Cute Pumpkin Craft For Your Fall Home Decor

Laura
by Laura
3 Materials
$20
2 Hours
Easy

Who doesn’t love a cute pumpkin craft for fall? After seeing some adorable felted pumpkins on a recent trip to Amish Country, I knew I needed to make something similar.

I've seen yarn pumpkins online, but they just weren’t full enough or the yarn seemed to overlap in a strange way. So I started experimenting and came up with my own process. This is an enjoyable and easy craft that you can finish while watching TV.

PURCHASE THICK YARN


One of the most important supplies for this craft, is thick yarn. Regular yarn won't give you the full coverage and texture you need. Look for chunky yarn like Wool-ease.

PREPARE YOUR STYROFOAM BALLS


I found it best to cut and prepare all of the Styrofoam balls at once. While it’s easy to do, it still makes a bit of a mess. I prepared about 24 of these in 20-25 minutes. Then, I brushed them off and put them all in a container and set them in the living room. In the evenings, while watching TV, I added the yarn.


To start, use a serrated knife and cutting board to cut each side of the foam ball flat. I found it looked more like a pumpkin shape if I cut a larger piece off of the bottom and a smaller piece off of the top.

I know this step looks a little scary, but I promise it’s the easiest way to create a hole in to middle of your foam without using heat. Use a drill and a spade bit to create a 1/2″ hole in the foam balls. The foam cuts really easy and you’re done in a snap with the spade bit. Just be extra careful to keep your hands clear of the drill and put a scrap board under the foam to protect your surface.

Here is the bottom of one of the foam balls, ready for yarn.

ADDING THE YARN


Pull out about 2-3 arm-lengths of yarn and cut it with your scissors. Then string one end of your yarn through the needle, but don’t tie it. I found that working in smaller sections saved time because you don’t have to string such a long piece of yarn through the hole over and over.

Feed the needle through the center hole of the foam, leaving a 1 inch tail. Then wrap the yard back up over the tail to hold it in place. Continue to hold the yarn taut with your left hand while you string the next loop of yarn through the center hole again.

Repeat this process until you have a short piece of yarn left. Then feed the end under the previous row or two to secure the end down. Snip off any excess. Now start the process over with a new piece of yarn.

As I made quite a few of these pumpkins, I found it best to keep the yarn taut. When finished with each section of yarn (several rows), scrunch the top and bottom of the yarn on the foam tightly together with your fingers. This prevents the foam from showing through the yarn and keeps the yarn evenly dispersed.


Above is a picture of the bottom of one of the pumpkins. You can see how tightly the yarn is and how it filled up the center hole. The largest pumpkin I made was 4″. If you are going to make a larger pumpkin, you will want to make your center hole larger than 1/2″.

CUT AND PREPARE YOU STEM FOR THE CENTER OF YOUR PUMPKIN


To make the stems for your pumpkin, you will need to get a small branch from your yard. I chose one that was about 1/2″ thick at it’s widest part. I used the thicker side for the larger pumpkins and the thinner parts for the smaller pumpkins.


To cut the stick into pieces, use a good pair of pruning shears. Cut the stems anywhere from 1-2″ long, depending on the size of the pumpkin.

Once the stem is cut, use the shears to remove the bark from one end of it. Like in the photograph above.

Then press the stem into the center of the pumpkin. The yarn in the center of the pumpkin held the stems in place well, so I didn’t need to use glue. If you are concerned at all, you could use hot glue to secure the stems. Here is a closeup of a finished pumpkin.

I am really pleased with the way these turned out. It’s such an inexpensive way to add color and texture to your home during the fall season. They would also make a beautiful party favor in a table setting. Do you love fall home decor projects? Here are a few of my favorite fall crafts and decor.


Laura

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Laura
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
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3 of 4 questions
  • GG GG on Aug 08, 2020

    Wonder if you could use an apple-corer to 'push through' larger styro balls? Really cute idea....love the orange yarn's look!

  • Melissa Melissa on Aug 14, 2020

    What about making apples by adjusting the ball's shape and yarn colors?

  • Sylvia Sylvia on Aug 14, 2020

    What a great idea. Thank you for sharing.

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  • Elizabeth Terrazas Elizabeth Terrazas on Aug 19, 2021

    These are by far, the best looking yarn pumpkins that I’ve seen! I really like your idea on how to thread the yarn as to keep the full coverage. I will definitely be making some soon. Thank you so much for sharing! Great job!

  • MIck MIck on Aug 19, 2021

    I love pumpkin decor. They go up in September at our house to welcome fall & stay out through Halloween & Thanksgiving. A few of these will cozy up beautifully with the white mini pumpkins on a large, wide, shallow dish for our master bedroom console. As a side note: I have people & cats who pick things up by the stems so hot glue is de rigor.

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