Pumpkins!

I made some awesome pants, super fun mod podged pumpkins. Here's the how I did it:

(*1. There are a lot of pictures. 2. I do not profess to be a good photographer. So I'm sorry if you are and my pictures make you cringe.*) =]

 1. Napkins! I've seen some do with scrapbook paper, but I believe napkins look better.

But maybe it's just an opinion thing, so you can do whatever you want, maybe even fabric!! 

If people can run around naked in public and not go to jail for it, then you can surely pick whatever kind of material you want to cover your pumpkin.

For this pumpkin, I chose this thanksgiving worded package. Napkins with smaller more crowded designs work better than one big design, like one giant pumpkin or leaf on a napkin.

2. Make sure you cut your napkin so the strips are long. Keep it folder for quicker work!

 3. Cut about 1 inch. I don't know why, that's what I was told so that's what I did. But I don't think it matters that much... some of my strips were itty and they worked just fine.

 My cut pieces. 

 My unfolded cut pieces.

(I've included way too many pictures) =]

 4. Wash yer 'kin! I mean, just a rinse to get the mud off... Also...

 5. I say, cut the stem to a bit smaller if it's huge. At the end, a smaller stem looked more pumpkiny then a big one. I used a kitchen knife, which if I lived at home, my mom probably would have killed me for...

 The supplies!! Mod podge, of course, cut up napkins, foam brush, pumpkin! and hot glue gun/glue sticks (which kinda goes without saying. I know you would have figured that you needed glue sticks once I told you you needed a glue gun... Brian Regans Donut Lady, have you heard that one?!) and twine.

 6. Begin! Do a section at a time so your glue doesn't run out. Mod podge the pumpkin a bit then but a few strips up.

 Do that all the way around. My pumpkin was sorta big for this project, so the napkins didn't cover the whole bottom, which I don't mind anyway; no one is going to be looking at my pumpkin's bum!

 Sometimes, the ply will come apart on the napkin. 

 So I just dabbed some glue and put it together

 You may have to put some glue on the tops and bottoms of the strips so the next strip has something to stick to. It's all played by ear, so you'll know what your pumpkin needs.

 Whoop! Now let it dry if you have time. For at least a few minutes. This way it'll prevent the fragile napkin pieces from ripping when you mod podged the top.

 7. Mod podge the top! Be gentle. Too much rubbing in one place will rip it.

 Notice how I'm lifting the pumpkin on it's side to glue the bottom? May not be the best idea...

 The napkins stuck to the counter and starting ripping... So... I started doing it over an edge...

That way you can do the bottom without having to tip it!

 See how gluey it is?

It will dry clear!

 I'm not patient, so I didn't wait till it dried to do the stem. Also, I could have put my napkin pieces closer to the stem so I wouldn't have had so much orange to cover with the twine. 

8. A dab of glue and stick your twine in it. Do that a few times as needed to securely wrap the twine all the way around and up the stem.

 Do a little swirly on top. :D

Done! Well, it's still drying. It doesn't take that long... depending on how much glue you packed on.

 Ta Da! Now it's dry and fun! I love this one. It would be awesome (if a bit smaller) as a Thanksgiving Day Feast table center, thing...

My next project:

 Spray painted pumpkins!

There's a million blogs out there with people doing this. I had this broken 'kin without a stem so I thought I'd try some. LOVE IT! Can't wait to do it with more pumpkins.