You can transform a basic plain foam pumpkin into a warm and cozy faux sweater pumpkin using some simple supplies, most of which you can find at the dollar store. This quick and easy craft goes together in just about an hour.
Use a variety of fall colors and make a whole set of these dollar store sweater pumpkins. They are perfect grouped together on your mantel, scattered throughout your shelves, or as a fall or Thanksgiving table centerpiece.
Find more quick, easy, and inexpensive fall crafts here.
DOLLAR STORE FAUX SWEATER PUMPKIN CRAFT
Materials:
- Foam Pumpkin – Dollar Store
- Chunky Yarn – Muted Orange
- Acrylic Craft Paint – Muted Orange
- Natural Jute Twine – Dollar Store
- Fall Silk Leaf Stem – Dollar Store
- Wine Cork – Recycled
- Serrated Kitchen Knife
- Glue Gun and Glue Sticks – Dollar Store
- Paintbrush
- Scissors
- Ruler
Instructions:
STEP ONE
Gather all materials. Carve a 2” hole in the top center of the foam pumpkin with a serrated kitchen knife. The fun part about the Dollar Store pumpkins is that they are hollow inside.
Basecoat the pumpkin with muted orange acrylic craft paint, let dry. Since the pumpkin will be covered with yarn, no need for a second coat.
STEP TWO
Measure and cut 72 lengths of muted orange chunky yarn to 26” long with scissors, creating 12 bundles of 6 strands each.
Tie the top of the 6 strands of chunky yarn with natural jute twine, securing with a double knot and trimming any long ends with scissors.
STEP THREE
Separate the 6 strands into three pairs of 2 strands each. Loosely braid the muted orange chunky yarn. Secure the bottom with natural jute twine.
Repeat 11 more times, creating 12 braids total.
STEP FOUR
Using a glue gun and glue sticks, secure the center of the first braid across the base of the pumpkin. Hold the braid down with the blades of the scissors until the glue has cooled. This trick will prevent burning fingertips. Creating a cross pattern, attach the second braid to the base of the pumpkin with a glue gun and glue sticks.
Once the glue has cooled, flip the pumpkin over and insert the tail ends of the braids into the carved hole, tucking in tightly.
STEP FIVE
With the remaining 10 braids, fold them in half and glue around the base of the pumpkin. Press the yarn into the hot glue with the blade of the scissors to create a good adhesion to the pumpkin.
Once the glue has cooled, flip the pumpkin over and carefully insert all the ends of the braids into the carved hole, tucking everything in tightly. Shift the braids around the pumpkin to fill in any holes.
STEP SIX
Insert a recycled wine cork into the top of the pumpkin as the stem. Secure with a glue gun and glue sticks.
Cut a leaf from a bunch of fall silk leaves using scissors. To finish, attach next to the wine cork stem using a glue gun and glue sticks.
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