Looking for a fun and easy way to add some flair to your home decor? These Easy DIY Fabric Pumpkins are a great option! Not only are they a stylish and unique addition to your fall or winter decor, but they are also relatively simple to make.

Making the stem for your Easy DIY Fabric Pumpkins 

For this project I decided to use air dry clay because it is easy to use, it is cheap and since I had a lot of fabric pumpkins to make, I wanted something hassle-free.  

You start kneading a small ball of clay until it is soft and smooth. If you see any cracks on the surface, just spray it with some water. Dry clay is easier to crack. 

Adding water and then immediately kneading the clay might cause the surface to have a little rougher texture. That is no problem for this project since it makes it look more realistic.

When my ball was ready, I started to roll it, to take the shape of the stem. One side has to be extra thin and the other needs to be wide, to make the base. 

For a wider and more realistic base, I used my fingers to push the clay outwards, on the sides. 

After you do that, don’t forget to smooth out any bumps you make on your stem, using your fingers and if necessary some water.  

To finish, I took the thin side of my clay and twirled it a few times to make a nice spiral, like the ones you sometimes see on real pumpkins.

If you want the final result to look ridged, you can scratch the surface with your clay tool of a toothpick.  

When it dried, I painted it gold. 

I thought about painting my stem green or brown, but with the red fabric I chose, gold is the must-have option. It makes the final result look so classy and expensive.  

Other materials you can use for your stem.

If you don’t want to use air-dry clay, don’t worry, there are many other options you can use for the stem. 

First of all, you can use polymer clay. Choose a color you like and you won’t have to paint the final result. 

Another option, if you like to buy real pumpkins, is to keep their stem, let it dry and then glue it on your fabric base. 

Of course, there are more simple options. You can just glue a piece of wood, or a cinnamon stick on the center of your pumpkin and have a more unique result. 

At last, for those who don’t want to bother with the stem, you can find plastic pumpkin stems in many craft stores. 

Creating the main body of my Easy DIY Fabric Pumpkins. 

To create the main body of my fabric pumpkin I used velvet-like fabric because it is very elastic, very soft, and has a nice texture.

Of course, you can use any type of fabric you like. Plus, fabric pumpkins are a great way to upcycle old fabrics or use scrap materials, making them an eco-friendly and budget-friendly option. 

So don’t be afraid to experiment with different patterns and textures. You can even use old clothes!

You can use a plate or bowl as a template to trace a circle onto your fabric. The size of your circle will depend on the size of the pumpkin you want to create, so feel free to play around with different sizes.

Because my velvet fabric is very dark to mark with a marker or pencil, and I didn’t have any chalk, I clipped on it a paper circle, to guide me to cut out my shape.

My circle has a diameter of 19cm (7.48 inches) and my final result is approximately 9cm wide and 4cm tall (3.54 inches wide x 1.57 inches tall).

If your fabric circle has rough edges, don’t worry. This won’t be visible and won’t affect the final result. 

Finally, from the scrap fabric, I cut out a smaller circle. I will use this later, to cover my hole. 

Sewing and stuffing my Easy DIY Fabric Pumpkins.

To sew my circle, I used some embroidery thread, of the same color as my velvet fabric.

 You can also use regular thread or even colorful twine. I chose embroidery thread because it is very sturdy and I can pull it without breaking. 

Needless to say, you can use different color thread, for a more interesting optical result. I tried this project with gold thread and it looked amazing. 

Thankfully, you don’t need any sewing skills to make your fabric pumpkin. All you need to do is a basic running stitch. 

First of all, you need to thread your needle and tie a knot at the end of the thread. Make sure you have a good length of thread, as you’ll be making a series of small stitches and you don’t want to run out halfway through.

I placed my fabric under the needle and pushed the needle through the fabric from the back to the front. 

Then, I brought the needle back through the fabric about half a centimeter ( a quarter inch) away from the first stitch. Make sure to catch a small bit of fabric with each stitch. 

I kept stitching my fabric and tried to be as consistent as possible when it comes to the length of the stitch and the distance between stitches.  

My pouch is ready. I will loosen it a little bit, to make it easier for me to fill it. 

For the stuffing, I used cotton, because you can find it everywhere and it is a cheap option. 

I add small pieces of cotton and I make sure to fill the sides gradually, in order to keep the shape intact. 

When the pouch is full, it is time to give shape to our pumpkin. 

For this, I pulled my thread tightly and pushed my needle from the other side, through the center of the pumpkin, and passed it through the hole. 

If your needle gets stuck, use a pair of pliers to pull it, or remove some of the stuffing from the center of the pumpkin. 

Other materials you can use for the stuffing. 

If you don’t want to use cotton, there are many other options for you to fill the pumpkin. 

The obvious and most popular choice is of course polyester fiberfill. Of course, this option is more expensive than cotton, but it gives a very soft final product. 

Another option is to use scrap fabric, cut into small pieces. Try to use soft fabrics like cotton and avoid harder ones, like denim. Don’t forget to add the leftover fabric you have from cutting the circle. 

One more option is to use rice. This will give a very interesting feeling when you hold the pumpkin. 

The last option you have is to use crumbled scrap paper. It is not my favorite option, because the pumpkin won’t be soft, but it can create a sturdy result.

Gluing the pieces together.    

Using my hot glue gun I filled the pouch’s hole and immediately added on top of it the small circle I had put aside.

Press it down to make sure it stuck well and that there is no air trapped underneath.

When it comes to the stem, you can choose to glue it on either side of the pumpkin. I chose to glue it on top of my hole.

The first time I tried this project, I glued my stem right on top of the hole, without covering it with a small circle.

It was a failure because it could not stick, which is why you absolutely have to glue a piece of fabric on top of the hole.

.My Easy DIY Fabric Pumpkin is now ready! Stay tuned, because I plan to transform this velvet pumpkin I made into a New Year’s charm. Thank you for reading!

 If you liked this post, don’t forget to check out my tutorial about How to make a Fabric pumpkin New Year’s charm.