Velvet Pumpkins

I finally got a chance to DIY velvet pumpkins and they were easy peasy to make!

I always have love how velvet pumpkins look, but couldn't bring myself to pay the hefty price or one.

This is pumpkin #1 with a real pumpkin stem.

I got the stem at Aldi's last week.  It was the only pumpkin stem at the bottom of the big almost empty box.

Pumpkin #2 with a piece of tree stick from our garden.

 I made the two pumpkins using an old velvet throw pillow that I was very ready to get rid of.  I had saved the pillow to use stuffing/batting in other projects.

Just as a reference as how-to, I watched a couple of YouTube tutorials.

I washed the velvet fabric first and once dried, I used a big kitchen bowl and drew a circle using a Sharpie. 

I did a very simple whip-stitch with heavy thread and needle to gather the round circle.  I then stuffed it using the batting from upcycled throw pillow; gathered the thread tightly and tied it off.  Lastly I used hot glue to affix the pumpkin stem.

Voila!!!

I really like the way the pumpkins turned out, but I really love the one pumpkin with the real stem.

Every time I go to the grocery store, I'm going to try and find more lose stems.

I have one more whitish velvet throw pillow that will follow this same transformation.