DIY Fabric Pumpkin Tutorial

 

Here it is as promised!  The DIY Fabric Pumpkins Tutorial!

 

 

I came across this project that was done by StoneGable . 

It was for these really cute Sweater Pumpkins. 
I love them!!

 

The problem I was faced with was the lack of sweaters.  Well, ones to cut up.  (Trust me there is no lacking in the sweater department of my closet.)  I LOVE sweater weather.  

After seeing this post, I decided to head to the thrift store to find some.  Since I am a super cheap-o, I couldn't justify spending the money for a sweater I was going to cut into pieces.  So it was time to get creative. 
 

I searched though all my fabric, and was lucky to find some leftovers from last Halloween.  Why not just use it? 

(this ended up being a FREE project for me, I already had everything I needed.)

 
 

 Let's get started.....

 

First gather what you need: 

• Fabric
• Twine
• Rubber bands
• Poly-fil
• Scissors
• Hot glue gun
• Ruler

  



Time to cut the fabric.  
(I had to guess on the amount since I really didn't know how they would turn out.) 
 

I cut mine between 6-8 inches wide X 12-14 inches long, depending on the pumpkin.  This size will make small pumpkins.  If you want to make a large one, just adjust the measurements. 
(the width of the fabric will be the width of the pumpkin.) 
When it is folded over it makes a rectangle.  

Then, with the wrong sides together,

make a quick straight stitch with the sewing machine.

You will notice the size on this is bigger than what I said.

I forgot to take a picture, this happens often. 

 (I had to make one quick to be able to show you this step.)   

Here it is close up. 

I used Red thread so you could see it better, you can use any color because it won't show.

 

For those of you that hate to sew, NO MORE SEWING.  I promise.

 

Now, cut 6 pieces of twine, long enough to stick out both sides of the fabric.  Gather up the fabric around the twine and use a rubber band to hold it together.

 

Large rubber bands work best.  Wrap it as many times as you can, so it will be nice and tight.

 

 Time to turn it inside out, or right side out.

Next, stuff it with poly-fil.

(I found after many attempts, it worked best if it was stuffed to the max.)
Gather up the fabric like you did with the bottom.  
Evenly space the twine over the pumpkin.

Again secure it with a big rubber band. 

  

Go around, pulling on each piece of twine tight.  It may take a few times of pulling each piece to even them out. 
The tighter you pull the deeper the creases will be.

(It may become a little lopsided if you don't pull all the twine.  This is easy to fix.  Just pull the pieces on the opposite side and it will even it out.)

 

Now that you have the look you want...

  The final step is making the stem.

 

Figure out how long you want your stem to be.

(I made mine about an inch, inch and a half)

 

For an 1 1/2" stem, cut the excess fabric, leaving about 1 1/4".

 

Cut a long piece of twine to wrap around the stem.

(I tried to use the twine already on the pumpkin but I found it would mess up the creases.)

 

Starting at the base of the stem secure the twine to the pumpkin. 
I tucked the twine into the rubber band but you could also hot glue it on.
Time to start wrapping. 

Using the hot glue gun.....Put a small dot of glue every few times around to hold it in place. 

Make sure you wrap evenly, we don't want any large gaps.

 

Keep wrapping all the way to the top. 

 

Continue to coil the twine over the top, so the fabric is fully covered.

Making sure to secure it with the hot glue.

When you are finished, cut off the excess twine.

 Glue down the end where you made the final cut. 

(I found that if I didn't do this step the twine would start to fray.)

Now you have a finished Fabric Pumpkin.

 

It is really a quick and easy project once you get the hang of it.

 

 

I made a few more to add to my Easy Decorated Halloween Table.

Click on over and check it out.

Happy Pumpkin Day!!!

 

 

 

Please comment below if you have any questions or anything to add. 

 

Thanks for stopping by the blog. Take a look around at my other posts and check back often. I have many new things to share.