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Showing posts with label pumpkins. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pumpkins. Show all posts

How to Make a Burlap Pumpkin Centerpiece


www.inspirationsbyd.blogspot.com

 I love to bring Autumn decor into the home especially when it does not feel like it outside.  I decided to repurpose an old Jack O' Lantern and turn it into a Fall Burlap Pumpkin Centerpiece for my dining table to give it a Harvest touch.  I don't go overboard in decorating, but instead prefer to keep things simple, a wreath on the door and a centerpiece works well.  I believe that it will look inviting until Thanksgiving and it cost me nothing except a little time.

So why not add a little fall flair to your home?  A simple pumpkin on a table is enough to give it Fall character. This centerpiece adds color, texture and both natural and faux elements, for that Autumn style that you may keep around until Thanksgiving. Now I am aware that the orange is visible, but you may line your pumpkin underneath the burlap for extra cover.  I don't mind the orange.

What inspired me to make this pumpkin was a similar centerpiece at a store which sold out and I wanted one for my dining table, so I just made my own version.

I already had everything I needed on hand.  I used an old jack o’ lantern that I no longer used
and that was where I began. So for this project, you will need:

  • A faux pumpkin, old or new, whatever you wish
  • burlap fabric
  • a piece of burlap ribbon, if you have one on hand, if not, you may use a faux or real pumpkin stem
  • scissors
  • hot glue gun and glue
  • push pins
  • roll of jute string
  • faux leaves & florals
  • (Optional) little pumpkins and pine cones
 I started by taping off the carving on the pumpkin, the eyes, nose, and mouth with neutral craft tape.
Then I removed the wire and bulb from the inside of the pumpkin that was used to light it up.
Next, I cut strips of burlap fabric 6 inches wide.  I used push pins to hold the fabric in place before gluing anything.  I wanted to make sure I had enough fabric and that it sat well on the pumpkin.

You have the option of lining your pumpkin before adding the burlap so that it is well covered.
I did not do that with my pumpkin so you may see a glimpse of the orange underneath.
It is not very noticeable in person.

The pumpkin has an opening in the bottom, so I used that opening to tuck the fabric underneath and
hold the fabric in place with push pins.  I cut off any excess fabric.
  www.inspirationsbyd.blogspot.com

www.inspirationsbyd.blogspot.com
www.inspirationsbyd.blogspot.com

As I continued to cover the pumpkin with the burlap, I made sure to fold clean edges as seen below when I overlapped the fabric, but I left the other side unfolded since it will be covered by the next strip of fabric. This will serve as a guide to glue the string later on.
www.inspirationsbyd.blogspot.com

I continued to cover the pumpkin strip by strip and overlapped the previous strip carefully. Below you can see how the fabric was held in place on the top with push pins and the folded edges on the sides.
Don't worry about the rough edges on the top, that will be covered with the string as well.
www.inspirationsbyd.blogspot.com
DSC_1922

For the last strip, I folded both sides of the fabric as seen below to give it a clean finish and held it in place with more push pins.  I made sure everything was nice and tucked underneath the pumpkin.
www.inspirationsbyd.blogspot.com
www.inspirationsbyd.blogspot.com
www.inspirationsbyd.blogspot.com
www.inspirationsbyd.blogspot.com

When the fabric was as I wanted it, nice and tucked, I began to hot glue the edge of the burlap as seen below.  At this point, I had not removed the push pins but kept them in place until all the side edges were glued.  Once the edges were glued, I began gluing the top part of the fabric by the stem carefully. Then I hot glued the fabric underneath but kept the pushpins under the pumpkin for extra hold.

After the glue was set and dry, I grabbed by jute strings; since they were thin I had to make it thicker so I twisted four pieces of string together and tied the top into a knot to keep it in place.  Before cutting my string, I measured how long the string had to be to cover the edges of the burlap fabric from top to bottom.  In my case, I used about 13 inches per edge.
www.inspirationsbyd.blogspot.com
www.inspirationsbyd.blogspot.com

I hot glued the knot part of the string to the underside of the pumpkin as seen here. I made sure it was set before continuing. Then I twisted the string and glued it to the folded edges of the burlap, I worked my way up to the top of the pumpkin. When I reached the top of the pumpkin, I twisted and glued the remaining string around the top edge of the fabric around the pumpkin's stem. I repeated this step for all the edges on the burlap.
www.inspirationsbyd.blogspot.com
www.inspirationsbyd.blogspot.com
www.inspirationsbyd.blogspot.com

Here you can see how I twisted the string around the stem, leaving the stem exposed.
www.inspirationsbyd.blogspot.com
www.inspirationsbyd.blogspot.com
www.inspirationsbyd.blogspot.com

When all the edges had been covered with the string as well as the edge on the top around the stem,
I used a piece of burlap ribbon I had on hand to create a longer stem for my pumpkin. I folded the ribbon in half and rolled it to form a stem, I then hot glued it to seal the seam. After the seam was dry, I tucked it over the existing stem and hot glued it around the edges, under the string surrounding the original pumpkin stem.
www.inspirationsbyd.blogspot.com

You can see here how it is tucked in under the string. That was it, I had my burlap pumpkin ready to add a little color with faux leaves and real pinecones around it with small pumpkins.  I will probably add some flowers later on, but for now, this will do.  You may use the Burlap Pumpkin for any area in your home, table, mantel or by the window, it's up to you.

