Easy-Sew Fabric Pumpkins

Make a fabric pumpkin using a shirt, coat or sweater from your own closet — no sewing machine required.

By Evie Bidell, Brown Paper Packages: A Few of My Favorite Things
Filed under: Halloween, Crafts, How To, Handmade

Materials Needed:

fabric (buy new fabric or reuse a shirt, coat or sweater)
manila folder
small bag of cotton stuffing

needle and thread (use an upholstery needle and thread with leather, suede or corduroy)
faux berries or leaves

Choose Your Fabric

Fabric pumpkins can be created using new fabric or recycled pieces of clothing. Make sure to choose a piece of clothing that has a wide, flat section so there is ample room to lay the template.

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Create a Template

Make a template using a file folder. The template in this picture is for a medium-sized pumpkin at 9.5" long by 6.5" wide. There are two other template sizes: the smallest is 7.5" long by 4.75" wide, the largest is 11.5" x 5". Measure, mark, cut. Then fold your rectangle in half to cut the corners, making them rounded. (It doesn't have to be exact.)

Cut Out Fabric

Pin the template to the fabric and cut out six pieces. (On cotton and similarly soft fabrics, do an accordion fold and cut out several pieces at once.) Since suede has a "nap," make sure to lay the pieces out with the nap going in the same direction. Same goes for corduroy and velvet.