It's FALL y'all!

OK, I am not from the south....

 but that is just way too much fun too SAY!



Fall decorating ......pumpkin towers! 

 

Make your own pumpkin towers with craft pumpkins.....cute!



Look at those pesky mice....EEK!

I made my pumpkin towers out of CRAFT pumpkins this year instead of real ones. So next year I just need to take them out of storage......sweet! I also love the Martha Stewart mice I added this year.

Maybe they will frighten the real ones away!

Read on to learn how to make these polka dot pumkin towers yourself. I added some photos I took as I went along for reference.

Supplies:

2 white foam craft pumpkins (Michaels)

2 orange taller craft pumpkins (Michaels)

I/2 inch diameter dowel (from Michaels) I bought the same time as my pumkins to be sure it would be long enough to go through both of them, have a about a foot below them for anchoring in soil and and at least 2 inches on top for tying ribbons onto.

Black acrylic paint

Spray satin clear sealer

Sponge applicator

CTMH 1 1/4" punch

Small piece of cardstock to punch stencil for circle

Power drill using 1/2 inch drill bit

Polka Dot Stencil Supplies

Drill holes in the top and bottom of all pumpkins.

Prepare the circle stencil by punching a hole using the craft punch and cardstock. I sealed the stencil with the spray sealer on both sides to stiffen it and make it water resistant.

Squirt black paint onto a paper plate. 

I just held the stencil with one hand as I sponged the stencil with the other.

Wipe off any mistakes with damp paper towel right away. 

I wiped off the stencil on a dry paper towel between each polka dot to prevent smearing.

I stenciled in a triangular pattern and in sections from top to bottom. I had to wait

 for my paint to dry.

My paint had a metallic component and it took an hour to dry.....forever!  That was frustrating to wait for it to dry so I could paint down and around the pumpkin. Once dry:

I speared my dry pumpkins and took them outside to spray the spotted ones with a clear satin sealer and dry. It dried quickly.

I also painted the top of the dowel sticking out of the top pumpkin black and sealed it also. I recommend sealing the entire dowel because you will insert it into soil and it may prevent decay from the soil.



Paint the top of the dowel black and tie ribbons on

Last year I used real pumpkins and had a bigger white one on the bottom and a small orange one up top- I flip flopped it this year. Either way it looks good. 

I also had purchased a couple metal monograms from Hobby Lobby last year and thought they looked great on the pumpkins. I love the bows too.

 

Pumpkin Towers from Craft Pumkins? Yes please



 Use what ever kind and color of ribbon you want. I used 3 rolls from Michaels; lime green sparkle, spooky purple sparkle and the wired black with silver dots for the bow on top.

I almost ran out and got another roll of the black to make streamers coming down but I was just too lazy. Next time I drive by, I think I will pick some up  and add streamers. It is wired ribbon so I think that will be a nice touch. 

I made the big bow by just looping ribbon and tying it with floral wire then fanning it out and poufing it up. There are a million you tube tutorials on this.

One roll was just enough for 2 bows.

I used the black planters I had my summer plants in and placed a large silk fall leaves candle ring in the middle and then inserted the dowel and pumpkins all the way in, so they were firmly anchored.

If you make these I hope you post a link to photos because I would love to see your take on them. Really so many different things you can do with these. The best thing? Next year you just pull them out and if you want to switch up the ribbons- thats all the work you have to do. Ta da!