Easy DIY Velvet Pumpkins Tutorial

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These beautiful DIY velvet pumpkins are easy to make and are perfect for fall. Make them in any size you'd like with our easy-to-follow tutorial.

You might also like our 10-minute sock pumpkins, our easy fabric pumpkins, or our Target dollar spot pumpkin wreath tutorial!

I love decorating with pumpkins in the fall and used my fabric pumpkins tutorial to come up with a sophisticated velvet version this year. These velvet pumpkins feel so luxurious, you'll want to make an entire pumpkin patch of them to decorate your home!

Why I Love This Project

Easy to make. Velvet pumpkins require a few seams of sewing, but they are simple stitches that can be done by hand or by using a sewing machine (or a combination of both, which is my preferred method).
Comes in many colors. Stretch velvet comes in so many beautiful colors. I especially like jewel tones. It had to show restraint, only purchasing three colors, I wanted them all!
Easy gift idea. These would make great teacher gifts with one of my printable fall gift tags! My favorite one says, “I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.”

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Why I Love This Project
Tips and Tricks
Velvet Pumpkin Supplies
How To Make Velvet Pumpkins
DIY Velvet Pumpkin FAQs
More Pumpkin Crafts To Make
Easy Velvet Pumpkins Tutorial

Tips and Tricks

How to make velvet pumpkins in a variety of sizes: This tutorial makes it easy to create small, medium, and large pumpkins. Take the width measurement and double it for the length measurement. Here are some example measurements below. The pumpkins shown in the photos are made with a 9" x 18" rectangle of fabric. This will create a 6" medium-sized pumpkin.
Tip for making large pumpkins: It's easier to pull the needle through small and medium-sized pumpkins; however, you can definitely make large pumpkins. Just use a longer needle!
Get creative with the pumpkin stems: I found faux pumpkin stems on Amazon and gave them a quick coat of gold spray paint. This is a simple and elegant detail to add to the velvet pumpkins. For my fabric pumpkins, I created stems out of felt. Super simple and easy. Both methods work well; it just depends on what you're looking for. You can also dry out mini pumpkin stems and glue them on to faux pumpkins like these.

Velvet Pumpkin Supplies

Blue velvet, plastic pumpkin stem, needle and thread, pillow stuffing and hot glue gun.

Stretch Velvet Fabric: I purchased my stretch velvet on Amazon. You can buy it in ½ yard or 1-yard increments, depending on the seller. Each yard will make 12 medium-sized pumpkins!
Faux Pumpkin Stems
Scissors
Embroidery Thread
Sewing Needle: To do the gathering stitches.
Stuffing: 2 large handfuls per pumpkin.
Long Needle (3 ½"): This is a game-changer, making it easier to poke through the center of the pumpkin to create its curved shape. If you don't have these, you can use a regular needle and a small pair of pliers. I give tips for this in the instructions.
Sewing Machine/Thread
Measuring Tape
Small Pliers Optional, but if you don't have long needles, these help pull the needle through the thickness of the pumpkin)
Hot Glue/Glue

Fabric Cutting Guide

Small pumpkin (6" x 12" rectangle of fabric)
Medium pumpkin (9" x 18" rectangle of fabric)
Large pumpkin (12" x 24" rectangle of fabric)

If making more miniature pumpkins, consider buying a variety pack of pumpkin stems with varying sizes. For the medium and large pumpkins, the stems that I used work well.

How To Make Velvet Pumpkins

Velvet fabric folded in half with hand pointing at the top.

Step 1: Fold the velvet in half, width-wise, with the right sides together.

Sewing machine sewing a side seam on blue velvet fabric.

Step 2: Sew along the seam using a ⅜" seam allowance.

Gathering stitches on bottom of blue velvet fabric.

Step 3: You should now have a tube of velvet. Thread a long piece of embroidery thread through a needle. Stitch a gathering stitch around the bottom opening of the pumpkin.*

Hand pulling gathering strings on fabric.

Step 4: Pull the end strings tight to close off the bottom of the pumpkin.

*To gather, you'll create a wide running stitch along the top of the opening, about ¼" away from the edge. Leave the ends of the string long so that you can pull them to gather the fabric later.

Step 5: Tie the strings in a double knot and trim excess. Save the needle and thread for a later step.

Step 6: Turn the pumpkin right-side out.

Step 7: Fill the pumpkin with stuffing.

Hand stitching gathering stitches along top of pumpkin fabric.

Step 8: Grab your needle and thread and stitch a gathering stitch around the top opening of the pumpkin.

Hand pulling gathering strings on top of pumpkin.

Step 9: Pull the end strings tight to close off the top of the pumpkin.

Hand pulling strings to tighten and close the top of the pumpkin.

Step 10: Tie strings in a double knot and trim excess.

Hand poking needle through center of velvet pumpkin.

