Fabric Pumpkins from a Halloween Bandana

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?

reusable bowl covers from bandanas

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

Halloween bandanas in orange and black

I also bought some embroidery floss in matching hues.

Embroidery floss in Halloween colors

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.).

Measuring the halloween bandana

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

DIY fabric pumpkins from a Halloween bandana

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.

Sewing the fabric pumpkins from a bandana

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

Sewing a running stitch to make a plush pumpkin

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).

Pulling a running stitch to cinch the fabric together

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

Closing up the bottom of the fabric pumpkin

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

Preparing to stuff a plush pumpkin from a bandana

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. 

Filling a bandana pumpkin with fiber fill

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.

Sewing shut a fabric pumpkin from a Halloween bandana

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.

Embroidery floss in a contrasting color to add the ridges to a fabric pumpkin

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.

Making the ridges on DIY fabric pumpkins

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.

Bandana pumpkin for rustic Halloween decor

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.

Plush pumpkins in bandana fabric

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?

Pumpkin stems from branches on fabric pumpkins

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.

Bandana pumpkins for DIY Halloween decor

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?

DIY fabric pumpkins by upcycling a bandana

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?

fabric pumpkins in crafting with flannel

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!

Halloween trick or treat ideas with a candy bowl holder

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

Plastic pumpkins as primitive Halloween decor with rust effect paint

Craft on!

S

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Sarah Ramberg is the owner of Sadie Seasongoods, a website that celebrates all things secondhand. From upcycling ideas and thrifted decor to vintage-centric travel itineraries, Sadie Seasongoods is a one-stop shop for anyone who loves thrifting and approachable repurposing ideas. Sarah is also the author of “Crafting with Flannel” and has been featured in numerous media outlets and magazines.

Comments

  1. These have got to be the coolest pumpkins going around!!! Can’t wait to make them! Thank you for sharing them 🙂

  2. These are so cute! Pinning to my fall board!

  3. These little guys are truly stunning!

  4. These pumpkins are beyond cute – I love love them!! This looks like something I could whip up in a jiff. Thanks for a great tutorial.

  5. Super cute Sadie!

  6. These are so cute!

  7. have just posted your gorgeous pumpkins.
    Thank you.

  8. love these pumpkins have never done a fabric one this has been added to my to do list thanks for sharing pinned and shared

  9. These are sew cute! I love the idea of using bandanas and you make it look so easy! Pinning!

  10. These are so adorable! Thanks for sharing 🙂

  11. I made a mountain of stuffed pumpkins this fall, all of them from cut material. I considered making some from dollar store tea towels because they are pre seam sealed. I had not though of bandanas. What a terrific idea, next year I will do this for sure. Thanks for Sharing Leanna

  12. Those are so doggoned cute, just might have to make up a few to give for gifts. You make it look so easy with your excellent tutorial. Will be good reason to get my sewing machine going again. Think bandannas make perfect little pumpkins over and above other fabrics, even classy velvet ones.
    Think next year making bandanna pumpkins will be one of first things made to start season off with a bang. Wouldn’t bunch of little ones make perfect banner?
    Will have to write these ideas down to remember for future seasons.
    Have happy, lovely Fall weekend

  13. what a great way to use bandana’s…..I have always loved the pattern on them. I love these!

  14. Very cute project Sadie, and I thought the salad bowl pumpkin was cute, you did it again girl… Pinned!

  15. Super, super cute. I bet red and light green bandanas and a different stem would make for darling little apples. Love that scale, too 🙂

  16. These are fantastic! You need to write a book…100 crafty things to do with bandanas…although, I’m sure you could come up with more! Another clever idea for the books! 😉

  17. Ok, these are seriously the cutest! Love the bandana idea!

  18. These bandana pumpkins are as cute as a button!
    Would love to have you drop by and share on the Friday Features Linky Party
    Hope you have a wonderful weekend!:)
    Karren

  19. embellishology says

    These are so cute! Adding to my list of things to make for fall!

  20. Charming and EASY, my kind of project!

  21. Sarah, These are adorable! Very clever to use bandanas! Love them.
    Pinned and shared 🙂 Thanks for sharing at Snickerdoodle!
    ~Laurie

  22. These are adorable. Great idea to use bandanas.

  23. The little pumpkins are so cute!

  24. I absolutely love these!! Had to pin! Thanks for sharing on the Pleasures of the NW’s DIY party-

  25. crochetistheway says

    These are so awesome! I’ve got to give it a try with some fabric glue or something… My machine has quit. Thank you for such a clear tutorial!

  26. Love these! What a fanastic idea …. Now I need to go shopping!
    Thanks for sharing!

  27. Using bandanas is a great idea! Pinning this idea.

  28. Hey Sarah! I love your bandana pumpkins. Cute new take! Pinning. I spotted this post on the Funtastic Friday Link Party and Merry Monday Link Party.

  29. Thank you for posting at Inspiration Galore Project Pty, your beautiful turquoise clutch was my featured for this week pty. Love the bandanas pumpkins.

  30. These are really cute. The pattern is visually interesting but doesn’t over power the pumpkin 🙂 Thanks for sharing with us at Family Joy Linky Party

  31. Katie Gambone (Button-jar.com) says

    So smart to use bandanas! They look great!

