Country Living Inspired Découpage Pumpkins

I am really excited about my latest project…my Country Living inspired découpage pumpkins! I knew this would be my next project when I spied…

  …this on the cover of their latest issue! Isn’t this simply gorgeous?  I love the way the pumpkins look as though they have been covered with fabric even though it is actually paper!  Sooo...the magazine hopped in my cart and went straight home with me! Next, I went right to work assembling what I needed. And, as luck would have it, just about everything was half price at Michael’s…including the cream faux pumpkins!

I decided that a few things about my pumpkins would be different from those in Country Living. First, I chose a damask pattern rather than toile for one of them. There’s already so much toile in my house and I wanted these pumpkins to stand out. And then, I also decided that I would use the cream pumpkins just as they are rather than paint them white. That just fits better with my decor. Other than that, for the most part, I followed their instructions, found online here.

For the damask pumpkin:  
1. I chose a fabric with a simple damask pattern that would be easy to work with…Premier Prints Avery in Greenage…and bought just enough to have one repeat of the design. I scanned and printed it, making several copies. I used Walmart's cheapest copy paper so that it would be as thin as possible.  Remember…you are working with paper copies of fabric…not fabric!
2. Next, I cut them out and spaced them according to the design, taping them to the pumpkin.
3. I removed the tape and attached each piece of the design to the pumpkin one by one, using matte finish Mod Podge…my new BFF. (Mine was a 25 cent yard sale find.) The process requires some finesse and patience and, quite honestly, it helps if you have some experience with découpaging  spheres.
4. Give the pumpkin a thin all-over coat, let dry and you are done!
This was the easiest one, so if you only want one, I suggest this one!

The calico print pumpkin was a little harder:
1. I couldn’t find any fabric that would do, so I bought scrap booking paper and scanned and printed it. The scrap booking paper would be too thick as is. Plus, I needed about 3 pages to cover the pumpkin.
2. I cut lengthwise pieces about  1 1/2 inches wide, working within the pattern. I attached them with Mod Podge as before. It helps to cut alternating notches about 1/3 of the way in to allow for the curves of the pumpkin.
3. Eventually, the strips got off a little and I had to straighten them back up by piecing in a few odd shapes. Here, you can see an empty spot I am about to cover.
4. Once again, I finished with another final all-over coat of Mod Podge and…taa daa!

The pumpkin quilt design was downloaded from Country Living’s web site. I followed their instructions and measured and calculated the size and number of designs I would need and adjusted. A program such as Photoscape…free to download…was really helpful here, since I had to adjust the color a little also.  I found it helpful to make small pencil marks on the pumpkin for the top and bottom of the design.  The little yellow lines are perfect places to cut in some notches to allow for the curve of the pumpkin. If it’s not perfect, it’s OK since you can’t see all sides of the pumpkin at once!  A final coat of Mod Podge to the whole pumpkin and you are through!

I didn't have a suitable stand for the pumpkins, so I made my own by painting a small flower pot and a larger saucer and hot-gluing them together. They were also half-price at Michael’s! I used an ivory spray paint since my pumpkins are cream.

Baby Kitty says his favorite pumpkin is the one with orange patches…I wonder why!

Here are my pumpkins in their copy-cat magazine pose…work it, girls!

And here they are with my inspiration…not exactly alike, but just what I wanted for my house! Total spent on the project...about $25. Not bad, huh? And I'll have them forever! What do you think?

And...a little added note...I am excited to say that my pumpkins were featured in their magazine! Thanks, Country Living!

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you enjoyed a little peek at my project! Please visit these wonderful bloggers and their beautiful blogs to see what they are up to and to find a list of this week’s participants!
Stephanie Lynn at Under the Table and Dreaming for the Sunday Showcase Party and the Pumpkin Parade
Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for Metamorphosis Monday
Mary at Boogieboard Cottage for Masterpiece Monday
Sarah at Thrifty Decor Chick for Before and After Monday (first Monday of the month)
Debbie at Debbiedoo's Blogging and Blabbing for the Magazine Copy Cat Challenge
Beth at The Stories of A2Z for Tutorials and Tips Tuesday
Marty at A Stroll Thru Life for Tabletop Tuesday
Kate at Centsational Girl for the Fall Craft Party
Linda at Coastal Charm for Nifty Thrifty Tuesday
Kim at Savvy Southern Style for Wow Us Wednesdays
Judy at DIY by Design for Fall into Fall on Wednesdays
Gina at The Shabby Creek Cottage for Transformation Thursdays
Barb at Grits and Glamour for Keep It Simple on Thursdays
Sherry at No Minimalist Here for the Open House Party on Thursdays
Cindy at My Romantic Home for Show and Tell Friday
Courtney at French Country Cottage for Feathered Nest Friday
Honey at 2805 for Potpourri Friday
Diann at The Thrifty Groove for Thrifty Things Friday
Debra at Common Ground for Fabulous Fall Fun
Sherry at The Charm of Home for Home Sweet Home Friday
Rachelle at Fingerprints on the Fridge for Feature Yourself Friday
Roeshel at The DIY Showoff for the Fall Festival
Donna at Funky Junk Interiors for Saturday Nite Special
See you next time! A la prochaine!