Crafting Homemade Paper Pumpkins: An Enjoyable Autumn Art Project for Children
Crafting a 3D paper pumpkin is an easy and enjoyable activity for families to do together during the autumn season. This craft has been a favourite of many families, including the author's, who often created these pumpkins during fall with the author's mother, who used to teach preschool.
To make your own paper pumpkin, you'll need the following supplies: orange construction paper, Glue Dots, pipe cleaners (brown and green), a hole punch, paper cutter or scissors and ruler, and a pencil. You can find the paper for the 3D pumpkin at hobby shops, art supply stores, or online retailers that sell craft paper or specialty papers suitable for papercraft projects. Construction paper from Dollar Tree is recommended, but other materials like scrapbook paper, card stock, or cardboard can also be used.
The crafting process is simple and straightforward, consisting of four steps:
- Cut eight strips of paper 12" x 1.25" wide using a paper cutter and scissors or ruler.
- Longer paper strips are created by taping together two shorter strips with Glue Dots, overlapping an inch or so. This is repeated four times.
- The long paper strips are then taped together in pairs to form a plus (+) symbol. This is repeated to create two sets of plus symbols.
- Bring the paper strips to the center and attach using Glue Dots, with the holes matching up to form the pumpkin shape.
Once the pumpkin shape is formed, it's time to add the stem. Fold a brown and green pipe cleaner in half, twist the bottom, bend to make a hook, and insert it into the hole at the top of the pumpkin. The green pipe cleaner ends are then wrapped around a pencil to create leaves. To give the stem a more voluminous appearance, fold the green pipe cleaners down away from the brown, twist them around a pencil or pen, and then pull them up to 'poof' it.
Your paper pumpkin is now complete and ready for display! The paper pumpkins can stay out on display from autumn to Thanksgiving, adding a touch of spooktacular charm to your home.
If you enjoyed making the paper pumpkin craft, you might also enjoy other autumn crafts like Pumpkin Crafts for Kids: 30+ Easy Crafts, Halloween Perler Beads (50+ Free Patterns!), These Halloween Paper Crafts Are Spooky Fun, and Festive Fall Leaf Crafts the Family Will Love. A printable how-to card for the paper pumpkin craft is available below, making it easy to create this craft again and again. Happy crafting!