Step 11: Cut a strand of embroidery thread that is 48" long. Thread it through a long needle and tie a knot at the end. Press the pumpkin down to squish it down a bit (this makes it easier to insert the needle). Poke the needle through the center of the pumpkin and out the back. Pull until the knot hits. Bring the needle around to the top again, insert through the center and out the back again, then pull the thread TIGHT. You'll notice that you've created one of the pumpkin grooves on the side of the pumpkin.

Hand holding velvet pumpkin and pulling string to create curves.

Step 12: Continue this process until you have 6 sections (dimples). It can sometimes be a little difficult to pull the needle through the stuffing. A small pair of pliers can be helpful in grabbing the needle.*

*I highly recommend referring to my step-by-step video in the "how to card" at the end of the post for a great visual on how to create the pumpkin sections/shape using the thread.

Step 13: Tie a couple of knots close to the pumpkin, then trim the thread with scissors.

Stem being glued to the top of the velvet pumpkin.

Step 14: Glue the stem to the top of the pumpkin.

Note: The stems come black. I sprayed them with a light coat of gold spray paint, which antiqued them a bit. It was an easy upgrade!

DIY Velvet Pumpkin FAQs

What fabric is best for velvet pumpkins?

The easiest velvet to work with is stretch velvet. It's soft and shapes easily, and it's also easy to sew by hand or by machine. You can find it on Amazon in over a dozen gorgeous colors.

What can I use to fill velvet pumpkins?

My go-to stuffing is polyester fiberfill, which is the same stuffing found in throw pillows. You can also use scrap fabric or anything soft to fill the pumpkins.

How do I make velvet pumpkins in different sizes?

This tutorial makes it easy to create small, medium, and large pumpkins. Take the width measurement and double it for the length measurement. Here are some example measurements below. The pumpkins shown in the photos are made with a 9" x 18" rectangle of fabric (medium-sized pumpkins).

Velvet fabric pumpkins with plastic stems.

More Pumpkin Crafts To Make

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Easy Velvet Pumpkins Tutorial

These beautiful velvet pumpkins are easy to make and are perfect for fall. Make them in any size you'd like with our easy-to-follow tutorial.

Pin Recipe

Prep Time10

Active Time10

Total Time20

Yield: pumpkin

Author: Brandy Nelson

Cost: $2

Equipment

sewing machine
measuring tape
scissors
long sewing needle
hot glue gun/glue
small pliers (optional)

Materials

stretch velvet
stuffing (poly-fil)
embroidery thread
faux pumpkin stem

Instructions

You can make any size of pumpkin that you'd like by doubling the width measurement. For example, my fabric was 9" wide and 18" long.
CUTTING GUIDE
Cut fabric into a rectangle that measures 9" x 18".
Fold the velvet in half with the right sides together.
Sew along the seam using a ⅜" seam allowance.
You should now have a tube of velvet.
Thread a long piece of embroidery thread through a needle.
Stitch a gathering stitch around the bottom opening of the pumpkin.
Note: To gather, you'll create a wide running stitch along the top of the opening, about ¼" away from the edge. Leave the ends of the string long so that you can pull them to gather the fabric later.
Pull the end strings tight to close off the bottom of the pumpkin.
Tie the strings in a double knot and trim excess. Save the needle and thread for a later step.
Turn the pumpkin right-side out.
Fill the pumpkin with stuffing.
Grab your needle and thread and stitch a gathering stitch around the top opening of the pumpkin.
Pull the end strings tight to close off the top of the pumpkin.
Tie strings in a double knot and trim excess.
Cut a strand of embroidery thread that is 48" long. Thread it through a long needle and tie a knot at the end.
Press the pumpkin down to squish it a bit (this makes it easier to insert the needle).
Poke the needle through the center of the pumpkin and out the back. Pull until the knot hits. Bring the needle around to the top again, insert through the center and out the back again, then pull the thread TIGHT.
You'll notice that you've created one of the pumpkin grooves on the side of the pumpkin.
Continue this process until you have 6 sections (dimples). If you don't use a long enough needle, it can be a little tricky to pull the needle through the stuffing. In this case, a small pair of pliers can help grab the needle.
NOTE: I highly recommend referring to my step-by-step video for a great visual on how to create the pumpkin sections/shape using the thread.
Hot glue a faux pumpkin stem to the top of the pumpkin.

Video

Notes

Suggested cutting guide for small, medium, and large pumpkins:

6" x 12" (small pumpkin)
8" x 16" (medium pumpkin)
10" x 20" (large pumpkin)

If making a larger or smaller pumpkin, adjust the stem size by adding a bit to the width and length.

Small and medium pumpkins are my favorite to make because it's easier to pull the needle through the center. The more stuffing that you have (large pumpkin) the wider the area the needle will have to pull through. Just use a long needle and pliers to make that step easier.