Decorate a Wire Pumpkin Using a Simple Macrame Knot

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Create a beautifully designed wire pumpkin from the dollar store using a simple macrame spiral knot. It's one of the prettiest knots and oh so simple to make! The knot is repeatedly tied around the wire pumpkin to create an amazing look for the Fall season. Perfect to share at our monthly Creative Craft Blog Hop!

Supplies Needed:

Wire Pumpkin - Dollar Tree

Natural Cord - Hobby Lobby 135ft. 4.5mm roll

Yard Stick/Scissors

FabriTac Fabric Glue

Let's start with a wire pumpkin from the Dollar Tree - that is, if you're lucky to find one. I went to three before I was able to get one. And then, only after asking. An employee was holding ten for herself and offered to give me one. Gee, thanks a lot!

But before we get started with actually tying the spiral knots, you need to figure how much cording you will need for each inside curved wire. 

You don't want to run out of cord before you finish. Unfortunately, deciding how much you need is not an exact science. Lots of variables are involved. Like the size and thickness of the cord and what you want to make. 
There are many videos on how to determine how much you will need. Some involving math and estimations. I will go with what I call guesstimating. Ha! I liked one tutorial that said to use 4-6 times the length of the project, or area in my case, and then double that amount. Whew! I think this was the worst part. So I measured the length of one of the inside curved wires and got a little over 14" so I rounded it off to 15 inches.  Then multiplied that by 5 (between 4-6 right!) and got 75". I doubled that (75) to 150 inches for what I needed. So I got out my yard stick (36" long) and measured the cord for each wire curve 4 times (36"x4=144") - the length of the yard stick four times plus 6 inches to equal 150 inches. 

Thankfully, I am using a roll of natural cord I got from Hobby Lobby. It had 135 feet of cord. There was more than enough to cover the entire wire pumpkin with spiral knots, including wrapping the stem with a back and forth design.

To Make the Spiral Knot:
The inside curved wires will be covered first and then the outside wire frame will be tied last with what's left. Normally, three cords are used, but in this case, the wire is used as the center cord with a left side cord and a right side cord. And the knot is always tied in the same direction creating the spiral look. 
  
Let's start by attaching the cord (150") to the pumpkin wire by folding it in half and placing the middle of the folded cord at the back of the first inside curved wire. Then tie the cord in a simple knot around the wire and push it all the way up to the top.

Next, pick up the left cord and make an "L" shape across the wire and under the right cord.

Then take the right cord under the wire and over the left cord (L shape) and out.  

Pull the right and left cords with the wire in the center to complete the first half knot.

Repeat tying this knot over and over making sure you are always tying the half knot in the same direction to create the spiral design. 

Relax and binge-watch a movie while tying the spiral knots like I did.

I discovered that if you twist the spiral knots, a somewhat new look will emerge with the spirals closer together for a chunky design. And I like that look for the pumpkin!

 Continue tying the spiral knots along each curved wire .  .  .

until all the curved wires are covered. Tie the ends of the cord for each wire into a final single knot at the back, sealing with fabric glue and let dry. Cut off excess cord.

Then start tying the outer frame just below the stem where it dips, the same as before with a folded cord .  .  .

moving around towards the left .  .  .

then down and around .  .  .

and up and over. When reaching the stem, wrap the stem tip vertically and then the sides horizontally, tying in a single knot in back. Add glue to the knot to seal  - let dry and cut off excess cord .  .  .

for a cool decorative look! Both front  .  .  .

and back!

Don't you just love how this look!  Either plain .  .  .

or with embellishments!

Welcome to another Creative Craft Blog Hop created by 

Chloe @ Celebrate & Decorate and Andrea @ Design Morsels!  I've teamed up with a talented group of creative bloggers to bring you lots of wonderful ideas and inspirations! 

Have fun and get inspired by all of the wonderful creations this month by clicking on the links below!

If you're hopping along this blog hop, I hope you enjoyed Jenna's Painted Pumpkin Crate @The Painted Apron!  Your next stop is Carol @Bluesky At Home sharing her adorable Dollar Tree Fall Yard Art!

