Learn how to make a chunky braided yarn pumpkin with this easy tutorial. A fun craft project that requires only a few simple supplies. Use any color yarn to create a pumpkin that matches your fall decor.
Do you love Pottery Barn?
I sure do but sometimes their prices are a bit out of my reach.
Recently, Anne and I were looking for some fall decorating inspiration on the Pottery Barn website and found some great ideas.
We came across these unique braided rope pumpkins that we both really liked.
But the cost…OUCH!
Like we often do we looked at each other and said we can totally make those.
Do you do that as well?
See something you like but don’t want to break the bank so try to make it.
Well, that’s a bit of an inside joke with us because we’re always taking photos of things we like that we want to DIY but we never do.
But this time…we did it.
Well, kinda!
I had leftover yarn from making DIY chunky yarn Christmas trees a couple of years ago that I wanted to use for my pumpkins.
So…I didn’t actually make a dupe of the Pottery Barn braided pumpkin because I used yarn instead of rope.
Let’s just say the PB version inspired me to create my chunky braided yarn pumpkin.
- What Supplies Do You Need to Make a Braided Pumpkin?
- How to Make a Chunky Braided Yarn Pumpkin
- Why Do You Paint Styrofoam Pumpkin
- My Super Easy Tip to Cut Lengths of Yarn Fast
- Step-by-Step Guide to Make a Braid from One Piece of Yarn
- How to Attach Chunky Yarn Braids to Dollar Store Pumpkin
- What Can You Use for Pumpkin Stem
- How to Style Your DIY Pumpkin for Fall
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What Supplies Do You Need to Make a Braided Pumpkin?
You’ll need just a few simple supplies to make this pretty pumpkin.
And you may even have many of the items at home like I did.
I used the same small Styrofoam pumpkin from the Dollar Store that I used when I made my super easy burlap pumpkin a few years ago.
These pumpkins can be used for so many different DIY fall crafts and they’re carvable too.
Here is the list of supplies I used:
- Styrofoam pumpkin
- chunky chenille yarn
- craft paint
- chip paint brush
- hot glue gun
- glue sticks
- scissors
- tape measure
How to Make a Chunky Braided Yarn Pumpkin
The first step you’ll need to do is cut a hole in the top and the bottom of the pumpkin.
I used a serrated kitchen knife and it was really easy to cut a small hole.
Why Do You Paint Styrofoam Pumpkin
As you can see in this photo I forgot to cut a hole in the bottom of my pumpkin before painting it.
So don’t make the same mistake I did and be sure to cut a hole in the bottom beforehand.
Ok now that we all know we need to make a hole in both the top and bottom let’s move on to the next step…painting.
It may not be necessary to paint your pumpkin if you are using orange colored yarn but you’re probably not going to skip this step.
I painted my pumpkin a light tan since I was planning to use an ivory yarn.
By painting the pumpkin beige I won’t have any bright orange peeking through the pieces of yarn.
My Super Easy Tip to Cut Lengths of Yarn Fast
For this size pumpkin you’ll need quite a few yarn braids.
The chunkiness of the yarn you’re using will determine the number of braids needed to cover the entire pumpkin.
I used a jumbo gauge 7 chenille yarn and needed 16 braids to cover my pumpkin.
Normally, making 16 braids would require 48 pieces of yarn, right?
Anne showed me how to make a braid using just one piece of yarn instead of three. Pretty cool!
Before I explain how to braid a single length of yarn, check out this other hack.
If you have several pieces of yarn or string or whatever to cut at the same length, you can measure it out once to save yourself time.
I often cover my table with a piece of kraft paper when I’m working on a craft project to protect the surface.
I measured 38″ from the edge of the table and marked it on the paper.
Then I was quickly able to cut the 16 – 38″ lengths of yarn.
Have you ever used this trick?
Step-by-Step Guide to Make a Braid from One Piece of Yarn
Once all the yarn was cut I started braiding.
This was a little tricky to learn at first but once I figured it out it went fairly quickly.
It took 12 steps to make one braid long enough to go from the top to the bottom of the pumpkin.
Here you can see steps 1-6.
- Step 1 – layout 38″ length of yarn as shown
- Step 2 – take end of yarn on right and tuck under the middle loop
- Step 3 – flip entire piece over
- Step 4 – weave end through loop
- Step 5 – take the outer right side of the loop and pull it over the other side
- Step 6 – weave left end piece through loop
Above you can see steps 7-12.
For each, you will continue to braid as you did the previous steps.
Before you know it you’ll have all of your braids complete and ready to attach to your painted pumpkin.
Next, you’ll really start to see it come together.
How to Attach Chunky Yarn Braids to Dollar Store Pumpkin
As you can see I made another hole in my pumpkin after I the paint dried.
You’ll need a hole in both the top and bottom of the pumpkin so that you can tuck the ends of each braid into the hole.
Using a hot glue gun is the fastest and easiest way to attach the braided yarn.
I put a few drops of hot glue in a line from the top down to the bottom of the pumpkin.
Next, attach one of the completed yarn braids to the pumpkin with the glue.
Then tuck the ends of the braid inside the pumpkin in the holes you made.
Once you have your first braid secured move to the opposite side of the pumpkin to attach the second braid.
By attaching them across from one another as you glue the braids to the pumpkin you’ll ensure they will be straight as you go around.
If you glue the braids next to each as you go around the pattern will become skewed.
Believe me when I recommend gluing pieces opposite rather than next to each other.
What Can You Use for Pumpkin Stem
I like to use a small stick from a broken branch in my backyard as a pumpkin stem.
The branch looks perfect and natural.
You could also use a real pumpkin stem if you’re lucky enough to find one that fell off in a bin at the grocery store or farmers market.
I think I’m going to try and remember to save my pumpkin stems this year for crafting next year.
Another fun idea is to use cinnamon sticks.
Not only are cinnamon sticks a rich autumn color but they smell amazing too!
How to Style Your DIY Pumpkin for Fall
Now that you’ve completed your DIY chunky braided yarn pumpkin where will you style it in your home this fall?
I placed my pumpkin next to a textured vase filled with faux fall grass stems.
And the neutral color scheme is totally my vibe!
I love how the neutral colors look on the dark wood bar cabinet.
The textures of everything from the concrete-looking vase to the chenille yarn to the grass stems look amazing together.
I think I may need to transform a few more Dollar Store pumpkins.
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Sources: styrofoam pumpkins | craft paint | chip paint brush | scissors | chunky chenille yarn | hot glue gun | glue sticks | tape measure |
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