Autumn has arrived and with it, the changing leaves and cooler air! What better way to celebrate the season than with bright, fun, handmade pumpkins? Use this classic technique and design a festive centerpiece, or create small pumpkins to string on a garland or highlight a festive fall banner.
What you need:
• Yarn (orange or any autumn color you prefer)
• Scissors
• Glue
• 12-inch round balloon
• Pipe cleaners (brown and green)
What you do:
1. Blow up a round balloon to about half its size and tie off.
2. Cut about twenty-four strands of yarn approximately three feet long.
3. Tie one piece of yarn around the knot in the balloon. Dangle the balloon from a cabinet knob or other item to free your hands for work with the yarn and glue. Make sure the yarn is tightly secured before beginning.
4. Pour glue into a small container for dipping yarn.
5. Take a strand of yarn, and dip the length into the glue. As you pull the yarn out of the glue, run it between your fingers to remove excess glue.
6. Wrap the sticky yarn around the balloon in any direction, making sure the yarn sits smoothly on the surface of the balloon. Criss-cross pieces of yarn to create a full shape.
7. Repeat with as many pieces of yarn as you wish until you have a full pumpkin shape.
8. Let sit for at least twenty-four hours until yarn is dry and stiff.
9. When dry, gently push the balloon inwards to release it from the yarn. Once it is no longer sticking to the yarn, pop the balloon, remove from yarn shape, and throw it away.
10. Wrap a brown pipe cleaner around your pinky finger to create the stem. Wrap one end of the pipe cleaner around a piece of yarn at the top of your pumpkin.
Add green curlicues around the base of the stem in the same manner.