Celebrate and Decorate   |  Design Morsels

My Thrift Store Addiction   |  Debbees Buzz

My Family Thyme  |  White Arrows Home

Home Is Where The Boat Is  |  Chas' Crazy Creations

B4andAfters  |  The Painted Apron

Purple Hues And Me |  Bluesky At Home

Zucchini Sisters  |  My Hubbard Home

Birdz Of A Feather

Pumpkin Design Candle Holder

 It's that time again for our monthly Thrift Store Upcycle Challenge, hosted by Angela @ Simply Beautiful by Angela! Here, a group of creative bloggers come together to share their lovely transformations of a thrift store item.

Our Thrift Store Upcycle group of bloggers is looking to expand -- and we need your help! Why not consider joining in our thrift store upcycle challenge on the last Thursday of each month? Make some friends while having fun and share your love of DIY with the world. It’s a win-win! Sound like something you’d be interested in? Just leave a comment at the end of this post with your contact info and a link to your blog. Someone will get back to you right away. We can’t wait to meet you!

The Rules:

• Upcycle an item(s) from a thrift store, resale store, or garage sale into a new piece of decor.
• There's no monthly theme.
• There's no budget to stick to.

Meet the Hosts

Angela | Simply Beautiful By Angela

Beverly | Across the Blvd

Gail | Purple Hues and Me

Allyson | Southern Sunflowers

Marci | Stone Cottage Adventures

Kathleen | Our Hopeful Home

You can find lots and lots of  tchotchkes or knick knacks  in thrift stores.   They're fun to use in decorative settings for just about any season. And I always try to pick up a few each time I'm there. Halloween items are quite popular and plentiful - some quite unique. Take this metal candle holder. It has a rusty finish, but can you see the outline of pumpkins around it? How cool is that - and for a sweet price of 50 cents, too!

To get rid of the residue from rusty metal, wash to remove any dirt and grime. Then spray on a paint + primer like Rustoleum Painter's Touch Ultra Cover. It's an indoor-outdoor spray paint that bonds to wood, metal, plastic and more! 

Once the primer paint was dry, I painted the pumpkin lines with a bright orange multi-purpose acrylic paint. Please excuse the uneven lines. I'm a terrible painter!

What a fun way to update a rusty thrift store piece.

Let's make a decorative decoupage candle to use with the newly updated thrift store candle holder:

Begin by measuring the napkin around the candle and cut out a a piece big enough to wrap the candle. Try wrapping the napkin around the candle to see how the pattern fits. Then cut off any excess napkin paper. 
Next separate the top printed layer from the plain layers. I got this napkin from Target last year. It has only one plain layer to remove.

Because the candle is curved, it's best to apply the napkin in sections to prevent unnecessary wrinkles. Do this by applying a thin layer of Mod Podge using a soft bristle brush over a small portion of the sides of the candle. Place the edge of the paper napkin over the MP, making sure to keep the napkin straight and even. Gently smooth down with hand. 

 Continue applying Mod Podge around the candle and smoothing out sections of the napkin on top .  .  .

 until the candle is completely covered with the napkin.

 Use a plastic baggy or plastic wrap to smooth out any wrinkles on top and let dry.

 Then coat with a layer of Mod Podge to seal and let dry completely.

It's all about the pumpkins!

Candles like this one with decoupaged napkins are decorative and should not be burned. In addition, while Mod Podge is not flammable, items like paper napkins used with this glue may be. However, there is a trick if you want to "burn" your decorated candle.  You can burn thick decoupage candles - by burning until a small well is formed. You'll notice that thick candles burn inside without heating the outer surface too much. But please don't leave them unattended in any event.

And now for more thrifty goodness!

Check out what my fellow upcyclers created below!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

DIY Decoupage Chinoiserie Ginger Jar with Lid

Michelle @Our Crafty Mom created the group - All Things Dollar Store - on FaceBook back in July and hosted a giveaway for the members. She created a fun craft challenge using chinoiserie napkins she provided to the winners.

