Several years ago, we took a trip to Louisville, Kentucky– for both the antiquing AND the bourbon. While there, I picked up this little vintage truck. And while I planned on decorating him for Christmas, I also wanted to use him in my Fall decor. So, I decided to make some mini pumpkins from felt balls.
Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
Which I did- I made bunches of them and they looked ADORABLE. I took a quick photo and plugged it into this blog post of mine about needle felting.
Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
But I didn’t include any instructions! And no step-by-step photos. Since I’ve received questions about making them over the years, I decided to just start from scratch and write a stand-alone post about them. Because who doesn’t love the idea of a Fall truck with pumpkins at this time of year?
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Crafting with Felt Balls
Now, allow me to back up a bit. When I first published that needle felting post, I actually tried felting the pumpkins from scratch. And I just used wool roving to get the shape- nothing else. So, there was a bit of an evolution when it came to creating my mini pumpkins.
Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
Here’s how it went:
- Felted pumpkin using just wool roving
- Felted pumpkin ball (wool roving) with embroidery floss
- Pre-made wool ball with embroidery floss
Not that I didn’t enjoy the challenge of starting with roving for #1 and #2. But to make as many mini pumpkins as I needed for my truck, I needed a shortcut.
Which I found in this Etsy shop. The specific set of balls that I used in this post is no longer available, but they have tons of individual colors and other sets to choose from. And I paired mine up with some embroidery floss from Michaels.
Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
First, after gathering the felt balls and embroidery floss, I also grabbed my craft scissors and a needle. A sharp needle with a big enough eye to handle embroidery floss.
Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
Next, I cut off a strand of floss (about 16” to 18” long) and double-knotted one end. I then pushed the needle from one side of the ball to the other- effectively from the bottom to the top of my future pumpkin.
Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
And wow, does that look like a cheese ball snack or what? But I assure you it’s a felt ball!
Making Mini Pumpkins for a Toy Truck
Now I could make the “ridges” that would turn the ball into more of a pumpkin shape. Once the knot had been pulled taut against the felt ball, I brough my needle back to the knot and pushed my needle through to the top again.
Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
With the needle exiting from virtually the same spot as it did before, I pulled the embroidery floss tight. This created a pumpkin “ridge” and flattened down the felt ball ever so slightly.
Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
Basically…I did this over and over again. Always pushing the needle from the bottom center, and exiting through the top center. Holding the embroidery floss against the felt ball where I wanted it to lay.
Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
This way I could control the spacing of the ridges. When I created 5 or 6 ridges, I was done with the ‘hard’ part.
Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
Admittedly, the needle can be hard to push through the ball towards the end. Sometimes, I pushed my scissors against it to help. But you might have sore fingers after a while!
Last but not least, I tied a double knot at the top, as close to the pumpkin top as possible. And then I snipped off the floss, leaving a ½” tail or so as a “stem”.
Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
Since I needed an entire truckful of these fellas, I made a second mini pumpkin. And many, many more after that.
Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
Mini Pumpkins from Felt Balls
And so, that’s how I created my vintage Fall truck with pumpkins decor! I just plopped my pumpkins one by one, as I made them, into the bed of the truck. Aren’t they just adorable?
Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
I realize that soft, embroidery floss “stems” might not be good enough for some of you. I thought about snipping off bits of toothpick or small bamboo skewer to glue on. But I decided that floss was good enough for me- especially when I thought about storing the mini pumpkins throughout the rest of the year.
Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
Now, I may still stiffen the “stems” with a little Mod Podge, using my fingers to smooth on the glue. But the jury’s still out- I kind of like their homemade-y, flossy stems as they are.
Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
Either way, I just love the this Fall color palette, with orange, peach, aqua, and cream. Like those heirloom pumpkins you see at this time of year…
Of course, if you want the EASIEST way to outfit an antique toy truck for Fall, then those candy corn pumpkin candies work just fine, as well.
Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
But I have absolutely NO willpower around those things and simply had to create a long-lasting, non-edible alternative.
Anyway, I’m sorry it took me so long to turn this idea into an actual blog post with step-by-step photos and instructions. Think you’ll be making some mini pumpkins for your own toy trucks?
And here’s another felt ball craft idea that is more of a year-round thing. Check out the “string of pearls” succulent I made with some smaller felt balls here.
Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
And for a few more Fall arts and crafts ideas to consider, this collection is a great place to start!
Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
Craft on!
S
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Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
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.
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