Fabric Pumpkins from a Halloween Bandana

After making these vintage bandana bowl covers, I couldn’t stop myself from snapping up vintage bandanas wherever I went. Over the years, I’ve collected them in all the colors of the rainbow, including plenty in orange and black. So I decided they would be perfect for some fabric pumpkins for Halloween decor.

These are the bandana bowl covers that I was talking about. Aren’t they cute?

But let’s get back to my Halloween idea and the appropriately-colorful vintage bandanas that I collected for my project.

I also bought some embroidery floss in matching hues.

I have a sneaking suspicion that bandana pumpkins are just going to be ADORABLE – what do you think?

Now, these fabric pumpkins are not a new idea and tutorials for them are all over the internet. In fact, I believe Martha Stewart might be the originator of the idea.

But, I just think they will be extra special when made with Halloween bandanas. Ready to find out?

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Beginning Steps for Fabric Pumpkins

To create a bandana pumpkin for Halloween decor, I needed a piece of bandana fabric that was twice as long as it was wide (14” x 7”, 13” x 6.5”…etc.).

Next, I cut out my bandana rectangle, trying to capture as much fabric pattern as possible.

Next, I folded the rectangle of bandana fabric over on itself, short ends together and “good” sides of the fabric facing together (on the inside).

Then, I stitched along those short edges on my sewing machine so that it formed a fabric tube/cylinder.

After that was done, I ran a wide running stitch along one edge of the fabric, all the way around the “tube”.

I know it still doesn’t look anything like a fabric pumpkin yet, but bear with me!

Filling the Fabric Pumpkins

Next, I gathered the fabric by pulling the thread tightly (but not pulling the knotted end through).

After it was cinched, I pushed my needle through the ruffled fabric a few times before knotting off the end.

Then, I turned my Halloween bandana my right-side-out. What had once been a fabric tube was now like a little bag.

Then, I stuffed it positively FULL with fiber fill. When it was positively stuffed, I once again ran a wide running stitch along the raw edge. 

The first of my fabric pumpkins was coming together!

Next, I gathered the bandana fabric like I had before, tucking the fiberfill in as much as possible. Finally, I stitched the opening closed and knotted off the thread.

Now came the fun part – turning my bandana sphere into a bandana pumpkin!

Finishing the Fabric Pumpkins for Halloween Decor

I still needed to add “ridges” to my fabric pumpkins. So, gathered some embroidery floss and a doll needle for this step.

First, I pulled a long strand of floss (triple-knotted at one end) through the center and pushed it back into my bandana pumpkin at the top.

I pushed the doll needle all the way through the other puckered end and pulled the floss super tight, squishing the fabric pumpkin. I did this over and over again, pulling super tight, to create ridges.

I’m telling ya, the doll needle made this SO much easier than an embroidery needle would have. I tried it with an embroidery needle and nearly lost it inside my bandana pumpkin!

After pulling my floss through about 6 or 7 times around the fabric pumpkin, I knotted off the floss (while pulled tight).

And there it was…a little fabric pumpkin that was very much indeed a bandana pumpkin.

To finish off my bandana pumpkin, I just needed a stem. And while you weren’t looking, I made a several more fabric pumpkins from my Halloween bandana collection!

But back to the stems – I wanted a rustic look to complement the bandana pumpkins. So, I grabbed some sticks from the yard. Can I check “yard work” off my to-do list now?

Fabric Pumpkins from a Halloween Bandana

I lopped off 1” and 1½” stick stems and hot-glued them to the center of each fabric pumpkin.

So easy and the sticks had the perfect against the Halloween bandana fabric.

And that was it! I had a whole collection of fabric pumpkins or bandana pumpkins for my Halloween decor. I mean, DOES IT GET ANY CUTER THAN THIS?

Aren’t they adorable?? I think the bandana fabric is just divine, and you can get at least two fabric pumpkins out of each one. That makes this a really affordable Halloween craft project, as well.

I loved these so much that I even made a version in my book, “Crafting with Flannel”! So, if bandana material isn’t really your style, may I suggest flannel instead?

Now I can fill a bowl or small vintage crate with my fabric pumpkins and they’ll look wonderful for autumn and Halloween!

If you also enjoyed this upcycling idea for Halloween decor, then you’ll also love my Trick-or-Treat stand made from a vintage sewing bucket!

And don’t forget to check out these faux rust jack-o-lanterns from candy buckets, too!

Craft on!

S

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