• DIY: Fabric Pumpkin Decor •

How To Craft The Perfect Cinderella Pumpkin;

On a Cinderella Budget.

Are you in quick crunch for some last minute seasonal decor?

Here is something better than a Pumpkin Spice Latte to quench your seasonal cravings, no carving necessary. Cinderella Style Fabric Pumpkins are a super easy and fun DIY!  “Pump-n-Spice” up any space with these adorably cozy cushions. Luckily you can make these Cinderella style pumpkins on a Cinderella style budget!

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• SUPPLIES •

These cushy pumpkins can be made from any spare fabric that you may have laying around the house. Whether it be from a previous project or simply an old sweater… lovingly repurposing clothing is a great way to give it a whole new life! — Quite magical indeed Cinderelly. Now go gather the supplies!

• FABRIC

• SCISSORS

• COTTON BATTING

• NEEDLE & THREAD

• GLUE GUN

• POT LID (or something circular to trace)

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• STEPS •

1. Trace & Cut A Circle From Your Fabric:

   You can do this using a pot lid, like the true innovateure herself. The bigger you cut the circle, the larger your pumpkin will be. Have fun creating multiple sizes and shapes for some variation in your decor.

2. Sew A “Slip Stitch” Around The Circumference Of The Circle:

   Keep about a 1/4” away from the edge— that way you don’t risk ripping the gathered thread through the fabric. Pro Tip: You can keep your thread attached to the spool to ensure that you never run out of thread until finished.

3. Stuff Your Pumpkin:

   Now that you’ve got your slip stitch in place, it’s time to stuff that pumpkin with cotton batting. If you find yourself short, there are plenty of alternatives that you can use! News paper, rice or repurpose an old stuffed animal. Note: If you are aiming for the cinderella style, less stuffing is best to achieve their flatter silhouette.

4. Cinch Your Citrouille (Pumpkin):

   With your pumpkin now stuffed, cinch the two loose threads together by pulling them tightly and creating a gathered hole. Note: DO NOT tie off or rip off your threads yet! You’ll need them for the next step.

5. Create The Cinderella Style:

   Hold your pumpkin in one hand with the hole facing upward. With the attached needle and thread in the other hand, sew through the centre of the pumpkin then wrap the thread around to create segments. Continue to puncture through the centre to create that Cinderella style. When you have achieved your desired shape, tie off that thread or sew a knot in the fabric to finish.

6. Stylish Stems:

   To top off your perfect pumpkin, it’s time to get creative with the stem! I opted for some leftover cork fabric that I had, which I then cut into strips, rolled then glue to the top using the hot glue gun. Note: You can use anything to create the stems— Pipe cleaners, twine, twigs, rubber bands! Get crafty & get creating this Autumn.

Trace a circle then cut.

“Slip Stitch” around the circumference fo your circle, stuff your pumpkin then pull both threads together to cinch.

Get that stuff’n in.

Cinch it like Cinderella’s corset

Sew through the centre of the pumpkin and wrap it back around to create segments. Repeat until you’ve achieved your desired shape.

Decorate your pumpkin as you see fit! Get Creative with the stem.

Now that you’ve got the Bippity Boppity Boo of it all, you can make enough pumpkins to fill an entire patch! (Granted, such a project would be much easier if you did happen to have a joyous army of furry critters to assist you…) Never the less, It’s time to head to the Fall Ball!

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• Styling Your Creations •

Now that you’re knee deep in your custom made pumpkin patch, what do you do with them all?

Styling your pumpkins and working them into your home decor is half of the fun! This DIY craft is truly versatile, especially if you play it smart with your fabric choices. Sticking with neutrals will allow you to place your pumpkins in any space and give an overall “oomph” to your autumnal ambiance. If you chose to work with bolder & brighter patterns, you are sure to have some spirited standout pieces that will really transform a space!

String together your pumpkins with twine or yarn to create a garland. These garlands are perfect for hanging in windows, doorways and make an excellent focal point for your fireplace (then use the spares to really bulk up the mantle.)

