As in-store displays already begin switching to fall decor (I know, I know it's early!!), now really is the time to think about crafting your very own fall decor. You still have several, stress-free months to get your projects completed before the first leaves begin to change and you're ready to embrace the return of the Pumpkin Spice Latte on the Starbucks menu..
And as I always say, is there any better summer afternoon than to sit outside in the shade with a drink in hand and a crafting project in the other??
This particular pumpkin tutorial is not only easy, it has a lot of variations you could consider and different display options.
For those of you that have made, or are planning to make a Harriet Witch Doll, the Harriet pattern only includes instructions for making her with a broom, but I find this pumpkin variation is just as popular in my finished dolls! This pattern is sized perfectly for a Harriet Witch Doll.
Simply add a spot of hot glue to each of her little hands or sew the pumpkin in place.
Bowl fillers are a super popular way to add a bit of seasonal decor to an area, at Christmas you may have some stuffed candy-canes in there, but in the fall, stuffed pumpkins look awesome in a rustic dough bowl or trough!
Here, I actually have them displayed in a re-purposed decorative dough bowl. Last year, I bought this from The Scented Market at the The Etsy Waterloo Christmas Market . It had a 3-wick candle in it with a festive scent. When I was done burning it, we put it in a VERY low oven to melt out the rest of the wax from the bowl, and now I use it as vessel for seasonal bowl fillers!
The pumpkins could also be added to a centrepiece display for your dining table in the fall. Think about a vessel that has a shape that matches your table shape (here, I'm using a long, rectangular dough bowl), and adding some objects with some height that match the fall theme. I think those flameless, flickering candles they now have on the market would look stunning in a centre piece display like this!! My neighbour just bought some from a local shop to us, Jillian's in Mitchell.
A fall-inspired vignette display in a window or on a mantel shelf can always include some decorative pumpkins! Here I have a rustic wooden tray that holds three pumpkins and a rustic candlestick holder with a faux crow sitting on top.
Just behind the tray, I've place a Spindle Ghost, and another antique candle holder with beeswax candles.
If you think about decreasing the scale of the pattern and are into wreath making, think about incorporating some into your finished wreath! You can also just vary the size for variety's sake and even make some with a jack-o-lantern face made from cut out felt scraps!
And finally, think about a variety of fabrics you could use - it doesn't need to be the conventional orange colour. Patterned fabrics, cottons and flannelettes, even wools in a variety of colours would look amazing together!
The only stitching required is a running stitch around the edge of the fabric circle, and even that does not need to be precise by any means.
Are you excited yet? Are your fingers twitching with the crafting bug? I hope so!
I'm attaching the link to the free pattern here, and here is the video tutorial!