- \n
- It\u2019s not only easy and cheap to make, but ridiculously adorable.<\/strong> (I mean\u2026 what is cuter than plump little hand-stitched pumpkins?!)<\/em><\/li>\n
- Imperfections make it look all the more charming.<\/em><\/strong> (Don\u2019t stress if your stitches aren\u2019t the same size or don\u2019t come out straight\u2014they\u2019ll look great in the end!)<\/em><\/li>\n
- It\u2019s mindless.<\/strong> (You can enjoy your favorite fall-inspired movie while keeping your hands busy. Plus, by the time \u201cYou\u2019ve Got Mail\u201d is over, you\u2019ll have an adorable garland to show for it!)<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
Supplies:<\/strong><\/h2>\n
- \n
- Printed pumpkin pattern template<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n
- 2-3 9×12 sheets of orange felt<\/strong> (More sheets=more pumpkins.)<\/li>\n
- 1 9×12 sheet of brown felt<\/strong><\/li>\n
- Poly-fil stuffing <\/strong>(TIP: Instead of buying a bag of poly-fil from the craft store, I ripped open one of the many old pillows I have lying around my house. If you don\u2019t have a pillow you\u2019re willing to sacrifice to the craft gods, grab a cheap one from your local thrift store!)<\/li>\n
- Thread<\/strong> (I used black to get a more Halloween-y vibe, but any fall-inspired color (yellow, light orange, brown, etc.) will work)<\/li>\n
- Needle<\/strong><\/li>\n
- Marker or pen<\/strong><\/li>\n
- Scissors<\/strong><\/li>\n
- Small spool of jute twine<\/strong><\/li>\n
- Wooden beads<\/strong> (optional)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Working with what I already had around the house, I spent less than $8 on supplies for this craft\u2014and without the wooden beads, total cost should be closer to $5. Plus, if you craft with a friend or two, you can share supplies (and cost). Can\u2019t beat that!<\/p>\n
Instructions:<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\"Craft](\"http:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wordpresst\/uploads\/sites\/153\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/1.jpg\")
<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n- \n
- Gather supplies.<\/li>\n
- Cut out pumpkins from printed pattern template<\/a>.<\/li>\n
![\"Marker](\"http:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wordpresst\/uploads\/sites\/153\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/2.jpg\")
<\/a>Using a marker or pen, trace desired pumpkin pattern onto orange felt. (Make sure it doesn\u2019t bleed through.) Repeat until entire sheet is filled with pumpkins. Two pumpkin patterns=one pumpkin.<\/li>\n- Trace coordinating pumpkin stem onto brown felt. Repeat until you have one stem for each set of pumpkins.<\/li>\n
- Cut out pumpkins and stems.<\/li>\n
![\"Cutting](\"http:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wordpresst\/uploads\/sites\/153\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/2_2.jpg\")
<\/a>Cut about 5 feet of thread. Thread needle. Place needle in middle of thread. Double back thread on itself and tie two (or three) knots at the end. You should end up with about 2.5 feet of thread to work with.<\/li>\n- With the marker side in, place two pumpkins back-to-back.<\/li>\n
- Start sewing just after the second hump at the top of the pumpkin, near the edge of the felt.
