DIY Paper Mache Pumpkin Centerpiece

 

When it comes to hosting fall gatherings and parties with family and friends it's a known tradition to create a table centerpiece for the occasion! We all love to dress up a table with a dramatic centerpiece especially for entertaining! It's a given! And this time of year it's usually done using pumpkins. Carving a pumpkin has been a time honored tradition for centuries! But the tradition has evolved into  more modern ways to decorate - especially using faux pumpkins - where you don't have to worry about making a gooey mess, pests or decay. So today, I'm showing you how to swap out your traditional vase for a more creative designed vase for a more unique fall centerpiece! Perfect for this month's theme on Tradition for our monthly Sustainable Craft Challenge that's hosted by Julie @Sum of their Stories! 

This challenge is all about sustainable crafting! Each month is themed and all projects must have some sort of a sustainable element to them. This could be an upcycling or recycling element, or something that reduces waste, uses leftovers, etc. 

 

 How you decorate a pumpkin is virtually unlimited. There are so many ways!  For a unique fall centerpiece, rather than settle for a traditional vase, tap into your creativity and make one out of an unfinished paper mache pumpkin - a tall one at that! Then draw a decorative scallop design around the top, and follow the lines using a craft knife, cutting off the top. A bold move would be to enhance the pumpkin by painting it a metallic gold! Sounds cool, doesn't it! But there's so much more to creating a lovely fall centerpiece! So let's get started!

Materials:

• Paper Mache Pumpkin - 14.5" tall
• Top (or a small round object to draw on scallop design)
• Pencil
• Craft knife
• Rustoleum Metallic Gold spray paint
• Velvet ribbon 2.5"wide
• Scissors
• Aileene's Tacky Glue
• Leaf template
• Floral stem wire
• StarBond Instant Adhesive
• Parchment paper
• Small rocks/or glass
• Velvet pumpkin stems
• Fall Florals

Pumpkin decorations make beautiful fall centerpieces! Luckily, I had everything I needed in my stash! The paper mache pumpkin was left over from a few years ago. I had gotten two from FactoryDirectCraft - one I decorated here, but I had no idea what I would do with the second one, until now!

Begin by using a top from a small container to draw scallop shapes around the pumpkin to remove the pumpkin top.  

Use a craft (x-acto) knife to carefully cut the top out .  .  .

creating a cool opening for the vase with a decorative look for the top.

Once the top was removed, spray painted both pieces (outside) using a metallic gold color. - sorry, I completely forgot to take a picture. It was extremely hot outside and I didn't want to be out there for long.

While the paint was drying I cut up ribbon strips following the design of the velvet ribbon. Once the pumpkin was dry, I applied tacky glue to the crevices of the pumpkin - one at a time - and .  .  .

laid a strip of ribbon on top of the glue, starting at the bottom up to the top, while smoothing the strip down along the pumpkin. 

Continue applying tacky glue in the pumpkin crevices and laying down the ribbon strips - nine in all - until .  .  .

all the pumpkin crevices are cover with strips of velvet and glitter ribbon for a decorative look!  Unexpected and quite charming, gluing strips of sparkly gold & purple velvet ribbon is a unique way to decorate a pumpkin vase centerpiece.

To compliment the ribbon strips and the small velvet pumpkin stems used in the vase, make velvet leaves out of the ribbon using a leaf template found online,

Laying the template on top of the velvet ribbon and .  .  .

cutting the leaf out.

Doesn't this look so cool for a leaf! The design and colors!

Now make several more!

Add Starbond Instant Adhesive, a quick dry glue, along the middle back of the leaf to add stem wire to make the leaves flexible - shaping as you like!

Cover with parchment paper to smooth the stem wire down onto the adhesive. Let dry.

Then shape to your liking!

Here I added three leaves to a stem wire and covered the wire with cutoff ribbon edges.

                  

Have fun adding fall florals to create a lovely centerpiece! 

This fall centerpiece idea trades traditional orange, yellow and reds tone for purple, burgundy and gold hues for a dramatic bold look! And of course, I had to tie a bow ribbon to the top!

You know I'm loving this look and hope you do too!

Be sure to check out all the Tradition Sustainable Crafts projects listed below:

Julie |  Sum of Their Stories | Vintage Doily Afternoon Tea Embroidery Upcycle

Terri | Our Good Life | Halloween Scenes on Thrift Store Paintings

Gail | Purple Hues and Me | DIY Paper Mache Pumpkin Centerpiece

Mel | Decor Craft Design | DIY Halloween Haunted House Sign

Jo | A Rose Tinted World | DIY Halloween Bowling Game

Shelly | Mimi-A Great Name for Grandma | DIY Bubbling Cauldron