How to Make Stuffed Fabric Pumpkins

This simple tutorial for how to make stuffed fabric pumpkins can be used to make pumpkins to go with any decor. It’s so easy that even a beginner can finish a beautiful project.

This fabric pumpkin is really so, so easy. You’ll want to make a whole pumpkin patch.

You just need a few supplies to make this fun project.

Supplies

Fabric
Scissors
Needle
Thread
Poly-fil
Hot glue gun
Hot glue sticks
Dowel, tree branch, faux pumpkin stems, or dried pumpkin stem

For your stem, you have a few choices.

You can do a piece of dowel if you want straight stems.

You can do a piece of a tree branch if you want it to have a little more character.

Or you can use actual pumpkin stems. This is what I used. I bought them from ebay.

When they got here I sprayed them with a matte sealer to just seal them really good and hopefully make them last longer. You could also use Mod Podge.

How to make a fabric pumpkin

The first thing you want to do is decide how big you want your pumpkin. I did roughly a 10-inch circle for this pumpkin. So I took a piece of fabric and cut a 10-inch square.

I folded it into fourths.

Then, holding it by the folded center, I used my scissors to cut the open corners off to create a rounded edge.

It does not have to be exact. Don’t stress yourself out over this you just want a rounded piece of fabric. Perfect circles need not apply.

Next, cut a long piece of thread. Fold it in half and thread the needle so that the loop created by the fold is at the end of the tail.

Take your needle and thread and you’re going to do a running stitch around the edge of the fabric. Again, it does not mean to be exact.

I think my stitches were probably about half an inch. This is going to be gathered so you’re never going to see them.

Once you get around the circle, go through the loop at the tail end of the thread and start to gather your stitches.

This is going to make a little pocket with your fabric. Once you’ve gathered it so it’s only open a few inches you want to start putting stuffing inside.

However much polyfill you put in will determine how firm your pumpkin is. More polyfill equals more firm. Less polyfill equals more squishy.

Once you are done filling it up, pull the thread to close the circle all the way. Throw a couple of stitches into it to keep it closed.

Then I like to squish the middle of the pumpkin where the gather is, down to the center of the bottom. I do a couple of stitches up and down through the center of the pumpkin.

This pulls it into more of a pumpkin shape. Instead of just a ball.

Tie off your stitches and you’re done. All that’s left to do is add your stem.

I just hot glue to a pumpkin stem to my pumpkin I think it turned out awesome.

You can do it with any kind of fabric including cotton, jersey, upholstery, burlap, it’s up to you.

Don’t forget to make it some friends to hang out with around the fireplace.

If you want to see how I make it, I have a video below.

Want more autumn crafts and decor? Check out my other fall posts.