Stuffed Burlap Pumpkin Home Decor Tutorial by Pink Lemonade – Keri Lee Sereika

It’s just about Autumn and with that comes the time to start decorating the home with all things warm, cozy and fun! While I adore the Fall season, I have VERY LIMITED “Fall weather”. We live in the South where we have three seasons of warm weather and a cold minute. During the time that everyone in the North enjoys open windows and delicious Fall weather, we are still kickin’ it at the beach and working on our tans. But I am a Yankee girl transplanted to the South and so about this time every year my heart YEARNS for Fall weather, open windows, hoodies, spiced ciders, apple picking, pumpkin picking, baking etc….you name it, I want it! Today I have a FABULOUS tutorial to share with you that will bring Autumn right into home in a super fun way. We will be making Stuffed Pumpkin Home Decor. Using both Poly-fil® and Poly-Pellets® Weighted Stuffing Beads these pumpkins are bottom weighted to stay upright. There are TONS of photos, but don’t let that deter you! These are REALLY SIMPLE to make, I simply took plenty of photos for those of us who may be more visual learners. 🙂

Supplies Needed for Stuffed Burlap Pumpkin:

• Material
• Poly-Fil Stuffing
• Poly-Pellets Weighted Stuffing Beads
• National Non Wovens Felts – Safari Brown & Lemon Lime Twist
• AdTech Hot Glue Gun & Hot Melt Glue
• Sewing Machine
• Thread
• Large Needle
• Embroidery Floss
• Hemp

1. Measuring is not really necessary per se but a good starting point is to have a rectangle that is twice as wide as it is high. So for this project (the larger pumpkin that is approximately 6″ high) I used a rectangle that was 18″x9″ or so. Here it is folded in half. If you are using a material that has a definite “right side/wrong side” you will fold the material RIGHT SIDES TOGETHER. I am showcasing burlap for two reasons – 1. It’s very popular right now and 2. It is the HARDEST MATERIAL to use for this project. I wanted to show you the project using it so that I can show you all the tips and tricks I have come up with to make this work. It is harder to use burlap because it has such an open weave. So if you are a bit nervous, do your first pumpkin using a regular material like a cotton quilting material or something similar.

2. Okay – so now that your material is folded in half to make a 9″ square, use your sewing machine to sew the two edges together. When working with burlap, use a medium width zig zag stitch and every inch and a half or so reverse over your stitching as shown here just to reinforce the seam and catch different parts of the fabric.

3. Use a large needle and embroidery floss to sew a gathering stitch, or basting stitch (a very long/open stitch) all the way around the bottom edge of the material. Because we are using burlap, the top and bottom of the material isn’t really different. However if you were using a print that had a specific design that needed to be one way up to be right side up, then you would start at the bottom of the project.

4. Pull the ends together tightly to gather, tie the embroidery floss in a few tight knots.

5.Sew through the gathered bunch to reinforce and to make sure it will hold tight. Tie the floss once again and snip the ends.

6.Turn the project seam sides in now as shown. It will make a sort of “bucket” shape at this point.

7.Fill the bottom of the pumpkin with the stuffing beads. For this size I used about a cup to a cup and a half.

8. Using the large needle and floss again, sew around the top edge of the project and start stuffing  it almost full.

9. Begin to pull the ends of the floss and add stuffing until the pumpkin begins to feel slightly tight.

10. Repeat the process of pulling the floss tight, only this time tuck the ends into the project as you pull tight.  Note on the right side how the material is beginning to pull apart, be sure to look for areas like that and get behind that area and pull it to the center.

11. Sew around and through the edges of the top trying to keep all the ends tucked into the the inside of the project.

12. Place the length of hemp across the top of the center of the pumpkin.

13. Bring it down around to the bottom of the pumpkin. Pull it tight and tie a knot. Making sure to leave a 10″ tail on one side and the rest of the length on the other. The longer length will be referred to as your “working length”.

14. Wrap the working length around the pumpkin running perpendicular to the first. when you get to the top of the pumpkin, thread the working length UNDER the first loop of hemp that is already tied tightly around the pumpkin. Bring the working length around to the tail, pull tight and tie into a knot. Repeat two more times.

15. On the final wrap, bring the tail around to the top and tie the ends at the top of the pumpkin. Snip both ends close to the knot. Don’t worry if it’s not perfectly centered, this will be hidden when we add the stem and the leaf. 🙂

16. Your pumpkin ought to look like this, sort of round with eight segments. Take a few minutes to make the segments even and the wrinkles kind of even too.

17. Fold a small rectangle of felt in half and cut a leaf shape. As you can see here I just kind of free handed a seven pointed leaf. In nature pumpkin leaves have a large variety so don’t worry – make it look however YOU want it to look! 🙂 I just tried to make mine “reminiscent” of a pumpkin leaf without making myself crazy trying to actually replicate one.

18. To create the stem, cut a long thin rectangle of felt and roll it up, securing the end with a line of hot glue.

19. Place the stem and the leaf onto the top of your pumpkin prior to gluing in place to check length of stem and size of leaf etc.

20. I found my stem was a bit longer than I wanted it for this size pumpkin, so I trimmed it by simply cutting through the layers with a sharp pair of scissors.

21. To adhere the leaf and stem, create a large pool of hot glue and place the leaf in first, then the stem on top of that.

22. Squeeze the top of the pumpkin around the stem and hold until the glue cools.

Here’s the final project, Stuffed Burlap Pumpkins.  As you can see, this can be adapted to making any size pumpkin you’d like. The little one is only about the size of my palm…sooo cute! Be sure and check out my blog Pink Lemonade as I will have some more of these pumpkins on there in the coming days and weeks. I have had more than one person see these little guys and admire them. I think they’ll make great little “happy day gifts” – gifts for no real reason other than to bring a happy smile to the recipient! 🙂 Enjoy the tutorial, and once you have made your own – PLEASE COME BACK AND SHARE A LINK! We’d love to oooohhh and ahhhhh over your projects too!