Something that fall and Halloween have in common? Pumpkins of course! So it's time to think about what you could create with the children that fits the theme, regardless of whether you want to make a cool autumn decoration or just want to spend time together in the afternoon drawing and painting. With the following inspiration you can make or draw a pumpkin with children.
Folding simple origami
Probably the easiest way to make a pumpkin out of paper isthe origami technique. No cutting, no gluing - just fold according to instructions. You will need origami paper (or you can cut 15 x 15 cm squares yourself). Optionally, you can stick on faces made of felt, black paper, foam rubber or other material or draw them with a felt-tip pen. This is how it is folded when you make this pumpkin with children:
You can also attach the finished pumpkins to string to create aReceive garland.
Making pumpkins with children using a balloon
You probably already know the technique of using a balloon to create a spherical shape. Not onlyfor papier-mâchéit is ideally suited, but also for such a model with yarn. This is what you need if you make a pumpkin with a balloon with children:
- Yarn in orange color
- liquid glue (craft glue or glue, for example)
- Balloon
- Pipe cleaners in brown and green
- Scissors
Inflate the balloon to the desired size. Cut the yarn into longer pieces, all about the same length. You can now hang the balloon upside down. This makes it easier to work. Put the glue in a bowl, take a piece of yarn and dip it into the glue to then place it over the balloon. Do this with the other pieces of yarn to create a nice lattice pattern. You decide how tight you want to make this.
Tipp:You can also wrap the balloon with cling film beforehand so that the string can be removed more easily later.
Now let the glue dry thoroughly. This can take up to 24 hours. Then tie the balloon off again and gently press it inwards here and there to release it from the threads. Then you can split it with scissors and remove it from the thread grid. Finally, make stems and tendrils out of the pipe cleaners. To do this, simply wrap the wire around your little finger or a pen to create a spiral shape. Insert the elements into the gaps in the yarn grid and secure with glue if necessary.
Making pumpkins with children – gift idea for Halloween
You can make cute pumpkin-shaped gift wrap from simple tissue paper. This is how easy it is to make pumpkins with children:
- Orange tissue paper
- green or brown tape
- large, round object for shaping
- scissors, pencil
- Candy to fill
Place two sheets of tissue paper on top of each other and place the selected round object on top. Trace the outline with the pencil and then cut out the resulting circle. Do this carefully as the individual layers of paper could shift. Then place the selected sweets on the circles. Here you need to experiment a little with the quantity and location, depending on the candy. The goal is to have enough paper left on the sides so that you can take it up and tie it shut.
Then screw in the protruding part at the top. Prepare a piece of tape and wrap it around the resulting “stem,” creating a pumpkin stem.
Pumpkin drawing made easy
Pumpkins are quite simple figures and can therefore be easily drawn by children. Above you can see two instructions: the first is also suitable for smaller children, while the second has a three-dimensional effect that is more suitable for older children at school, for example. You can leave out the carved faces if you want a simple pumpkin with no Halloween connection.
Drawing without colors
You get a combination of crafting and painting with this original idea. For painting, you use a kind of dough made only from natural ingredients, which the children apply to paper with a brush. You can also help them with the shape by providing a pumpkin template. Prepare the mixture with which you then paint the pumpkin using the following ingredients:
- 1 tbsp wheat flour
- 1 tbsp salt
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 1-2 tsp turmeric (for a more orange color)
- 1-2 tbsp water
- Paper or cardboard for painting
- Colored pencils for the details
- black craft cardboard for the face
Mix only the dry ingredients first and then gradually add the water to get the desired consistency. The mass should not become too liquid so that it does not melt when applied. This flour mixture should also rise a little, which is what the baking powder is used for. If this is not the case, you can increase the amount. Now all you have to do is make sure the “dough” is firm.
To do this, place the paper in the microwave and heat it at 600 watts for 15 to 30 seconds, or longer if necessary. You can work in intervals so that the paper does not heat up too much and the edges curl inwards. Then cut out the necessary elements from the black paper and glue them onto the dough pumpkin.
Template for spreading
Pumpkin coloring page for kids
Craft and painting ideas for fall
