DIY Fabric Pumpkins Using Recycled Items (Instead of Toilet Paper Rolls)

Last year, we made fabric pumpkins using toilet paper rolls for the "stuffing," but this is 2020 and well, you know, we don't want to waste any t.p.! lol So what's a girl to do to make cute and easy fabric pumpkins? 

Well, I went digging in the trash! You can watch my video on facebook or through on IGTV to see how I used several repurposed items to create the center of my pumpkins. 

Living a ways from town and craft supply stores, avoiding making extra trips to the store, and trying to keep our cost of goods down, we looked around and found ways to stuff our pumpkins, all while recycling and repurposing items. This also went a long with the theme for our repurposing workshop we held in August. There, I had a few pumpkins made and ask attendees to guess what was insides were made of. 

In this example, I used empty spools of ribbon, with just a little bit of polyester stuffing. Using the spool, we saved it from the trash and reduced our need for as much stuffing. I've also used a "naked" softball (I used the skins to make flowers and had the ugly ball left over) and an empty shipping tape spool.

 Look around and see what kind of goods you can repurpose and save from the landfill. In our workshop, one lady even used a wine bottle for the center of the pumpkin with the stem being the neck of the bottle and cork. It turned out really cute! I've even thought about using the empty container of mixed nuts as the center of one. 

 

For our fabric, we cut up a skirt we had purchased at a thrift store. I picked this one for its rich colors and textures. In addition, we used some jute twine, a wooden spool, fringe trim, and a silk sunflower for accents. We like using whatever we can find at hand, so we use random trims, ribbon, lace, twigs, and flowers that are in reach on our work table or tidbits left after other jobs. 

 

These are fun to make and you can create them with a variety of fabrics and trim you have on hand. So look around the house and see what you can use in a new way. You'll feel good making something pretty from something that was headed for the trash! As we say "rescue, recycle, and repurpose!" 

P.S. If you made pumpkins last year, using toilet paper rolls, you've got a hidden stash, just in case you need it ;)