How to Make Simple and Easy Fabric Pumpkins
DIY fabric stuffed pumpkins with natural stems. You will love this easy and fun craft I created from old clothes and bedspreads.
Fall is in the air, and that means pumpkin season is too! Instead of buying an overpriced pumpkin from the grocery store, why not make your own? It’s easy and much more affordable. This blog post will show you how to make beautiful fabric pumpkins using simple materials you already have at home. So get your crafting hands ready, and let’s get started!
First, start by cleaning the closet and finding a few old pieces of clothing you don’t wear anymore. Then, if you don’t have any, you can visit the local thrift store and pick up a few as I did. Or, you can use some scrap fabric you may have lying around.
Choose an assortment of fabrics and textures in colors you like. I like the stretch jersey knits. They are effortless to work with and mold very well.
I have even bought beautiful old chenille bedspreads to make pumpkins. The Chenille gives such great texture and pattern to the pumpkin.
Old plaid flannel shirts are also fun to work with and create a warm and cozy look for your pumpkin.
The first step in making a fabric pumpkin is to create a circle for a pattern.
By following these guidelines, you can easily make your elegant pumpkins! First, start by cutting out different size circles for each pattern. I use brown grocery store bags to create my patterns because they’re durable yet lightweight.
I made 6″,8″, 10″ and 12″ circle patterns.
Next, you will want to cut out circles in the selected fabrics.
Creating a running stitch to make your fabric pumpkins is easy.
Secondly, you will create a running stitch around the circle’s edge. This is a simple in-and-out stitch that you place about 1/2″ from the edge.
I use embroidery thread and these DMC embroidery needles. I find the regular thread to be too thin, and it breaks easily.
There is no need for this stitch to be perfect, as you will never see it when you finish the pumpkin. I move very quickly when creating this running stitch around the edge of the fabric.
Gather the fabric around the circle, like in the image below.
When sewing around the edge, leave one end of the thread to pull. Then, gather up the fabric to create a pouch.
Filling the Round Pouch to Create a Fabric Pumpkin
I like to add a handful of rice or dried beans to the bottom of the pouch. This gives the pumpkin a bit of weight and makes it more substantial.
Next, you will Stuff your pumpkin with polyfill to your liking. I like mine rather full and plump, so I add quite a bit of the stuffing to my pumpkins. However, you don’t want to over-stuff the pumpkin as you need to be able to close the circle on the top.
Closing Up The Fabric Pumpkins
Put the needle back on the end of the embroidery thread and pull the string as tight as you can. ( you can see in the image how close I have drawn the thread).
Now keeping the thread as taught as possible, start sewing from side to side to close the circle up as tightly as possible.
Creating the Ribs in the Fabric Pumpkin
Using the embroidery thread and the heavy needle, thread a long piece of embroidery thread onto the needle and tie a knot on one end of the line.
Insert the needle in the center of the bottom of the pumpkin and push the needle through to the top of the pumpkin.
Wrap the thread around the side of the pumpkin and come up through the center on the top.
Wrap the thread around the side of the pumpkin about two inches from the first thread. Poke the needle through the bottom again and up the center to the top of the pumpkin, and pull tight.
Continue to do this around the entire pumpkin. I typically have 6-8 ribs, depending on the size of my pumpkin.
Finishing Touches on Your Pumpkins
My favorite part is adding natural stems to make the most realistic-looking pumpkins.
You may ask, where do I find these stems? I always cut the stems off my pumpkins every year before I throw my pumpkins away. However, you can also find them lying on the ground at the pumpkin patches, in the grocery stores bins, or you can buy them.
Decorating your pumpkins is where you can use your imagination. First, select a variety of stems, leaves, moss, and anything else you would like to add to your pumpkins.
Using the hot glue gun, attach your stem and decorative items.
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Wendy,
These look easy enough that even I can pull these off this year! I love the idea of thrifting to find some unique fabric to use to make them! Thanks for sharing! I will be sharing these in my newsletter today! HUGS! Chloe
Thank you so much, Chloe, I appreciate the share. Have a great week.
Wendy, such a fun DIY. I have an old bathrobe that I bet could be used for this!
Yes, robes are perfect! they typically have great texture. I hope you give it a try.
These turned out great! And I’m a big fan of blue so your table really caught my eye!
Shelley
Thank you so much, Shelley. My entire house is primarily blue; as hard as I have tried to have a neutral pallet, I can’t get away from the blue.
I plan on saving all my real stems starting this year! Your table looks stunning with those blue and white pumpkins. What a great way to use some old clothes too.
Thank you, Meagan. They are so fun to make. By the way, I was trying to link to your party the other day and I could not find the post. are you weekly?
Wendy, your pumpkins are beautiful and the tutorial makes them look so easy! I might have to try to make a few!
Thank you Elizabeth, they are very simple and you should have most everything on hand to make them. Just a little trip to the Dollar Tree.
I love this project Wendy! The pumpkins are so cute. What a genius you are to look for pumpkin stems that have fallen off!!! I definitely will be cutting the stems off of all my pumpkins this year! Thanks for sharing.
If you saw the mountain of pumpkin stems I have now grown, LOL I found a bin that had been missing for a while. Happy stem collecting.
I even have my grandchildren trained to look for stems now. I love it when I get a call and one of them says, IYA, I found you a stem today! Such great memories.
LOVE these. Thanks for sharing the diy. Using the real stems makes all the difference. I recently tried your paint/soda method to coat the plastic pumpkins. They turned out great and I’ll share one or two with a link back to your post. I didn’t use the wax, but did a clear spray coating. The texture is really unique. Have a great week, Wendy.
Yeah, I am so glad you tried it Debra, I can’t wait to see them. I am sure they look fabulous. Thank you so much.
I didn’t realise these were so easy to make. They look fantastic and the skies the limit with colour and texture.
You got it! Super easy, and yes, the sky is the limit. I like to use a stretch jersey. It’s very easy to work with.
These look so good! Love the chenille! I have fabric pumpkins on my to do list! Pinning now! Thanks!
Thank you Donna. They are very fun and easy to make. I too love the chenille when you can find a good old bedspread.
Wow Wendy! You hit this one out of the park! Your pumpkin ideas are fabulous! I just love the blue pumpkins to coordinate with your decor! The blue candles are brilliant! I’m sure you are selling them on your website, right! Plus, your photography is wonderful! You have such talent!
Why thank you for the lovely comment, I wonder where I learned all of this, lol!!!!
I do the same every year and have a collection of stems
Pinned
Too funny! but the real stems make such a difference, right?
Wendy
Great post, Wendy! I love the fabric you found. Looks great on the table! ~Missy
Thank you Missy. I purchased an old robe and a dress at the thrift store to use.