Paper Pumpkins

Human beings are full of contradictions.

Okay, me. I’m full of contradictions.

For instance, decorating with pumpkins makes me immensely happy. Smelling pumpkin-y things? Can’t get enough.

Eat pumpkin-flavored food? Gag me now.

I’m super mature for my age too.

These paper pumpkins fall into the “can’t get enough” category.

I made this orange pumpkin a couple of years ago. He’s a little banged up and misshapen, but we all get that way from time to time.

This paper pumpkin craft is easy and cheap – my two requirements for crafting.

Here’s what you need: paper, scissors and a glue gun. I’ve done this craft with tape, but the glue is easier to work with. Trust me.

Cut a small rectangle out of green construction paper or card stock. This is going to be your stem. It can be any size you want, but you’ll want the stem to end up at least a couple of inches tall. (As you can tell, this is going to be a really specific tutorial. HA!)

If you want, wrap the rectangle around a pencil to get it in a cylindrical shape. Slide the rolled rectangle off the pencil and glue it shut.

Next, use a piece of computer paper, construction paper or card stock and cut fringe like shown below, leaving a couple of inches uncut at the top. To make a larger pumpkin, cut the fringe on the portrait (longer) side of the paper.

For a smaller pumpkin, turn the paper to a landscape orientation to cut your fringe. If you do this, you can cut the sheet in half because you won’t need all of that fringe.

Don’t stress out if your fringe pieces aren’t all the exact same size. Unless you are a perfectionist. Then, well, this might not be the tutorial or craft for you.

Now you are going to wrap your fringe around the stem. Use a bead of glue to secure the start of the fringe to the stem and then keep wrapping!

Glue the final edge to secure. It should look like this one below.

(By the way, I totally cropped my toes out of this picture. You’re welcome.)

Now it is time to start making your pumpkin shape. Pull one of your fringe pieces up and glue to the stem.

Don’t burn your fingers! It’s one risk of this method. Be safe.

Repeat forty million times or for how many pieces of fringe you cut.

It should start to look like the picture below.

If you get to the end and you think you have enough pumpkin “ridges,” you can always cut off your remaining fringe. It’s not going to be visible…unless you flip the pumpkin upside down, but that would be silly.

Pretend I finished this pumpkin.

The last step, if you want, is to glue on a little piece of vine on the stem. It’s just a thin triangle, wrapped around a pencil to help it curl and then glued onto the stem.

It should look something like this when all finished.

It’s a scientific fact that 97.3% of the population has more perfectionistic tendencies than I do, so yours will probably look a little more Pinterest-worthy than mine.

Now listen, I made orange and white pumpkins, but you can do whatever the heck you want!

Seriously.

There are no pumpkin police.

I originally learned how to make these pumpkins from a blogger that doesn’t seem to be online any longer. So now, it’s my duty to carry on and spread the pumpkin love. I don’t carry this burden lightly, people. Spread happiness around your house. Make these easy (and cheap) paper pumpkin decorations right now.