How to Make a 3-D Paper Pumpkin
We’re quickly heading into fall and this is possibly my favorite season for crafting and decorating. This year, why not add a few 3-D paper pumpkins? These can easily be made with a child and you can make one of a dozen 3D paper pumpkins to add to your fall decor. You can make them in whatever colors you prefer – I personally have a child who prefers the color blue. Depending on the paper choices, blue pumpkins could look pretty cool.
There’s no template required for the 3D paper pumpkins. You can decide on the size of the pumpkin, so make them as small or as large as your paper allows.
What you need to make 3D Paper Pumpkins:
- Different color paper of your choice If you’re going traditional pumpkins, choose an orange, green for leaves and vines, and a small piece of brown for the stem. If you want to try something sturdier, you could use cardstock.
- Pencil
- A pair of scissors
- Craft glue
- (optional) Markers to outline the leaves
- An object to trace a half circle – think of a can or a bowl. This will also start to determine the size of your pumpkin.
How to make your 3-D Pumpkin:
Step 1: Select your paper you want to use for this 3-D paper pumpkin. Use a round object like a bowl or the bottom of a can to trace a half circle layout. Or, you can trace and cut out half of a pumpkin shape on a piece of paper. Decide what size (how round) you want to make the pumpkin and cut twice that size of papers of each flap. Plan on cutting out at least 16 of your round shape.
Step 2: Take a a sheet of paper and fold it in half. Using your first cut out half circle, place the straight side along the closed side of the folded paper and trace the round edge.
Step 3: Cut out the traced round edge.
Step 4: Cut out at least 16 of these patterns. (Use your first cut out circle as your template to make things easier.)
Step 5: Take any 2 half folded round shapes and apply glue on one of them.
Step 6: Join the 2 folded round papers side by side.
Step 7: Next, connect more folded round papers one after another. Make sure that the straight sides are lined up nicely.
Step 8: Once you’re done attaching all 16 paper patterns, pull the first and the last flaps closer together.
Step 9: Glue the first and the last flaps together. This will form a round shape.
Step 10: Draw and cut out 2 leaves from green paper and a small rectangle shape from brown paper.
Step 11: Roll or coil the small rectangle paper into a pipe shape to make the stem. Attach the leaf cutouts to the top end of the paper pumpkin shape.
Step 12: Attach the stem shape to the top center of the paper pumpkin to complete your 3D Paper Pumpkin craft.
Step 13: (Optional) You can make coiled vine patterns from green strips of paper (wrap strips of green around a pencil to get the coiled look) and add them to the paper pumpkin for an added touch.
I think these could be displayed in a living room or dining room. One of my kids loves to decorate her room with her crafts, so 3d pumpkins could be placed on shelves or even her dresser during fall.
And stay tuned – more fall crafts are coming!
