Easy and Cute Fabric Pumpkins Tutorial – No Sewing Machine Required!

Hey friends! Last week I shared a simple DIY autumn wreath with you all, and today I’d like to share another easy fall decorating idea: fabric pumpkins!

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Like I said earlier, I’m not quite ready to decorate for fall, but I will say that I gave in this week and definitely bought pumpkin spice creamer for my coffee. Ha! The weather has been cooler here in Michigan and I’m starting to get excited for the change in seasons and, of course, easy fabric pumpkins!

I’ve always loved the look of fabric pumpkins as a fall decoration, and last year I actually attempted to make some but I didn’t like the way they turned out. When it was time to throw out all of the mini (real) pumpkins I purchased last fall, I decided to save all of the stems for another attempt at cloth pumpkins this year.

Guys, I don’t know if the real stems made all the difference for me, but I just love the way that these pumpkins turned out this year! Plus they were so easy and fun to make and didn’t require a sewing machine! 🙂 I stuck with neutral toned fabrics, but any color or pattern would work. I bet some old sweaters or flannel shirts would be really cute for material as well!

I actually didn’t have to purchase anything for this project, I already had all of the supplies on hand. However, if you don’t have one of these supplies on hand, check out your local thrift store for materials before going to a fabric supply store! I hand-sew a lot of things, and I am always finding scraps of material or a stash of sewing supplies at second hand shops.

Here’s what I used to make a small pumpkin:

• Fabric
• Scissors
• Round plate/bowl to trace your circle
• Pen
• Needle and thread
• Trash bags
• Hot glue gun
• Hot glue
• Pumpkin stems (or sticks)

Fabric Pumpkins Step One

Lay out your fabric and trace your circle. I used a large mixing bowl as a template and actually drew my line a few inches out from the edge in order to take full advantage of the fabric scrap I had. It doesn’t have to be perfect! Remember you can use any kind of fabric you’d like; velvet, jute, or plain cotton.

Fabric Pumpkins Step Two

Cut out your circle. For my larger pumpkins, the circles were about 14 inches in diameter. The circles for the smaller pumpkins started out at around 9 inches in diameter.

Step Three

Thread your needle and knot your thread, then simply stitch a line about a 1/4 inch away from the edge of your cutout circle. As you stitch your line, periodically pull your thread gently in order to bunch and gather your fabric to create little folds. I am using a regular needle, but feel free to use a long needle if that helps!

Step Four

Before bunching your fabric completely, stuff trash bags into your pumpkin shape. You could definitely use cotton stuffing, fiber filling, beans or even rice; I just used trash bags because that’s what I had on hand!

Step Five

Pull your thread to gather your fabric completely closed. This part can be a little tricky, because you want to be sure your stem covers the entire opening. I continued to stitch from side to side, pulling gently until the opening was completely closed and the trash bags were no longer visible.

I also stuck my needle straight through the bottom of the pumpkin and thread it back through the top, pulling to create a bit of a tuft underneath.

Step Six

Hot glue the bottom of your stem and position it on top of the pumpkin. Hold it down for a minute or so until the glue dries…

And then step back and look at your beautiful, fabric pumpkin! I bet these instructions would work for cloth medium and large pumpkins as well!

What do you guys think? I love these cute little pumpkins! They would make great Halloween or Thanksgiving decorations as well! I hope you enjoyed this DIY fabric pumpkin tutorial! Have any of you attempted to make cloth pumpkins? What did you do differently? I’d love to hear all about it!

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