Plush Pumpkins for Fall

In the midwest, it’s time to face the facts. It’s fall. In fact, it’s been fall for a little while now. We’ve been layering up, breaking out the sweaters, and finding our fluffy socks again. Speaking of sweaters, have you run into a few that are a little on the tight side? One of my Goodwill sweater finds that was great last year has clearly shrunk in the wash… So, what better material for an “embracing-fall” project? I kept finding those cute fabric pumpkins on Pinterest and decided it was high time I tried to make one.

Supplies

• Goodwill sweater ($4.29)
• Scissors
• Stuffing
• Felt
• Strong yarn or thick thread (I’d found this crocheting thread at a Goodwill outlet and it’s come in handy for projects left-and-right.)
• Long needle
• Glue
• 2 Rubber bands per pumpkin
• 1 Button

Step one: Sleeves

Cut off the sweater sleeves. Very simple. Start from the bottom seam connecting the arm to the body of the sweater and just cut a straight line up. Your sweater will look like you’ve given it cap-sleeves. Determine if you want a large pumpkin or a small one. Use a full sleeve for the large and cut the sleeve in half if you would prefer a small. I’m demonstrating with the small pumpkin. Turn your sleeve inside-out and lay it flat. Find its seam running the length of the sleeve. Cut a small slit in that seam. Do your best to stay in the seam so you don’t have to deal with an unraveling sweater.

Step two: Pumpkin body

Next, rubber band the two ends of your sleeve. Finally, flip your sleeve right-side out through the slit you made in the seam.

Step three: Pump up the pumpkin

Stuff your flat pumpkin body until it’s a nice plump oval. Once it’s thoroughly stuffed, ladder stitch the seam. If you’re not sure about a particular stitch, just do your best to seal it up so it won’t come apart.

Step four: The middle

Taking your thick thread, needle, and button—secure the button onto one end of the thread (your knotted end), and thread the needle with the loose end. The button will be your pumpkin “top.” Poke your needle (this is why you want a long one) and while squishing your plump pumpkin bring it through the opposite side and pull tight. Go back and forth, securing the button onto the pumpkin while pulling tight. It should get easier as you go along and pull the top middle and bottom middle closer together.

Step five: Pumpkin humps

Now that you’ve got a secure middle, string your needle with a long piece of thick thread and always starting and finishing in the middle, go around the pumpkin giving it it’s veins, which cause the cute pumpkin humps. Do this 4-6 times, however many you like. Once you’ve solidly wrapped your pumpkin, secure your thread—either knotting it at the bottom or use your button to secure and knot around (just depending on where you end).

Step six: Leaf and stem

Taking your felt, cut a little leaf shape and grab some embroidery floss. This portion is completely optional, but I thought it added a nice little bit of character. Do a running stitch through the middle of the leaf and then space a simple stitch around the edge. Secure it to the middle of the pumpkin with the remaining thread you have on the leaf.

Next, cut a strip from your felt for the stem and roll it. Staple (or sew, or glue) the bottom of your roll, pinching it together. Glue the pinched part to your Pumpkin’s button.

If you have a top triangle on your stem, fold it inward and glue it down.

And you’re done! Here’s what the bottom compared to the top part looks like—and a size comparison of the large (full sleeve) to the smaller one (half sleeve).

Obviously if you want a brighter look, just use a brighter sweater. Just remember, plush pumpkins certainly don’t need to be orange. Have fun with it! If you whip up a few of your own, share them on our Facebook page.