![\"Wth](\"http:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wordpresst\/uploads\/sites\/153\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/4.jpg\")
<\/a>To hide the knot, start between the layers by pushing the threaded needle up through one layer of felt. Pull thread through until the knot catches at the end.<\/li>\n- With the thread pulled taut and working clockwise, move half-a-fingers width from the needle hole and push needle down, creating a stitch. Move half-a-fingers width down on the back, then push the needle up. Down. Up.\u00a0
![\"Pumpkin](\"http:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wordpresst\/uploads\/sites\/153\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/5.jpg\")
Down. Up. Repeat until you approach the top of the pumpkin.<\/li>\n- With about an inch unstitched, tear off a small section of stuffing and push inside to fill the pumpkin. Be careful not to overstuff\u2014it should be full enough to give it some depth, but not so full that you aren\u2019t able to close it. (TIP:
![\"Pen](\"http:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wordpresst\/uploads\/sites\/153\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/6.jpg\")
<\/a>Using a pen to stuff poly-fil inside makes it easier to fill, especially if you\u2019re working with a small hole.)<\/li>\n- Once pumpkin is stuffed, grab a pumpkin stem and fold it in half; push into the pumpkin so the loop is visible out the top. Hold stem in place in the middle of the pumpkin. (TIP: The smaller the stem loop, the better\u2014when the pumpkins are threaded on twine, they\u2019ll hold their place better.)<\/li>\n
![\"Needle](\"http:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wordpresst\/uploads\/sites\/153\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/7_2.jpg\")
<\/a>Continue stitching around the pumpkin to close the gap, making sure to add several stitches through the stem.<\/li>\n- When your first stitches meet your last stitches, push needle through to the back, pull taut and add two knots on top of each other as close to the felt as possible. Cut remaining thread just after the knot.<\/li>\n
![\"Knotted](\"http:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wordpresst\/uploads\/sites\/153\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/9.jpg\")
<\/a>With the remaining thread double knotted at the end, repeat steps 7-13.<\/li>\n- When you run out of thread, repeat steps 6-13.
\nADVANCED: If you feel comfortable with the general stitch, feel free to go back through and add curved vertical lines to give your pumpkins more character. Do it to all of them, or just a few. (I added lines to the medium pumpkins I made and left the small ones without.)![\"Adding](\"http:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wordpresst\/uploads\/sites\/153\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/8.jpg\")
<\/a>Because the pumpkins will already be stuffed, it\u2019ll require you to pull the thread hard to get a voluptuous pumpkin effect. Start at either the top or bottom of the pumpkin and work your way up and down, doubling over your original stitches on either the top or bottom. Tie off the tread on the back when you complete both vertical lines.<\/li>\n![\"Scotch](\"http:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wordpresst\/uploads\/sites\/153\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/11.jpg\")
<\/a>Once you\u2019re happy with the number of pumpkins you have, pull out the twine and thread the pumpkins on. If you are incorporating wooden beads and\/or made different size pumpkins, get creative with a fun pattern! For mine, I did small pumpkin \u2013 medium pumpkin \u2013 small pumpkin \u2013 wooden bead \u2013 repeat. (TIP: Wrap the end of your twine with Scotch tape. This will make it easier to thread beads and stems on.)
\n![\"Wooden](\"http:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wordpresst\/uploads\/sites\/153\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/12.jpg\")
<\/a>NOTE: The beads and pumpkins may slide around a bit, but once the garland is hung, you can space them out as desired and the texture of the string should keep them in place. If not, add a dollop of Elmer\u2019s glue to ensure they don\u2019t move.<\/li>\n- After the pumpkins (and beads) are threaded on, cut twine to desired length.<\/li>\n
- Hang (with tacks, nails or tape) in your favorite space, sit back and admire your work of art. You did it!<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
Share your completed craft with us! Tag NAU on social and send pictures to inside@nau.edu<\/a>.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n
![\"Pumpkin](\"http:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wordpresst\/uploads\/sites\/153\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/carly_home_CU-e1633380079297.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Northern](\"http:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wordpresst\/uploads\/sites\/153\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/NAU_primary-281_3514-300x213.png\")
<\/a>Carly Banks | NAU Communications
\n(928) 523-5582 | carly.banks@nau.edu<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
- 2-3 9×12 sheets of orange felt<\/strong> (More sheets=more pumpkins.)<\/li>\n
- Imperfections make it look all the more charming.<\/em><\/strong> (Don\u2019t stress if your stitches aren\u2019t the same size or don\u2019t come out straight\u2014they\u2019ll look great in the end!)<\/em><\/li>\n