I purchased a 4×4 piece of lumber with the intent to make some sort of fall craft with it. I had the idea of square shaped pumpkins from a little Pinterest inspiration. I hope you enjoy this tutorial of how I made them, and I hope that it helps you come up with ideas of your own.
Here is a list of what you’ll need:
- 3x 4x4s cut down to various staggering heights
- Paint Brushes
- Primer
- Paint Colors of Your Choice
- Sandpaper (Optional)
- Tree Branch
- Hot Glue
- String of Lights (Dollar Tree)
Cut the 4×4 Down to 3 Sizes
The 4×4 sizes can vary depending on how tall or short you want to make your pumpkins. I made mine 6, 8 and 10 inches tall. I had my husband cut them down to size and smooth the edges down in the garage. If you don’t have the garage tools, you can have Home Depot or another home improvement store cut them for you. You’ll want to use sand paper to smooth the wood down for painting.
Add Primer to the Wood
I primed the wood with some thick white paste paint that I had in my craft drawer. It actually adds texture to pieces and it helps you give wood a weathered and old look as well. It’s Coastal brand if you’re interested in giving it a try. You can thin it out with water if you need to, or you can spread it on thick.
Paint On Your Layers
When the primer dries, you can then add as many layers of paint as you’d like. I wanted to give my pumpkins a ragged and primitive look, so I painted on several different paint layers before I added the final orange on top.
Allow your paint layers to dry completely before you paint on another layer. You can get as creative as you’d like with the layers. You may decide to paint your pumpkin all one color or give it a completely different look. It’s all up to your personal preferences. At this point, you could add a clear coat or polyurethane to the pumpkins if you’d like to help protect them from wear and tear.
Glue on Your Stems
To make the pumpkin stems, I cut off an old branch from a pine tree. I then cut the branch down into smaller pieces. Each stem was glued onto a pumpkin with hot glue, but you could also use wood glue or a stronger adhesive if you plan on giving them as gifts or selling them.
Add the Final Touches
After you glue the stems on, you can add the final touches to your pumpkins. I chose to buy this fun light up greenery from the dollar tree. It is bendable and you can wrap it around the pumpkin stems easily. The light has a battery pack so you can turn it on and off with ease. I hung my light back over the back side, but I am going to add a strip of velcro to the back to attach it so there is a clearer look. If you want to give the wood a more rustic look, you can choose to selectively sand paper some spots.
These pumpkins are fun and easy to make. I hope they inspire you to make your own versions. You could use burlap ribbon, add more pumpkins to spell out words like “Fall,” paint on fun jack-o-lantern faces and so much more! Depending on the quality of your pumpkins, you could sell them in craft fairs or online for anywhere around $25 to $30.
