green construction paper and pencil
Scissors
Hot glue gun and glue sticks
WHAT YOU’LL DO:
1. Cut the burlap into a circle (6 to 8 inches wide or desired size).
2. Hand-sew a loose running stitch around the edge of the circle, leaving a few inches of thread. Create a ball of fiberfill and tuck a few pebbles into the center for weight.
3. Place the filling in the center of the burlap.
4. Gather the edges of the burlap circle by gently pulling the thread and tying a knot to secure.
5. Cut a freehand star shape out of construction paper. Use this as a template to cut out the same design on the burlap. Glue the burlap to the construction paper to stiffen the burlap star (see photo).
6. Hot glue the raffia-covered wire to the center of the star to create a stem and vines.
7. Glue the star to the top of the burlap gourd, covering the stitched opening.
Want more simply beautiful ideas? Check out this post on DIY Fall Crafts!
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