The Chicest of Pumpkin Decorating Ideas? Decoupaging It with fabric!

MATERIALS

• Small to medium-size pumpkin (real or faux)
• Flat craft paintbrush
• Martha Stewart Crafts Multi-Surface Satin Acrylic Craft Paint in Beetle Black
• 1/4-1/2 yard of lightweight fabric (depending on pumpkin size)
• Fabric scissors
• Medium-size foam brush
• Martha Stewart Crafts Decoupage Glue
• 8-12 inches of black braid (depending on stem size)
• Glue gun

HOW TO MAKE THE DECOUPAGE PUMPKIN

Tip: Protect your workspace by placing wax paper over it before you begin.

1. If using a real pumpkin, clean the surface well and pat it dry.

2. Use the paintbrush to paint the stem of the pumpkin with the black paint. Let dry completely.

3. While the paint is drying, cut the fabric into three-inch-wide strips. Cut a slight curve at the top of each strip to make it easier to wrap it around the stem. The exact number of strips and the length of each will depend on the size of your pumpkin. Our small pumpkin needed eight overlapping strips that were each 8 1/2 inches long.

4. Once the stem is dry, you can start adhering the strips to the pumpkin. Use the foam brush to apply decoupage glue to a three-inch-wide section of the pumpkin. Start at the base of the stem and then continue applying it downward until you reach the bottom of the pumpkin. Immediately press a strip of fabric over this section with the curved top of the strip around the stem.

5. Repeat step 4, overlapping each strip as you follow the curve of the pumpkin. Trim the bottom of the strips as needed to avoid overcrowding at the bottom of the pumpkin.