How To: Fabric Pumpkins

I summoned up the energy to add to our Fall/Halloween décor with some fabric pumpkins.  They are really easy, you just need the template (you can get mine here, just ignore the other pieces) and some fabric, and a little bit (ok, a lot) of stuffing.

First, cut 6 pieces of your pumpkin fabric, making sure you follow that grain line direction- the line should be parallel with the edge of the fabric, and the whole shape on the diagonal.  You can go scrappy and have all sides be different fabrics, that would be so fun!  My stem pieces are just two 2” x 1 1/2” rectangles. 

Then, place two pieces Right Sides Together (RST) and start sewing 1/4” from the end with a 1/4” seam allowance.  End stitching 1/4” from the end too.

Add another pumpkin piece so you have three sewn together.  The seams should match up pretty nicely if you left perfect 1/4” on the ends.  But nothing has to be perfect… it is a pumpkin for crying out loud.

Now, make another set of three!  You will end up with two pieces like the one pictured above.

For the stem, just sew along three sides, leaving a short side open.

Clip the corners and turn it inside out- I use a pencil.

Then, stuff that little stem full of stuffing.  I use Poly-fil, because it is cheap.

Now, take your two Pumpkin pieces and pin them right sides together with seams matching.  On one seam end, stick your stem in between the pieces with the raw edges lined up.

Start sewing along one side and continue nearly the entire way around, leaving a 3” space for turning.

Turn your pumpkin inside out and start stuffing!  I thought mine looked better a little more plump.

When it is nice and full, hand-sew your opening closed.

At this point, you’ll have a nice… ball with a stem.  If you love it, keep it like it is.  I continued to the next step, which is a slight tufting!

To tuft your pumpkin, use a long hand-sewing needle or tufting needle.  Start at the bottom of your pumpkin, and poke that needle all the way in to the base of the stem.  I had to squish the daylights out of my pumpkin to get it through, but it made it.  Then, turn that needle around and come back down through the bottom.

When you pull on your thread, the pumpkin will tuft up.  I didn’t want a huge tuft job, so I pulled a little and then tied off my thread.

And then, you end up with a nice looking fabric pumpkin!

I did a variation using 8 pumpkin pattern pieces instead of 6, and got a flatter/bigger pumpkin out of it.  I really liked its size and shape, and didn’t bother tufting it at all.  Also, if you shrink or enlarge the pattern on a copy machine, it will produce different sized round pumpkins.

Anyway, there you have it.  Fabric pumpkins.  Add any extra embellishments you so desire (I do simple.) like extra leaves or wrap them in twine or whatnot. 

This is the extent of my fall-ish orange in my fabric stash.  And it has been used up. So we have three pumpkins! hee hee.

Since these are hard to break, we’re enjoying these on the coffee table and throwing them at each other when we get the chance.  It is a great way to celebrate sub-100 temperatures. :)