Let’s transform Dollar General Store placemats into 3 fabric pumpkins. As the leaves turn golden and the air becomes crisp, there’s one iconic symbol that signifies the arrival of fall more than anything else: pumpkins. If you’re looking to infuse your home with some autumnal charm without spending a fortune, you can easily make these three fabric pumpkins.
In this DIY, we’re about to embark on a creative journey that not only captures the essence of fall but also promises to bring immense happiness into your home.
As we transform Dollar General store placemats into three fabric pumpkins, you’ll discover that crafting is not just a pastime; it’s a source of joy and fulfillment that can brighten up your entire season.
Grab family and friends for a crafting session using our easy-to-follow instructions.
When the session is complete you will have crafted 3 different pumpkins, with a variety of different treatments.
1. Different stems, DIY felt stems or outdoor stems (tree branches or stems)
2. Twine wrapping or no twine wrapping
3. Poly pellet bag or no poly pellet bag
4. Felt patch on the bottom if needed, with a little bit of polyfil under the felt.
5. Place the stems on the cut side or the sewn side
Materials You’ll Need:
Before we delve into the steps, let’s gather all the materials you’ll need for this project:
- Dollar General Store Placemats: You’ll want to choose placemats in fall-inspired colors or patterns. These can be found at Dollar General for just a dollar each, making them a thrifty choice for your crafting needs.
- Needle and Thread: Select a thread that matches the color of your placemats.
- Polyester Fiberfill: This will be used to stuff the pumpkins, giving them that plump and cozy appearance.
- Small Amount Of Polypellets: This will be used to give the largest pumpkin a bit of weight at the bottom..
- Scissors: A good pair of fabric scissors will come in handy for cutting and trimming.
- Felt: You’ll need a small piece of green felt to create the pumpkin stems.
- Felt Stems: The felt stems are easy to craft. You will find a fantastic tutorial here on this Blog. If you are a visual learner, there is a video tutorial as well.
Follow the steps in the free video tutorial below. There is also a textual and photo tutorial that will walk you through the basic steps, below this video.
Step 1: Placemat from the Dollar General Store
Start by laying out your Dollar General store placemats. These placemats often have two distinct sides, so choose the side that you prefer for the exterior of your pumpkins.
Step 2: Using a marker, trace three different circles on the placemat fabric.
I used a 10.5″ dinner plate, a 7″ dessert plate and a bowl. This will give you three different sized circles to make three different sized fabric pumpkins.
Step 3:
Using sharp fabric scissors, cut the circles out.
Step 4: Sewing the Pumpkin Shape
Thread your needle with the chosen thread and sew a running stitch, folding over the edge a 1;4″, along the open edge of the placemat. Once you’ve stitched the entire length, gently pull the thread to gather the fabric, forming a pouch.
Step 5: Stuffing Your Pumpkin
Now it’s time to give your pumpkin its shape. Fill the pouch with polyester fiberfill to your desired level of plumpness. Make sure to shove the polyfil into the sides of the sack. Place a polypellet bag (video @ 16:39 minute mark) in the bottom of the largest pumpkin, before adding the polyfill stuffing.
Learn how to make a polyfil bag by watching this video. Fast forward to the 4:00 minute mark.
When you’re satisfied with the shape, use the needle and thread to close the opening. Go back and forth in an North, South, East and West fashion. When you are satisfied with how your pumpkin looks, tie off the thread securely to keep the stuffing in place.
Step 6: Shape the Pumpkin
Continue to shape and manipulate the stuffing inside the pumpkin, until you are happy with the character of it’s shape. Keep in mind that not all pumpkins are perfectly round. You may want to sew twine around the pumpkin to create dents. The video will show you how execute the twine placement starting at the 16:39 minute mark. Here is a photo tutorial of last years fabric pumpkins, where twine was add. This extra tutorial can be found here on this blog.
Step 7: Adding the Stem
To complete your pumpkin, cut a tree branch or twig or make a felt pumpkin stem to glue at the top of the pumpkin. Here is a youtube tutorial that will show you how to make a felt stem. There is also a photo tutorial on how to make a felt pumpkin stem, here on this blog. Embellishing around the stem of your pumpkin adds a delightful finishing touch to your DIY pumpkin.
Step 8: Time to decorate the pumpkins.
This is where the fun happens. I love to use twine, miniature leaves that can be found at any craft store, wired twine, miniature flowers, lace and beads. I love the embellishment phase. Below is a photo collage of “embellished” fabric pumpkins I have crafted.
Step 9: Decorating your home with Fabric Pumpkins
Arrange your newly created fabric pumpkins on your mantle, dining table, or any other place in your home that could use a touch of autumnal charm. Here is a blog post that shares ideas on how to use pumpkins to decorate your home. These pumpkins will bring warmth and character to your space as the leaves begin to fall.
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This pattern is protected by copyright© Krissys Over The Mountain Crochet 2023. Do not sell, alter or redistribute this pattern in any way or form. You have my permission to sell your finished product, but you are responsible for the finished product. No Mass Production.
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