What Not To Do When Making Fancy Pumpkins

Hello friends, do you love those gorgeous velvet pumpkins as much as I do? I remember winning a set of pink velvet pumpkins several years ago. Well last year they finally had to go, they had been used in a multitude of ways and shared here many times. So, I thought no problem, I’ll make some. There are a million and five tutorials on how to make them everywhere on blogs, YouTube and Pinterest. (smile).

I decided on navy blue. But, I couldn’t find any blue velvet fabric anywhere. What is a crafter supposed to do when one is bereft of blue velvet? Well, try Amazon of course. That’s right after exhausting all local craft and fabric stores I found something wonderful on Amazon. Sadly not blue velvet, but I think it is even better……blue sequin fabric!

The fabric arrived quickly and I started making blue sequin fancy pumpkins!

what not to do when making fabric pumpkins PLEASE PIN ME!

I used a plate to draw a template and cut out three templates. Why use a compass when there’s a plate, right? You know I like to keep craftiness easy so everyone can feel great about what they create. I think you’ll enjoy making these.

Before I go any further I want to mention again there are a lot of resources for making these, I’m just going to move through it quickly. The video tutorial below is a good one. disclaimer-I don’t know her, I found her video on YouTube (smile).

I wanted to have three pumpkins, I made one template a little bigger than the other two.

Really you only need beginner level pumpkin crafting and sewing skills. You are 30 minutes away from making fancy pumpkins for your home decor.

I saved some stems from last years baby boos, I just let them air dry on the windowsill and then tossed them in a bag for the year I make fancy pumpkins. Also, you never know when a pumpkin stem emergency might occur.

Now this is where I deviate from all of the wonderful tutorials.

Here’s the list of things needed to make fancy pumpkins. I’ll add a few links below too.

fabric
embellishments ( optional)
needle
scissor or pinking shears
thread or embroidery silk
hot glue gun and glue sticks
poly fill
plastic wrap or sandwich bag
sand
pumpkin stems ( real or faux)
30 minutes
bowl

Do you notice anything missing from this list?

Where is the rice? Where is the beans? In the pantry (smile).

Using rice and beans, or other dried legumes is, ” What Not To Do When Making Fancy Pumpkins“. Using them can invite bugs and other unwanted creatures. Just say no to beans and rice, unless they’re in a bowl to eat. Please use sand!

As of this moment you can get sand at the dollar store! But, don’t get me started on the dollar store… I’m sad it’s not going to be a dollar store anymore. UGH…

Place a sandwich bag in a bowl and pour sand into it. The bowl will keep sand that doesn’t go in the bag from getting everywhere. Fill a corner about 2 inches up for small pumpkins like mine ( more if you are making larger pumpkins) and then tie it off with thread and set it aside.

Turn on your glue gun and you’ll want to use clear glue sticks.

After you’ve cut out your circles. You will use a needle and thread and stitch a running stitch ( in and out with the needle, just in and out) all of the way around the circle. Leaving about 10 inches of thread hanging ( more if you make bigger pumpkins than mine ) mine are small two are three inches in diameter and the larger one is about four inches in diameter.

After completing the full circle, slowly begin pulling on opposite ends of the thread and it will begin to gather until it resembles a bowl shape.

Place the bag of sand into the center of the bowl.

Roll some polyfill in your hands into a ball ( like making clay balls) place it on top of the sand and continue gathering the fabric.

Smoosh the poly fill in as you go along, keep gathering the tread until there is a small opening at the top.

Add some hot glue to the bottom of the pumpkin stem and put it in the center area. continue gathering the fabric, and molding the polyfil to create a round pumpkin. When the fabric has reached the stem, tie a knot. OOPS the photo is really blurry for the stem, sorry (smile).

what not to do when making fabric or velvet pumpkins

Make a line of hot glue all of the way around the base of the stem, tuck in any fabric that hasn’t gathered under the stem. I use a wood popsicle stick to push the fabric in. Please don’t use your fingers glue is very hot.