Yarn Pumpkins and Super Soft Hands

Last week I had all the kiddos home for Fall break.  While the boys were out with friends, the girls and I decided a Fall craft was in order!  As luck would have it, we had everything on hand for what I thought would be a quick and simple craft…*You’ll also need a branch or piece of wood for the stem, some paint brushes, and twinkle lights (or a candle) to light those babies up!

Step 1: Blow up your balloons!So far, so good.  We wanted a variety of pumpkins, so we filled our balloons up with various amounts of air.Step 2: Play with the balloons a bit, maybe even toss them in the air a few times.Step 3: Cover the balloons with clear-drying school glue.  Now this is where things began to get a bit messy.  And when I say a bit, I actually mean SUPER DUPER .  I was thankful for the plastic table cloth I’d laid down, but was definitely wishing we’d worn gloves!  I also realized through trial and error, that a THIN coat of glue was best.

Step 4: Begin wrapping your yarn around the glue-covered balloons.This part definitely was a little tricky and to be honest, I about called the whole thing quits.  In fact, Tess gave up entirely and left to pick dried glue off various parts of her body.

With some persistence and a tad bit of insanity, Macie and I persisted. We discovered the best way to get started was to wrap the yarn in the same direction over and over until very secure (below left) and then repeat going the opposite direction (below right).Step 5: After getting your “cross” base of yarn in place, continue to wrap, wrap, and wrap some more, in various directions until the whole balloon is covered in yarn!Step 6: Tie off the yarn, add another layer of glue, and hang them to dry!We let our balloons dry for a few days, but I think 24 hours is plenty of time.  When they’re dry, simply pop the balloons and pull those suckers out.

Step 7: Do not panic at the shear hideousness left behind…Step 8:  Remove (with scissors, knife, fingers, whatever you’ve got) any bits of visible glue.  Since we were a bit heavy handed with the glue, we had a lot of picking to do!  At this point, you can also shape your pumpkin a bit and work a small opening in the top.Step 9: Add a stem, branch, leaves, whatever you desire, to the top of your pumpkin!Step 10: Add small battery-powered votives or twinkle lights for a little ambiance!And you’re done!  Not only do you have some adorable fall decorations (which cost next to nothing to make)…

…your hands will also be silky smooth from picking off glue.  Win-win!

In all seriousness, this was a bit harder than I thought it would be and definitely a craft for older kids.  If you’re not careful, this could for sure be major fail!  Just remember to go easy on the glue and only make one or two! Happy crafting and Happy Fall!

*I have been obsessed with THESE tiny little battery-powered fairy lights I found on Amazon!  They fit perfect inside the yarn pumpkins and look SO cute at night!  I’ve also used them in glass vases and various places in our home!