    Katie
    button-jar.com

  32. Your bandana pumpkins are just adorable. I bought some ticking that I am planning to use for pumpkins. I love your tutorial and plan to use it. Thank you for sharing it with us at Vintage Charm.

  33. These are absolutely adorable! I’ve got some old scarves in these types of shades, so maybe I should have a go at this! – Tasha

  34. Sarah,
    Your bandana pumpkin are so creative, and your tutorial is excellent. We would love for you to share them at our new linky party, Monday Social. http://botanicbleu.blogspot.com/2016/09/monday-social-2.html You can link up Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook photos, as well as photos from your blog. This is a great forum for finding addresses of social media sites and for sharing your addresses for others to find.

    Judith

  35. Teddee Grace says

    I’m really dense when it comes to sewing. You lost me when you started making the running stitch. Is is around the open end of the tube? Really cute idea. I’ll be shopping for a doll making needle and adding real stems I gathered from a local pumpkin farm.

  36. I SO pinned this! SO adorbs!! LOVE them! 🙂

    I would love for you to share this with my Facebook Group for recipes, crafts, tips, and tricks: https://www.facebook.com/groups/pluckyrecipescraftstips/

    Thanks for joining Cooking and Crafting with J & J!

  37. These are really cute Sarah and l love your tutorials! Thank you for sharing with us this week at Celebrate Your Story, have a great weekend!

  38. These are adorable and love how easy you create yours. I make these different but like your way better. I pinned!

  39. I think these are the cutest pumpkins I have seen by far!

  40. Yes very unique pumpkins the bandanna’s fabric is really cool for your creations, so cute

  41. So cute! I’m putting together my church’s annual fall festival and we need lots of pumpkins for decor so this would be so great for me to do to ensure we have pumpkins to use for years to come!

  42. These are adorable! I’ve never seen them done in this pattern before, and it’s perfect! Pinning to try! 🙂

  43. THANK YOU FOR SHARING!!!!! Love them 🙂

  44. Hello! I was wondering how large of a pumpkin I can create with the bandana? They are so cute!!

  45. These are super cute! Thanks for sharing at Merry Monday. 🙂

  46. Sarah, these are adorable! This was our most clicked link at last week’s Snickerdoodle Party. You’ll be featured on all the hosts’ blogs at today’s party.

  47. SO cute for Halloween decorating- my favorite yet – the fabric is perfect. Well done,

  48. Now these pumpkins I love! I’m as country as they come. I love how simple it is to make too.

    Thank you for sharing this with us on the #HomeMattersParty. We hope to see you next Fri. at 12 AM EST when we open our doors.

  49. Thanks for linking up to Monday Social. Come by at 4:00. You’ve been featured.

  50. Your adorable bandana pumpkins are featured at Monday Social today.

  51. Crystal @whattreasuresawait says

    This is such a great idea! I always love your projects! Thanks for linking up!

  52. Oh, these are just so unique and cute! Thank you so much for joining us at Dishing It & Digging It. Hope to see you back again this week!

  53. So,cute! I am gong to use wine corks for the stems.

  54. Adorable and clever idea

  55. These are great, I have to make some asap. Fill a basket and add some artificial vines…great display idea.

  56. Really cute!

  57. These are so cute, thanks for sharing.

  58. You could potentially toss some potpourri inside, or use a chunk of cinnamon stick for the stem, to throw some scent around the house too 🙂

  59. Those are so cute I want to make some right now! instead of dinner. The kids won’t mind, right? LOL! Have a great week!

  60. I love these, making them out of tea towels and an old skirt with a fun stripe pattern. I am going to use them as my thanksgiving centerpiece and then give them to guests to bring home! Thanks for sharing!

  61. Looking forward to making these with my wine cork pumpkins as well! I think I will try to use the wine corks as the stems for your bandana pumpkins! Thanks for sharing.

  62. Thank you so much for this tutorial! This is such a good idea, and it turns out so cute! I’ve just made 4, with cinnamon sticks for the stems, and they were so satisfying to make. My roommate passed away in October of last year, and he was a motorcycle enthusiast and stumbling upon this tutorial reminded me that I still have some of his motorcycle bandanas. It seems so fitting to turn his bandanas into pumpkins, and though it might be odd, I am finding some amount of closure in, well, including him into the holiday in some way, even though he’s not with us anymore. So again, thank you!

    • Sadie Seasongoods says

      I love the idea of making memorial pumpkins from his bandanas! It’s just a lovely idea – I know I’ve had readers do that using my various flannel shirt blog projects, but it never dawned on me that the bandana pumpkins could become a memorial project. Thank you for sharing your plans with me, Erin- it warms my heart!

  63. Se ven hermosas y aunque no soy una experta en la costura, voy a tratar de realizarlas.

Trackbacks

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  5. […] — advertisements — (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Aren’t they adorable?? I think the bandana fabric is just divine, and you can get at least two fabric pumpkins out of each Halloween bandana. That makes this a really affordable Halloween craft project, as well. Full tutorial below. How To Make Halloween Bandana Pumpkins […]

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