Foam Decorative Pumpkin

Level of difficulty: Beginner

Instead of carving a real pumpkin, carve a foam pumpkin – it will last for years! Once you master the technique, you can create these cute pumpkins in different sizes. Great for home décor or place settings!

What You'll Need:

Crafters Closet Large Foam Balls, 2 Ct
Crafter's Closet Acrylic Craft Paint, Assorted Yellow/Orange
Crafter's Closet Acrylic Craft Paint, Assorted Brown/Tan
Crafters Closet Acrylic Paint Silver/Green
Crafters Closet Tacky Glue
Crafters Closet Precision Scissors
Crafters Closet Paint Brush Premium, 6ct
White Tissue Paper Sheets
Transparent Tape
Knife
String
Sticks, about 3" long, ½" diameter
Book Pages

Let's Do This!

Step 1:

Wrap string around a 4" foam ball three times to divide the pumpkin into six sections. Tips: Keep the sections unequal so that some sections are skinny and some are fat. This will make the pumpkin look more realistic. Use small pieces of tape at the top and bottom to hold the string in place.

Step 2:

Carve a ‘V’ wedge approximately ½" deep under each of the string guides to create the sections of the pumpkin. Remove the foam wedges after carving. Remove the string once the pumpkin is carved.
Cut ½" off the bottom of the foam ball so that the pumpkin sits flat.

Step 3:

Use your thumbs to press the foam and soften the edges of the sections so that the shape resembles a pumpkin.

Step 4:

Insert a chunky 3" stick into the top of the foam pumpkin to create a stem. You can leave about 1 ½" of the stick exposed at the top.

Step 5:

Using a paint brush, heavily coat and cover the foam pumpkin with tacky glue.

Step 6:

Lay out two sheets of white tissue paper.
Set the foam pumpkin in the center of the tissue paper.
Wrap the tissue paper up and around the pumpkin. Press the tissue paper into the wet glue, making sure to form it into the grooves and around the sections of the pumpkin.
Trim off excess tissue paper around the top of the pumpkin. The tissue paper should end at the base of the stem. Press the cut ends of the tissue paper into the wet glue. Let dry.

Step 7:

Paint the pumpkin orange. Let dry.
Paint the grooves of the pumpkin brown. Let dry.

Step 8:

Cut out two pumpkin leaves from book pages, one large and one small.
Using a paint brush, wet the leaves with water and then apply a small amount of green and brown paint. Let dry.
Paint the edges of the leaves with brown paint. Let dry.