Making Yo Yo Covered Papier-mâché Pumpkins

Yo Yo Covered Papier-mâché Pumpkins - pumpkins on antique oak cabinet next to potted orchids

I started this project some time ago when I was completely enamored with making yo yos for all sorts of potential craft projects. I am sharing them now because the yo yos can be a bit time consuming to make, so it is best to begin this project early. These two pumpkins were fun to make and would be a nice additional to your seasonal decor. Even though the fabric is quite Halloween themed, they can be used as a fall decoration and of course, can be made with any fabric choice.

Craft: Yo Yo Covered Papier-mâché Pumpkins

R Barbara
Bronze Post Medal for All Time! 190 Posts

June 9, 2020

Yo Yo Covered Papier-mâché Pumpkins - pumpkins on antique oak cabinet next to potted orchids I started this project some time ago when I was completely enamored with making yo yos for all sorts of potential craft projects. I am sharing them now because the yo yos can be a bit time consuming to make, so it is best to begin this project early. These two pumpkins were fun to make and would be a nice additional to your seasonal decor. Even though the fabric is quite Halloween themed, they can be used as a fall decoration and of course, can be made with any fabric choice.

Total Time: 2+ hours not including the yo yos

Supplies:

various Halloween or fall themed cotton fabric pieces, I used fat quarters
needle
thread
green jut cord
orange acrylic paint
foam or bristle paint brush
clear plastic buttons - I used Favorite Findings icy ICE buttons from JoAnn Fabrics
hot glue gun and refills

Steps:

Make your yo yos, in the size that you choose. The tutorial for making them with and without a plastic yo yo maker can be found here: Making Fabric Yo Yos
Paint the bottom of the pumpkin as you will not cover it with yo yos.

Yo Yo Covered Papier-mâché Pumpkins - painting the bottom of the pumpkin orange using a foam brush

Yo Yo Covered Papier-mâché Pumpkins - painting complete

Wrap the stem with the jute cord. When you reach the top add some hot glue and spiral the jute to cover the top of the stem.

Yo Yo Covered Papier-mâché Pumpkins - beginning to cover the stem with green jute cord

Yo Yo Covered Papier-mâché Pumpkins - looping up the stem

Yo Yo Covered Papier-mâché Pumpkins - view from the top of the stem in process

Yo Yo Covered Papier-mâché Pumpkins - knot and leave a tail

Begin glueing the yo yos to the pumpkin until it is completely covered, except the bottom.

Yo Yo Covered Papier-mâché Pumpkins - begin glueing on the yo yos by circling around the stem and overlapping the yo yos a bit

Yo Yo Covered Papier-mâché Pumpkins - for row 2 overlap the bottom of the yo yo above, as seen from above

Yo Yo Covered Papier-mâché Pumpkins - now place a yo yo over the spaces between the row 2 yo yos

Yo Yo Covered Papier-mâché Pumpkins - continue until the pumpkin is completely covered with yo yos

Yo Yo Covered Papier-mâché Pumpkins - covered

Once the pumpkin was covered with the yo yos I added the clear buttons for a bit of sparkle. I also glued them in place with hot glue.

Yo Yo Covered Papier-mâché Pumpkins - gluing on clear buttons of differing shapes

The second pumpkin was made following the same process, but using smaller yo yos. It was a bit more of a challenge to get the coverage I wanted due to the deeply furrowed shape. Here are photos taken of assembling the second pumpkin.

Yo Yo Covered Papier-mâché Pumpkins - adding last round to the bottom of the taller pumpkin

Some of the buttons used on the second pumpkin were plain with a narrow edge and a noticeable center depression. I had some tiny colored two hole buttons and glued them on these buttons.

Yo Yo Covered Papier-mâché Pumpkins - closeup of one of the tiny buttons in the center of the cupped clear ones, red

They are ready to display.

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