Cute Little Fabric Pumpkins

Hi All! We are at full autumn mode in my house. Decorations are up and I have been crafting like a crazy person... I love it.  Velvety Pumpkins are all the rage these days, but I am not a fan of velvet. While trolling around Pinterest I saw many varieties of DIY pumpkins, some made out of fabric. Well this craft was for me and I couldn’t believe how easy they were to make, once all the supplies were gathered. I mean really easy, the kind of craft I like doing while catching up on all my recorded shows!

Supplies Needed: 

• Fabric (your choosing, you can even use crushed velvet) 
• Scissors 
• Needle
• Thread 
• Sticks or Stems from Real Pumpkins 
• Glue Gun & Glue Sticks
• Beans 
• Stuffing (tissue paper, plastic bags, poly-fil, basically whatever you have on hand) 
• Optional: Item to decorate pumpkins (ribbon, raffia, leaves, etc)

Instructions:

Cut a square of fabric (it does not have to be exactly perfect, these pumpkins are very forgiving). 

I then folded in half, then half again (fold into quarters). 

I then cut an arch from corner to corner of the non-folded size. Don't worry it does not have to be perfect. 

Unfold and there you have a circle (see mine came out somewhat oval). 

Now thread your needle. Using a running stitch sew all along the outside of the circle. No need to knot the end, you are going to leave string hanging, so when you are finished you can pull both ends and tie off.

Now its time to stuff it. I used pearl barley & tissue paper for stuffing. The barley/beans help put a little bit of weight in the fabric so they wont fall over. My tissue paper was from items I bought at the Christmas Tree Shop that they wrapped (I'll say it again, Don't You Just Love a Bargain...lol). 

Now taking both ends of the string pull tight so the fabric comes together and there is almost no hole, tie tight. Now for the glue. How you glue is up to you. You can do it in glue dots on your stem or around the fabric opening in a small line. I myself glued a line all along the edge of the fabric and the pushed the stem into the pumpkin. 

On a side note, getting real pumpkin stems are probably the hardest part of the supplies needed for these pumpkins. If you have a pumpkin patch close to you, you might be able to find some there. I found mine at the bottom of the big box of pumpkins outside my grocery store. There are also dried pumpkin stems available to buy on the Internet, but I rather hunt for mine and get them for free! This is why you can also use sticks. I also wound twine around a stick to give it a more country feel. Anything goes when crafting.

When you’re done with the gluing of the stem, you might have to play around with your fabric a tad, so the pleats will look even. Another words, fluff & puff those cuties. Now if you like you can add some decorations (tho, they will look fine as is).

Real Pumpkin Stem

The hardest part of this project will be finding real pumpkin stems (if you choose to go that route). Everything else is easy peasy. You can make them in whatever size you want. Anything goes, because trust me – they will turn out simply darling!

Stick for a Stem

Have fun crafting your own pumpkins!

 

Jack-o-Lantern Mason Jar Display

Hi Folks! I hope you had a great weekend. I was busy, lots for crafting on Saturday and Sunday.... my first trip the Elephants Trunk Flea Market in New Milford, CT. I will tell you all about it in a later post. Let just say I will be heading back there.

About a month back I showed you how to make Jack-o-lanterns Mason Jar (see here for tutorial). Today I am going to show you the display I created with them. 

I purchased a salvaged plank of wood from Urban Miners. Formed out of a commitment to environmental and social sustainability, Urban Miners salvages building materials and household goods to pass on to people who are rehabbing or repurposers, like me, at affordable prices. You could spend hours in this shop. The doors, oh the doors, from newer to one you don't see everyday. Same goes for their collection of windows and wood. From boards to decorative beams it really is a feast for the eyes. 

Back to my build, I bought a decorative knob from Hobby Lobby and attached it to the top for decoration. Next, using hose clamps, I spaced them out and attached with screws. My Hubby made a drill hole in the hose clamp first. Once attached I painted them orange so the wouldn't stand out. 

Now it's time to attach the jack-o-lantern mason jars. This is so easy, just slip the jar into the hose clamp and tighten the screw. 

Once all 3 were attached I put in flameless votive candles in each jar. 

Here is how it will look in the day. 

And at night. 

Ohhhh So Scary..... 

Check back later this week to see how I used this in my outside fall decor. The best part is you can change out the mason jars to fit the season. I already have thanksgiving ones ready to go (see how I made those here) 

Have you used mason jars for crafting? If so how? 

   Have a great weekend. 

For the Love of Autumn

Hi All! The Hubby and I just returned from a fantastic vacation in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. The autumn color was at its finest. I will detail more of our trip in later posts. Today, I am highlighting my favorite time of year with images I took on our vacation. Enjoy.

 

One of the most magically seasons of the year for me is autumn. From the wonderful autumn smells, to the cozy comfort meals made in my crock-pot, to taking out my fleece blanket for cuddling on the couch with a great book, I love everything about the fall. And don't get me started on the baking... pumpkin bread, pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin dip, oh my. 

The fall weather is what the Hubby and I look forward to, it can be dream-like. It's almost as if the perfect mix of sun and clouds, with a slight chill, was combined together to create the best weather ever. From the warm days, to the cool nights, and the abundance of color as the leaves change, is what makes the fall season so intoxicating! I wish I could live in a perpetual state of fall. 

Now, can we talk color, I talking the amazing, brilliant colors of fall. Being that red is my favorite color, it should come as no surprise that the colors of fall is my favorite palette. To me it symbolizes warmth, like nature is giving you a big cozy hug. I could not imaging living in a place that doesn't have a fall season. 

Here are some of my favorite pictures I took on our leaf peeping vacation with some lovely quotes about autumn. 

Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns. ~ George Eliot

Autumn is a second spring where every leaf is a flower. ~ Albert Camus 

Autumn, the year's last, loveliest smile. ~ William Cullen Bryant 

Autumn burned brightly, a running flame through the mountains, a torch flung to the trees. ~ Faith Baldwin

Every leaf speaks bliss to me, Fluttering from the autumn tree. ~ Emily Bronte

God is quite the artist, he paints a canopy, adding splashes of color for everyone to see. ~ Unknown

Stop and enjoy the colors!

Autumn Mason Jar Crafting

Hi All! Hope you had a wonderful weekend.

Today I have another mason jar craft project for you. As I have mentioned before, I love mason jars and their versatility, see how I created jack-o-lantern mason jars here. This one today is easy peasy and can be used as part of your autumn decor. It will only take you 10 minutes to create. 

Here is what you'll need:

• Mason Jar(s)
• 2 different widths ribbon
• Glue gun
• Decoration of your choice 

I first wrapped the thicker ribbon around the center of the mason jar and secured it with my glue gun. Then I took the thinner ribbon, wrapped it around the jar in the center of the other ribbon, and secured it with my glue gun. Then I added the decoration. I used a small cranberry sprig. 

See easy peasy. You can now add a flameless candle or fill with goodies.

Stay tuned to see how I use it in my home decor. 

Have a great week!