Toss all your pumpkins into a complimentary dish and stick them on your dining room table for an exciting centrepiece. Sprawl differing sizes and styles along the table for a graphic effect.

No matter which way you style these adorable little pumpkins they are sure the please <3

• I • WANNA • PINATA •

Smash The Coronavirus. You’ll Feel Better!

This DIY Piñata Is A Fun and Creative Way to Help “Beat” The Coronavirus

The times are in fact, a-changin’. I must admit that the Covid pandemic has proven difficult to navigate. Being a self-employed, single mother naturally comes with it’s own set of challenges. Throw a quarantine into the mix and then suddenly I need to be a teacher and full-time entertainer on top of it all! I have always had a profound respect and admiration for our school teachers and child care providers, however over the past few weeks, that appreciation has grown leaps and bounds. Finding innovative ways to educate Lennon while maintaining her interest (especially while being surrounded by the temptation of her toys…) was quite the conundrum. Upon some reflection, I decided to teach Lennon the best way that I knew how: DIY Crafts!

Learning doesn’t always have to be sit down, do your work, study and memorize. Sometimes learning can be a little more tactile and hands-on. For example: This Coronavirus Piñata that Lennon and I made for her (quarantine) birthday. Let’s call it Chemistry, Science and Art class all mixed into one dynamic lesson! So let’s gather our materials and get ready to get a little messy with this Piñata DIY.

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SUPPLIES

Most of these supplies you will likely already have around your house!!

1. BALLOON

2. PAPER PLATES

3. MASKING TAPE

4. NEWSPAPER

5. WATER

6. BOWL (large enough to hold piñata)

7. TWINE/STRING

8. CANDY

9. GREEN PAINT AND BRUSH

10. GLUE STICK

11. TISSUE PAPER

DIRECTIONS

STEP 1.

Blow up your balloon and tie a knot at the base.

STEP 2.

Cut a paper plate into quarters (pizza shaped pieces).

Step 3.

Roll the paper plate pieces into cones, tape them so they remain in this shape, and cut one-inch strips at the bottom of the cone. 

Step 4.

Flare out the strips and tape them to the balloon.

STEP 5.

Make the paper mache with equal parts water and flour, then mix.

STEP 6.

Tear your newspaper into strips and coat them in the paper mache mixture. Layer them onto your balloon in different directions smoothing out any bubbles.

STEP 7.

Let the paper mache dry overnight. Once dry, cut a small flap in order to put the candy in the pinata. 

STEP 8.

Stuff the pinata with candy!

STEP 9.

Using the twine, tie a knot around the balloon leaving some excess to allow the pinata to hang.

STEP 10.

Paper mache over the twine to keep it in place.

STEP 11.

Paint the pinata using your green paint.

STEP 13.

Roll your tissue paper and stick them into the spikes. Using the end of a paintbrush helps!

STEP 12.

Cut your tissue paper into small squares and glue them onto the pinata.

Step 14.

It’s time to finally get the upper-hand! Here’s Lennon showing the villainous virus what she’s made of! Smash away and retrieve all of the goodies as your reward. Hopefully being a little “batter” will make you feel a little better, about these pandemic vibes.

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That’s it! It’s that simple.

I would love to see if any of you attempt a coronavirus piñata! Share with me in the comment section below your projects and how they turned out.

Thanks for following my blog and I can’t wait to connect with you on my next project!

Stay tuned for more do it yourself projects coming soon as well as a sneak preview of Season 3.

xox

DIY MOM

Finding Inspiration…

Inspiration can come from anywhere at anytime. The internet is a great resource for sparking your creative energies and discovering projects that you may enjoy trying! The case could never be truer than for this project here. Being cooped up in the house all day, I did tend to find myself peering on social media sites more often than usual. But upon stumbling onto this New York Times article and doing a bit more research (as well as taking some creative liberties), I decided that this would be the perfect project to elevate Lennon’s Bday and really make it a SMASH!