How to Make a Fabric Pumpkin from a Cloth Napkin

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It’s September 1st. It might be 90+ degrees outside and we are planning to spend the long weekend at a water park, but my mind is focused on fall. I love it. The crisp, cool air. The taste of pumpkin and apple in drinks and treats. The layering of cozy sweaters. I look forward to summer fading and I’m anxious to dress up our home in warmth and fall decor.

Over the weekend, my mom and I made fabric pumpkins together. I’m already filling our dining room with them, but for today I’ll be sharing how to make the fabric pumpkins. The fall tour will come in several weeks. See? Not too much fall here on the first day of September.

Fabric Pumpkin : Supplies

Cloth Napkin (or fabric)
Plate
Pen
Scissors
Needle and Thread
Plastic Baggies
Beans
Filler (any type)
Branch (cut into pieces)
Felt
Hot Glue and Glue Gun

Fabric Pumpkin : Instructions

#1: Fold the cloth napkin into fourths. To note, any fabric can be used, of course — simply cut it into a square. I’ve had these floral cloth napkins for years, originally found at a thrift store. They had a nice fall color palette and were the perfect choice for a fabric pumpkin.

#2: When you fold the napkin, one corner won’t have any folded edges. Place the plate over that corner and draw a line to mark the curve of  the plate.

#3: Cut along the line to create curved edges. You’ll now have a more circular shape, even if it isn’t an exact circle.

#4: Begin anywhere along the edge and start sewing a loose stitch {approximately every 1/2″}. Gather the fabric as you go, every 5-10 stitches.

#4: Once you are back to where you began stitching, gather the fabric tight and tie off the thread. You’ll want to have a hole lin the top of the pumpkin that is large enough to hold the branch and to stuff the pumpkin.

#5: Fill a plastic baggie with dry beans and stuff it inside the pumpkin. This will give the finished pumpkin weight and help it sit well.

#6: Stuff any type of filler into the pumpkin. I used two types. First, there was an old lumpy pillow that was  destined for the trash. I cut it open and use that filler for pumpkins. Second, many of the pumpkins were just filled with plastic grocery store bags, which was a great way to recycle and get them out of our pantry.

#7: Snap a dead branch into pieces for pumpkin stems, depending on how many pumpkins you are making. Each of the stems were about 5-6″ in length. Slide it through the hole at the top of the pumpkin and tuck in place, surrounded by the filler.

#8: Cut felt leaves and hot glue them to the fabric around the edges of the branch.

You’ll notice that I didn’t choose traditional fall fabrics or even many fall colors, for that matter. It was my intent to choose unexpected patterns that would blend well with the current decor in our home. When it comes to seasonal decorating, I don’t want it to be a huge task of switching out everything in a room to make seasonal colors “fit” in the space.

The ticking pumpkin, shown above, was my original vision. I saved scraps from the ticking cushion on our deck swing because I love the simplicity of the fabric. It made for a cute pumpkin and I had to create more. Little, easy-sew pumpkins were perfect for a fun afternoon of relaxed crafting. Plus, now my dining room is making a slow transition from bright summer colors to warm fall tones.

Are you anxious for fall — or do you like to hold onto summer?