While falling autumn leaves remind us that winter is coming, making snowmen outdoors is still weeks away. Instead, make pumpkin men, women and children for simple and fun decorations for Halloween or your Thanksgiving table.
Pumpkin People Materials Needed
Several small pumpkins of graduated sizes will make a variety of pumpkin people, as well as a selection of gourds and squash. Which ones you choose to make your pumpkin people out of depends on your preferences, but they will all be a lot of fun to make.
Other materials that you need for this project include:
- black contact paper
- ribbons in a range of sizes and fall colors
- scissors
- craft glue
- hot glue gun
- raffia
- yarn
- fabric scraps
- doll hats or clothes, as desired
- buttons
- twist ties
- feathers
- markers
- paint
Aside from the hot glue gun, these materials depend on personal preference and can be easily swapped out for other embellishments. Hunt around the nooks and crannies of your home to find the perfect accessories for your pumpkin people.
Constructing a Pumpkin Person
It’s easiest if you think of a pumpkin person in terms of structuring a snowman – the biggest pumpkin goes on the bottom, then a medium-sized pumpkin for the middle, and a smaller pumpkin for a head. If you choose to use larger pumpkins or squash, incorporate one for the bottom and one for the head to make sure your pumpkin person is stable. Secure the bodies and heads of your pumpkin people using a hot glue gun and plenty of glue. Let them sit until the glue has bonded and the bodies are stable.
Finishing Touches for the Pumpkin People
Once the bodies of your pumpkin people have been constructed and the glue has dried, it’s time to make these decorations come alive. Create facial expressions by cutting out eyes, noses and mouths from black contact paper, then simply peel and stick or create faces using markers or paint. Create hair from raffia or yarn, tie together with twist ties, and glue to the tops of the pumpkin heads, or skip the hair altogether and use doll hats for decoration.
To clothe your pumpkin people, smaller items that are generally used to dress stuffed animals might provide great outfits. If these items aren’t readily accessible, make your own clothing for your pumpkin people using fabric scraps, buttons, ribbons and old costume jewelry.
However you choose to dress up your pumpkin people, they will brighten up your autumn décor as colors fade into winter.
Kelly Wilson is a busy mom who likes to make pumpkin people with her kids. To find out more about how to keep kids healthy as winter approaches, visit Dr. Roane of Roane Family Dental, a dentist in West Linn, Oregon.
About Jammie Morey
Cute idea’s, never thought of using the contact paper.. me I would be trying to glue construction paper.. contact paper would be so much easier.