Crafting Lil' Pumpkins

Last Fall, my Aunt A showed me how to make this lil' pumpkin...

It's such a cute little guy in its classic colors of orange and green. This year, I decided to add in a little sparkle and mix up the colors. 

In order to make your own lil' pumpkins, read the instructions below. 

What You Need

• Cardstock paper in the color of  your choice
• Scalloped 1 3/4" punch (OR - use a plain circle punch - OR - draw your own circles using a stencil or jar lid)
• Cinnamon sticks (OR - use a small branch or chenille sticks)
• Glue
• Scissors

I used a 1 3/4" scalloped punch.

Fold each circle in half, right-side to the inside.

Once all the circles are glued together, flatten and snip the bottom edge.

Instructions

1. Punch 8 scalloped circles out of your cardstock (a 6" square is big enough for all 8 1 3/4" circles.)
2. Fold each circle in half with the decorative side on the inside. If using the scalloped punch, make sure you fold in such a way that your rounded edges line up and there are no pointed edges. (See above)
3. Glue the folded-in-half circles together, one at a time until all eight are glued in a stack. Let the glue dry for a few moments.
4. Glue the last two circles together, completing the round pumpkin shape.
5. Flatten the circles and snip off one edge so that your pumpkin will sit flat. (See above)
6. Open back up and gently push a piece of a cinnamon stick in the center of the the pumpkin for the stem.
7. For leaves, you can punch them out with a leaf punch or simply cut a lead shape out like I did. If going for the classic look, use green for the leaves. Otherwise, mix and match for the look you want. Place a dot of glue on the back of the leaf and place it just inside the pumpkin.
8. Extras: I decorated the shimmery orange pumpkin with two amethyst-colored glass beads, tied on to thin beading cord. For the plum pumpkin, I cut leaves in each of the three colors I was working with and attached them to each other with a little brad (an eyelet would also work.) I gently pushed the open bracket into the cinnamon stick. For a curly vine, just cut a thin and long piece of cardstock, twirl it around your finger and glue just inside the pumpkin. 
9. A few ideas for decorating: place your lil' pumpkin(s) in a decorative dish, on your mantle or tucked in and around picture frames. They also make great place card holders for a lovely Fall dinner. Enjoy!