DIY fabric pumpkins: Simple Autumnal craft

It's been a while since I shared a new craft, but I'm back this week sharing a brand new Weekend Mini-make, a quick craft you can complete over the weekend for less than a tenner. All my £10 tutorials are designed to be something beginners can try their hand at, whilst also being a relaxing, well-being boost. As I've mentioned before, I regularly turn to DIY and crafting when times get hard, so for me, having a creative outlet has become a vital part of my everyday life. I hope that these simple, cheap crafting ideas will inspire others to have a go, and see if it can make big changes in their life too.

This week I'm turning my hand to something a bit seasonal, and have made some really simple fabric pumpkins. I love adding some new touches to my home for the new season, and something like this is a really cheap way of doing that - and its a really fun little craft too. You could even add these to a handmade Autumnal garland or even to create an artificial wreath - two previous crafts I've done myself and will definitely be bringing out again! 

You will need: 

Fabric - I've just used some off-cuts of some velvet and boucle fabrics I used in previous crafts, but some simple cotton or felt would work really well too 

Cotton wool

Embroidery thread 

Brown felt

Strong needle - The eye needs to be big enough to fit some embroidery thread through

Glue gun

Something circular to draw around - I used a jar, but anything would work. Bear in mind the bigger your circle, the bigger your pumpkin will be

Total cost: £0 - I had all of these bits leftover from previous DIY's

How to make: 

Start by cutting a large circle from your fabric, using your plate, or circular object to draw around.

Using embroidery thread and a strong needle, stitch around the edge of the circle using a standard running stitch - no need for anything fancy here as you won’t see this when the pumpkin is formed. 

Once you’ve sewn all the way around the circle, pull the two ends of the thread together. The fabric will then create a cup shape, which you can now fill with cotton wool. Once it’s feeling plump and you’re happy with the shape, pull the thread together to fully close the pumpkin. 

Don't snip the thread here, keep it attached and on the needle before moving onto creating the ‘segments’.

To do this push the needle through the centre of the pumpkin from the top, pulling it through the base. Be careful with the needle here, as it can be a little tricky to push the needle through the cotton wool, and you may need to wiggle the needle a bit. 

Repeat this process all around the pumpkin to create six 'segments', pushing the needle through the centre of the pumpkin from the top to the base. Once you're all done, and you have your 'segments' created by the thread, tie the ends of the thread together off to secure.

To finish, roll a small rectangle of brown felt into a tube, securing it with glue to create a stalk. Pop another piece of glue in the centre of the pumpkin, and stick the stalk in place. You can then bend the stalk slightly to give it a more realistic look. 

And you're all done! I've styled mine with some seasonal coloured candles, but would make great centrepieces too, or on a mantlepiece. 

Hope you enjoyed this quick and simple DIY - let me know if you make one, I'd love to see! And I'll be back soon with another quick craft perfect for completing over the weekend. 

Thanks for reading, 
Sam Xx