If you love decorating for Halloween but don't love replacing everything on November 1, this DIY fabric pumpkin gives you both seasons in one project. Pair Halloween fabric with a fall floral, plaid, or neutral print to create a stuffed pumpkin you can simply turn around after Halloween.
Even better, this fabric pumpkin tutorial only requires basic sewing, making it an easy afternoon project.
What You'll Need
For one medium pumpkin, gather:
- 2 coordinating woven fabrics, such as quilting cotton
- Polyester fiberfill or other suitable stuffing
- Coordinating thread
- Hand-sewing needle
- Fabric scissors or rotary cutter
- Pins or clips
- Sewing machine
- A small piece of felt or fabric for the stem, or another decorative stem
- Optional: embroidery floss or strong thread for defining the pumpkin sections
For the reversible effect, choose one Halloween print and one fabric that works throughout fall. Think pumpkins and ghosts on one side and plaid, florals, leaves, or warm neutrals on the other.
Step 1: Cut Your Pumpkin Pieces
Create a paper template shaped like a tall, symmetrical leaf or football measuring approximately 10 inches tall by 5 inches wide at its widest point.
Using your template, cut six fabric panels:
- 3 from your Halloween fabric
- 3 from your fall fabric
A ¼-inch seam allowance can be included in the template dimensions. The finished size will vary slightly depending on stuffing and seam accuracy.
Step 2: Arrange the Fabrics
Lay your six panels in an alternating pattern:
Halloween – Fall – Halloween – Fall – Halloween – Fall
Alternating the fabrics creates two different visual personalities depending on which direction you display the finished pumpkin.
Step 3: Sew the Pumpkin Together
Place the first two panels right sides together. Pin along one curved edge and sew using a ¼-inch seam allowance.
Open the pieces and add the next panel, again placing right sides together and sewing along the curved edge.
Continue adding panels one at a time until all six are connected. Finally, join the first and last panels together, but leave approximately 2–3 inches open along the seam for turning and stuffing.
Step 4: Turn and Stuff
Turn the pumpkin right side out through the opening.
Begin adding fiberfill in small amounts, pushing it into each section as you work. Continue until the pumpkin feels full and holds its rounded shape without becoming overly firm.
Hand-stitch the opening closed using a ladder stitch or another secure invisible stitch.
Step 5: Shape Your Pumpkin
To create more defined pumpkin sections, thread a long needle with strong thread or embroidery floss.
Bring the thread through the center of the pumpkin from bottom to top, wrap it around the outside along a seam, and bring it through the center again. Gently tighten until you achieve the indentation you want.
Repeat around the remaining sections and securely knot the thread.
Step 6: Add the Stem
Finish your pumpkin with a small fabric or felt stem. You can roll a rectangle of fabric into a short tube, stitch or glue it securely, and attach it to the pumpkin's center.
Add a fabric leaf, ribbon, or twine if you want a little extra detail.
Halloween Now, Fall Later
Display the pumpkin with the Halloween-dominant side facing forward throughout October. Once Halloween is over, rotate it to feature more of the plaid, floral, or neutral fall fabric for a look that works through Thanksgiving.
It's a simple way to get more use from seasonal fabric—and your handmade décor.
Browse seasonal prints, plaids, florals, and fall fabrics from All About Fabrics to create a combination that works for both sides of the season.