fun with felt

Pumpkins are the quintessential sign that fall has arrived.

I love to see them popping up in many different forms and colors. For my article in the fall issue of Cottages and Bungalows magazine I wrote an article featuring pumpkin and gourd crafts.

Pictured below are the "how-to" steps for creating

a whimsical felted pumpkin...enjoy!

Felt Pumpkin

Materials:

Felt (pumpkin) and coordinating solid color cotton fabrics (stem and leaves)

Manila folder and pen or pencil

Small bag of cotton fiberfill (and pebbles)

Needle and thread

Florist wire

Scissors

Glue gun and glue sticks

Brown marker or brown shoe polish

 

Instructions:

1. Make a template for the pumpkin “panels” using a manila folder. The widest width is 3” and the length is 12” (see photo).

2. Cut out 12 pattern pieces using the manila template from a fabric of choice.

 

 

3. Pin panels right sides together.

4. Stitch the panels together to form the pumpkin shape (it will be inside out) and leave a small opening for filling.

5. Turn pumpkin right side out and fill with fiberfill or batting. Sometimes it is helpful to add weight to the pumpkin so consider tucking a few small clean rocks into the center of the filling. Close the opening once filled with a few stitches.

 

 

6. Create a fabric stem or use a real twig or branch. Sew or hot glue the stem at the top of the pumpkin.

7. Make leaves by cutting a 5” x 5” square of fabric. Hand sketch or use a template to create a leaf pattern on the fabric square and neatly cut out the design.

 

 

8. For a realistic detail, hand-stitch the leaf veins using contrasting thread.

 

 

9.  Hot glue lengths of wire to the back of the leaves to give them shape then hot glue in place at the base of the stem. Make a few vines by wrapping wire around a pencil then glue the wire vine at the base of the stem near the leaves.

To give the felt an aged appearance, lightly darken along the seams with a brown marker or a touch of brown shoe polish.

Be careful and have a gentle touch!

 

This project was featured in the Fall issue of

Cottages and Bungalows magazine...

 

 

Let this fall holiday craft project be your guide...

 

 

...then add your own personal spin.

 

 

 Create pumpkins in colors that tickle your fancy and add embellishments that coordinate to your personal style.

 

 

The next thing you know...you’ll have a pretty pumpkin patch

sprouting up right inside your home.