This time of year, I love to add pumpkins throughout my home. I adore the handmade look of fabric pumpkins and the softness and texture they add to my fall décor. I created this adorable fabric pumpkin tutorial so that you could make your own fabric pumpkins with any fabric you like. For this budget-friendly DIY, you can even use upcycled fabric from old shirts or fabric remnants.
This post contains affiliate links to help you find tools you may need for this project.
This year I used some simple cream and beige ticking stripe fabric to make the pumpkins. Last year, I made peach-coloured pumpkins and black and cream ticking stripe pumpkins in addition to the beige and cream ones. I love neutrals, but you could certainly make these in any colour you like. The only criterion for the fabric is that it should be lightweight to medium weight. A heavy fabric would not be suitable because the tops and bottoms of the fabrics are tightly gathered. I haven’t tried this project yet with velvet, but I think it would work well as long as the velvet wasn’t too thick. Velvet is such a gorgeous fabric for fall.
Pumpkin sizes
For this adorable fabric pumpkin tutorial, you can make any size. The instructions here are for medium pumpkins, which are 5” in diameter and 3” tall, not including the stem. I’ll also include measurements and materials for the small (3 ½” by 2”) and mini (3” by 1 ½”) sizes at the end. Note that you can make taller or fatter pumpkins by adjusting the dimensions of the fabric piece used.
Materials for the medium pumpkin
- Fabric, cut to 16 ¾” wide by 8 ¼” tall (stripes vertical and parallel to short sides)
- Matching thread for your sewing machine
- Hand sewing needle and heavy thread (upholstery thread is the best)
- Polyester fibre fill or similar stuffing material
- Yarn needle (blunt) and yarn, 50” long, for pumpkin creases (I used a thin beige cotton yarn)
- Burlap fabric, cut to 1 ¼” by 9”, for stem (alternatively you can use a stick cut to size)
For small pumpkin
- Cut fabric to 12 ¼” wide by 6” tall
- Yarn piece should be 40” long
- Cut burlap piece 1” by 8”
For mini pumpkin
- Cut fabric to 11” wide by 5 ½”
- Yarn piece should be 30”
- Cut burlap piece 1” by 7”
Tools
- Cutting mat, ruler, and rotary cutter (not essential- alternatively you can make a cardboard rectangle template, mark your fabric, and cut with scissors)
- Scissors
- Tape measure
- Sewing machine (again, not essential- the 8 ¼” seam can be sewn by hand)
- Glue gun and a glue stick to attach the stem
Instructions for the adorable fabric pumpkin tutorial
- Cut your fabric to the dimensions provided under “Materials”. I use a cutting mat, ruler and rotary cutter to get the most accurate cuts. You can certainly cut it with scissors if you don’t have these tools.
- Fold the fabric over with the good side of the fabric on the inside and with the short sides aligned. Use your sewing machine to stitch a ½” seam along the short side. Alternatively, you can sew this seam by hand.
- Turn the fabric right side out and thread your hand sewing needle with the heavy thread. Tie a knot about 3 inches from the end of the thread. About ½” from the bottom edge of the fabric, start a running stitch. Continue along the entire bottom edge with closely spaced stitches. Pull tight and poke the fabric to the inside of the pumpkin (a chopstick can help with this). Pull tight again and tie a knot. Poke the knot to the inside.
Stuffing and sealing off pumpkin
- Stuff the pumpkin about three-quarters full with the fibre fill, packing it down as you go.
- Repeat the running stitch at the top of the pumpkin (you may want to use a slightly wider hem here, about ¾” from the edge), but add more fibre fill before you seal up the top. You want the pumpkin to be fairly firm with the stuffing in place. Pull the top thread tight and tie off with a knot. Poke the excess fabric and knot to the inside.
Create the pumpkin creases
- Thread the yarn onto the yarn needle and tie a knot about 3” from the end
- Start at the top- insert the needle very near the hole and fasten your yarn here. Next, wrap the yarn halfway around the pumpkin and push the needle through the bottom hole, all the way through the top hole. You may need to grasp the needle tightly and pull hard to get it through the hole (use pliers if it gets stuck). Tug the needle a little to create the crease on the first side.
- You will be creating a total of 6 creases. Repeat the process of wrapping the yarn around half the pumpkin and going through the opposite hole, making sure to space the 6 creases evenly. When you come up through the top for the last time, tie the thread ends together and poke them through the top hole.
Make the pumpkin stem
- Plug in your hot glue gun
- Cut your burlap piece and roll it tightly into a stem shape, adding a few drops of hot glue as you go. Seal the outer edge with a thin line of hot glue.
- Attach the stem to the top of the pumpkin using a generous amount of hot glue. Hold in place for a full minute for the glue to cool and set.
Displaying
The possibilities are endless with these easy DIY pumpkins, but some of my favourite ideas for display are to mass them together with different sizes and colours, in a basket or on a table. Last year I displayed them in a basket.
This year, I displayed some with faux flowers on a bench in our main hallway under a wreath I made. Click on the link to see the fall wreath tutorial.
I also displayed them on cake stands on the open shelves in my dining room. Click here to see my post Installing Open Shelves – An Easy DIY Tutorial. If you love neutral fall décor, check out my post, Best Neutral Fall Décor Ideas for your Home.
Retail
I sell these pumpkins in my Etsy shop and recently I had the opportunity to set up a display in a local boutique. This is the merchandise I prepared for the boutique, and you can see my handcrafted pumpkins in store in the second photo.
Giving
These would look adorable on top of each dinner plate for a Thanksgiving tablescape and would make a wonderful take-home gift for your guests. You could also give a set of these as a hostess gift if you will be dining in the home of friends and family over the holidays. If you make these, I’d absolutely love to see your creations.
I hope you have enjoyed reading my adorable fabric pumpkin tutorial. Do you think you will make one? I’d love to hear why or why not, so please leave a comment.
Kelly says
Oh these are just the cutest! I love how you have them displayed and think your idea of having them on each Thanksgiving plate as gifts for guests is so special!
Shawna Liao says
Thank you Kelly! I would definitely do this if we happen to be home for Thanksgiving. Have a great day!
Tana-Your Marketing BFF says
These are so adorable! At first glance I thought you used a wine cork (um, probably because I have several I could use, haha). Such a fun and easy diy!!!
Shawna Liao says
Thank you Tana. A wine cork would be a great alternative- most of us have a few of these lying around!
Anna says
These are adorable Shawna!
Great tutorial on “how” – your blog is lovely.
Shawna Liao says
Thank you Anna, I really appreciate your kind comments.
Dawn says
Shawna! I love this easy idea. I just bought two at Hobby Lobby. If only I had read this first. I’m going to try making some soon. Thanks
Shawna Liao says
Thank you Dawn. There’s no such thing as too many pumpkins though!
Jenn Loyd says
These are adorable and so easy! My daughter would love to help me with these!
Shawna Liao says
Thank you Jenn! Yes, they are easy- I could do them in front of the TV, but I usually prefer listening to music or a podcast while I’m making them.They would be a fun project to work on with a child or a friend. My boys do the stuffing for me!
Janine says
Shawna,
Love your tutorial! I just made mine and really didn’t know what I was doing! Your step by step tutorial is so great! I ended up placing driftwood at the top for the stem! Thanks for this great post.
Shawna Liao says
Thank you Janine,
I really appreciate that. Driftwood sounds like a beautiful touch.