The entry requirements were:

1. The first 15 people to invite another crafty friend to join the group, (the friend must join) will receive 4 of these gorgeous napkins in the mail from her. 
2. Complete your own vase and share a finished photo with the group that will be pinned to our Dollar Store Pinterest Group Board, and possibly shared on Facebook and Instagram.. All you need to make the vase are the 4 napkins and 3 Dollar Tree supplies.

I was one of the lucky ones to receive these goodies from Michelle! And I made a decoupage chinoiserie ginger jar with lid out of them. It was fun using as many items I could get from the dollar store to make this. If you'd like to make one too, here's how -  

You will need:

Glass Vase (Dollar Tree)

White Acrylic Paint (Dollar Tree)

Chinoiserie Napkins

Mod Podge (Dollar Tree)
Scissors/Craft Knife
Plastic Cling Wrap (Dollar Tree) 

Paint/Foam Brush (Dollar Tree)

Styrofoam Ball

Cardboard

Twine (Dollar Store)
Wood Ball (Handle)
DAP Multi-Purpose Adhesive

Let's begin by wiping down a clean vase with alcohol to remove any grease or oil and let dry.

Then paint the vase using white acrylic paint and a sponge brush from the dollar store. Dollar Tree recently increased it's available craft items and there's a wonderful selection to choose from.

The napkin has an adorable border around the design which I cut out to use later.

Next, start tearing out large areas of the napkins to use - and tearing off the hard edges created by the scissors. I like to have feathered edges instead of straight ones when I decoupage. They blend in much better and the edges are not as defined as the straight edges when dry. 

Then separate the layers of the napkin, in this case, two white layers, revealing  the printed side.

Next, apply a thin layer of Mod Podge to small areas of the vase and lay the napkin down on top, smoothing out in sections because of the roundness of the vase. Use plastic wrap to smooth out any wrinkles before applying Mod Podge to the top of the napkin. A wet napkin tends to lift up or tear if smoothed out with plastic wrap.

Continue adding sections of the printed napkin layer to the vase in the same manner as before  .  .  .

until the vase is completely covered. Fill in spaces with additional pieces of napkin designs using the same method, as before. And be sure to smooth out any wrinkles using plastic wrap before adding Mod Podge on top of the napkin.  Let dry and then add a layer of Mod Podge to the entire napkin area to seal and let dry.

To Make The Lid: Place a 3-4" styrofoam ball into the open area of the vase that fits and sits evenly without falling through. Draw a line around the ball using the edge of the vase as a guide. Using a craft knife, cut the ball in half at the line mark.

Decoupaging a styrofoam ball or even a half a ball completely with a napkin can be tricky. What I tried worked for me - but as I've discovered decoupaging different items, certain techniques don't always work. Sometimes, I amaze myself that it actually worked and other times, I've failed big time. The best part with napkin decoupage, most times you can just soak it in water to remove and start over. 

I found a round flat top that was a couple of inches larger than the styrofoam ball to use as a template for a circle to cut out of the napkin. Then fold the circle into four parts and cut out along the folds. Separate the layers to use the printed sides.

Next, cut slits in the bottom of the triangles so the edges would lay flat and not make more creases when adding the MP. 

Then apply a thin layer of MP and smooth out the napkin piece over the area.

Next, matched up the next napkin piece and continued as before with the other  pieces until the area is covered completely and relatively smooth.

Remember the napkin border I cut out in the beginning? Trim it to fit the area around the bottom of the dome and apply with Mod Podge. 

I'm loving the look, but I need to add a lip to the top for a more traditional ginger jar look! To do this, make a template out of thin cardboard .  .  .

and paint white. Since the sides of the cardboard circle was open corrugated, I glued on twine around the edges thinking it would smooth out the sides of the lip  .  .  .

            but that was a big mistake. 

The twine became hard and bumpy and caused the napkin to look uneven around the edges after gluing the napkin on with MP. I continued assembling the lid, though - attaching the dome shape to the lip using a multi-purpose adhesive.

Paint a small wooden ball white and decoupage the same way as the dome .  .  .

and glue it on top, completing the look!

Thanks for stopping by

and take a little time to enjoy,

Happy Dollar Store Crafting!