Pumpkins are the symbol of autumn. They appear on every porch and staircase, adding a bit of charm to dining tables and home entrances alike. But to make these pumpkins truly magical, make them permanent: Pumpkin carving stencils may be cute, but the harsh reality is that carved pumpkins never last as long as you want them to. If you make a pumpkin out of papier-mâché—the classic process of dipping newspaper into a glue-like mixture of flour and water—you can bring home-carved pumpkins out of storage and use them as decorations year after year. Here we share two simple instructions for this autumnal craft, which is also very suitable as a decoration for Halloween.
It's time for fall crafts
Autumn is a time of creativity. And pumpkin projects fit the fall mood perfectly for family and friends. You can create these DIY projects with your kids and bring a colorful fall feel to your home by making a paper mache pumpkin.
Make a pumpkin out of paper mache with a balloon
Here's what you'll need to make your own paper mache pumpkin:
Flour
Balloon
Jute twine
tape
Scissors
Foam brush
Acrylic colors
Newspaper
Bowl and fork
Step-by-step instructions for crafting:
- First, inflate the balloon to the desired pumpkin size. The larger the pumpkin, the more paper mache you will need to add. Cut a piece of string that will easily wrap around the circumference of the balloon and attach it to the center at the topBalloons.
- Wrap the piece of string around the balloon and tie a knot at the balloon knot. Tighten it so that the balloon bulges a little.
- Repeat this process with two more pieces of string. Then take all the ends and the knotted end of the balloon together and wrap a few pieces of tape around everything to form the stem of the balloon.
- Next, tear off a few thin strips of newspaper.
- Mix equal parts flour and water in a bowl and stir thoroughly with a fork. Try to get the mixture as smooth as possible. It should have the consistency of watery pancake batter. Dip a piece of newspaper into the mixture and allow the excess to drip off. Drape it on the side of the balloon. The smaller the pieces of newspaper, the smoother the result will be, but it will also take longer to finish. And the more layers you apply, the stronger it becomes. Let the pumpkin dry for about half an hour, smoothing out any bubbles around the edges with your fingers.
- Once it has dried well, you can paint it as you wish.
Make your own pumpkin craft with a plastic bag
Materials required:
Plastic bag (e.g. shirt bag)
Fiber filling
Yarn
masking tape
1 cup flour
1 1/2 cups water
Newspaper
Latex primer
Orange acrylic paint
Accesories:
Scissors
Whisk
mixing bowl
Paint brush
Instructions for making:
- Fill the plastic bag with fiber filling. You can use stuffing from an old pillow.
- Tie a knot in the bag, making sure to squeeze out the air.
- Cut off the handles of the bag, leaving a few inches of plastic above the knot.
- Fold the remaining handle over itself and use masking tape to create a handlefor the pumpkinto shape.
- Cut a piece of yarn and tie it around the pumpkin and pull it tight, creating grooves for the pumpkin. Tie a knot in the taut yarn and trim the loose threads near the knot. Tie three more strands of yarn around the pumpkin at different angles to create the ribs. You should see a cake shape on the bottom of the pumpkin. The craft is now ready to be covered with paper mache.
- Add 1 1/2 cups water to 1 cup flour. Whisk the mixture until there are no lumps. Tear the newspaper strips into different sizes. Place a strip of newspaper in the papier-mâché mixture and submerge it completely. Place the strip vertically on the pumpkin and smooth it out with your fingertips. Overlap the strips as you work your way around the pumpkin. Attaching the strips at different angles will make the papier-mâché glue stronger.
- Then add paper mache strips to the stem of the pumpkin, making sure to cover the top part of the stem. Allow the paper mache pumpkin to dry for 24 hours. Then add a second layer of paper mache following the steps above. Allow the second layer of papier-mâché to dry for 24 hours before painting.
- Once the second layer has dried, you can do the whole thingPumpkin with white coloror paint over primer. This is optional, but we found that if you paint it white first, you need fewer coats of orange paint to cover the newspaper.
- Paint the top of the pumpkin orange and the stem brown. Allow the paint to dry for at least 30 minutes. If necessary, paint a second coat of orange and brown on the pumpkin and stem.
- Paint lines from the base of the stem down into the grooves of the pumpkins to give the stem more shape. Here's how to recycle a plastic bag and make a cute fall craft!
