How to Make Chenille Bump Pumpkins ~ An Autumn Craft Tutorial

Create delightful and oh-so-soft chenille bump pumpkins using just petite chenille bumps, spun cotton apples as a base to build on, velvet leaves, plus glue and a little paint. These plush pumpkins make lovely additions to both classic Halloween decor as well as autumn displays. Go classic and make a few in traditional orange, or spice up the patch with brown, black, white, antique white and fuchsia. Finished pumpkins are about 2" wide.

Supply List:

Petite 2-1/2" Bump Chenille (1 pumpkin requires 15 bumps ~ 1 yard of bumps)

Spun Cotton Apples SC016

Velvet Leaves like NLC127, NLC128, or NLC129

Dresden Stars #DF2088

Aleene's Tacky Glue

Scissors

Toothpicks

Paint Brushes

Paints (Orange, Black, Brown, Magenta -- colors to match the chenille bumps)

Pipe Cleaners or Skewers (to hold spun cotton while painting)

Step 1: Paint Spun Cotton

Paint the mid-section of each apple in a color similar to the chenille bumps it will later receive. Leave an area unpainted at the top of the apple -- about 3/8" out from the center hole all the way around. Leave an unpainted area on the bottom -- about 1/2" in diameter. These unpainted areas will be glue areas later. Let dry. Place a toothpick into the hole to ensure it will stay free of glue and not be covered by any bumps.

Step 2: Prepare Chenille Bumps

It requires 15 bumps to make 1 pumpkin. Cut 15 bumps into individual pieces. Bend each into a C shape. We will further bend and adjust each bump individually before glueing.

Step 3: Apply First Three Bumps

The first three bumps will segment the spun cotton into thirds.

Determine the fit and placement of the first bump by placing it onto the spun cotton. It should fit up against the toothpick (the center) on the top and be well centered on the bottom. You will likely need to trim very small pieces from both ends of the bump to perfect the fit. We suggest trimming about 1/16" off at a time -- you can trim further but you can't add material back on.

Your bump should be bent so it will practically hold itself in place on the spun cotton -- think of the C shape as bending inward and gripping at both top and bottom.

When pleased with the fit, apply 2-3 drops of glue on top in the white area and on the bottom in the white area. Place the bump cleanly in the glue and let set up.

Determine fit of second bump using the same technique. Glue bump at a 120 degree angle from first bump. Let glue set up.

Determine fit of third bump. Glue bump at 120 degree angle from first and second bump. Bump placement is shown below center right and right.

Twist toothpick to keep top hole free of any glue and avoid accidentally glueing the toothpick in place.

Let all glue dry before continuing.

Step 4: Apply Four Bumps to First Section

Using the same techniques as above (fitting and trimming before glueing), determine fit and placement of next bump. Glue it alongside the right bump as shown below left.

Determine fit and placement of next bump. Glue it in the center of the open area as shown below center left.

Determine fit and placement of next bump. Glue it in the area between the last two bumps as shown below center right.

Determine fit and placement of next bump. Glue it in the last open area in this section as shown below right.

Twist toothpick to keep top hole free.

Let all glue dry before continuing.

Step 5: Apply Remaining Bumps

Using the same bump placement order as in Step 4 above, apply four more bumps to the next section. Twist toothpick to keep hole free. Let all glue dry before continuing.

Apply remaining 4 bumps to last segment. Twist toothpick and let all glue dry before continuing.

Step 6: Glue Dresden Star to Blossom End (Bottom)

Glue a Dresden star to the bottom of the pumpkin at center. The Dresden star will hide the area where the bumps all come together and act as the blossom remnant. Let dry.

Step 7: Add Leaves and Tendrils

To add two leaves, twist together about 1/2" to 3/4" of stems. Leaves can be staggered slightly as shown above right.

Bend twisted area tightly together, as shown below left, to allow it to fit in the top hole. Wrap loose wired ends around a thin paint brush handle to make curled tendrils. Glue in place and let dry.

Variations:

Leaves can dress up your pumpkins in scores of ways. Between combining mixed leaf shapes and shades to pairing them with different chenille colors, you can create something inspired by nature or something completely fantasy. Here are a few of our favorites below.

Tips and Notes:

-- The unpainted areas on top and bottom allow the glue to adhere better to the spun cotton and form a stronger bond with the chenille bumps.

-- It's important to let the glue dry completely at each stage of adding the chenille bumps. This allows us to hold the pumpkin as we add more bumps without the worry of dislodging anything. If you're making several pumpkins at once, you can work on others simultaneously as glue dries.

-- Twist that toothpick! We really can't stress this enough. That top hole needs to stay freed up for leaves.

-- Once all bumps have been applied and glue has dried, you can gently squeeze the pumpkin in your hands to lightly shape it. Since the bumps are glued just at the top and bottom, the curved parts will flex a little and shaping the pumpkin can give it a refined silhouette and added charm.

-- Turn your pumpkins into ornaments by adding a twisted wire hanger into the top hole. Or add a double-twisted loop at the top and slide a name card in between the wires. A set of brown pumpkins would be a delightful addition to place settings at Thanksgiving.

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