I hope that you have enjoyed this Fall Craft.

www.inspirationsbyd.blogspot.com

www.inspirationsbyd.blogspot.com

www.inspirationsbyd.blogspot.com

Happy Crafting!

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Welcome Fall with Handmade Decor

Our Traditions
It's Fall and I am feeling a little of that cool air that I have been missing for the past year.
Yet it is still not the time for sweaters, but what I am able to do to remind myself of
the Fall weather that I crave so much is to look for Autumn inspired items to think about this season.  
I have also been crafting little things here and there that I will soon share.

It has been a while since I have given my fellow handmade artisans some recognition on the blog.
I've selected only a few to feature on today's post. All items are Fall themed, so check them out, visit their sites and support them if you can.  Click on the captions to get to their sites.

I hope that you enjoy viewing the selected few. You may also visit the artisans that were featured on this post and this post.  Let me know which are your favorites. Happy Autumn!

LuccaLuCreations (Etsy)
CurtisandFoster (Etsy)
BlueSkyWhimsy (Etsy)
JuJuBeeGoods (Etsy)
KitchStudios (Etsy)
KitcchStudios (Etsy)
DWLstudio (Etsy)

Inspire Your Art (Etsy)


The Brave Little Tailor (Etsy)


Thank you for stopping by and I hope that you have enjoyed the decor inspirations!
For more Fall Ideas visit this post!

Pumpkins Everywhere

velvetpumpkin
The Velver Window (Etsy)

  Hello, friends and Happy October!  I am so glad that we have reached this lovely time of year.
It is the month of cooler temperatures; can you feel the soft cool breeze on your skin when
you take your morning strolls?  What about the beautiful foliage colors changing on the trees?
I have begun to see the rich colors showing through the branches.  It is also a time for
fun autumn decor, hayrides, pumpkin patches, apples, pies, lattes, fall home tours, and
all things pumpkin.  With that said, I wanted to take a moment and share with you
some cute pumpkin finds on Etsy.
I thought that these were worth putting up for those
of you looking for unique pumpkin decor for your home, office or even little gifts.  
feltpumkins
Candy Fleece (Etsy)

pumpkindoorwreath
Ever Blooming Original (Etsy)

mmwolters (Etsy)

ThePurpleHippyShop (Etsy)

knitpumpkins
Hawthorne Hill (Etsy)
Hope that you enjoy!

Best Pumpkin Cookies

Best Pumpkin cookies
Do you remember when I mentioned autumn spices in this post?
I finally baked some pumpkin cookies yesterday and their amazing fragrance 
has been lingering in our home since.  Ah, the warm scent of cinnamon and other
spices fills my mind with cozy images of flannel blankets, falling leaves and a warm
beverage at hand on a cool fall day.  These cookies are so delicious!
Best Pumpkin cookies recipe
While I removed the freshly baked cookies from the oven, Mr. M and little man followed
the autumn aroma to the kitchen, and let me just say a few cookies were already
missing from the batch on the baking sheet. 
After the cookies were completely done, the boys enjoyed a few more, and so did I.
They were completely scrumptious!

I have added the recipe to the end of this post for those who wish to try it.
To make these delicious cookies, you need to do a few simple things.
First preheat your oven to 350 degrees and prepare two ungreased baking sheets.
  •  Step 1. In a large mixing bowl add cream butter, white sugar, & brown sugar then mix it until fluffy.
  •  Step 2. Add pumpkin puree, egg, and vanilla extract and mix. 
Inspirations by D
  • Step 3. In a separate bowl, stir in together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, pumpkin spice and salt.
  • Step 4. Combine flour mixture & butter-sugar mixture together & mix well.  Then, add tablespoons 3 inches apart on the ungreased baking sheets.
Inspirations by D
  • 5. Bake cookies for 10-15 minutes until golden around the edges.
  • 6. Remove warm cookies and transfer to racks.
Pumpkin cookies
  • 7. Let the cookies cool completely for at least one half hour, then frost with glaze.
Inspirations by D
Inspirations by D
Ingredients
  • 1 cup butter, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
  • 1 cup can pumpkin puree (for those who prefer fresh pumpkin puree, click here for puree recipe)
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
      Glaze
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1 1/2- 2 cups confectioners' sugar
Direction for Glaze
In a medium saucepan, heat butter and brown sugar over medium heat until bubbly.
Cook, stirring constantly, for one minute or until slightly thickened.
   Beat in the milk, blend in confectioners' sugar until the glaze is smooth and spreadable.
Using a brush or butter knife, spread the glaze on the cookies.
NOTE: The glaze will harden fairly quickly, it is recommended that you keep the saucepan
over the lowest setting heat possible to prevent it from hardening.

Another way to make this glaze is by mixing all the ingredients before heating.
Then pour your mix into a saucepan and heat.
This prevents it from getting too hard in your pan,
but make sure to rinse it immediately in very hot water to remove left over glaze.
Enjoy your cookies, I know I will.

Pumpkin Pie Frappe

Pumpkin Pie Frappe
Drink your pumpkin pie!
Pumpkin Pie Frappe
Pumpkin Pie Frappe
This morning I felt a cool, crisp breeze brush against my face.  
It was Fall saying hello and I knew that it was time to whip up some pumpkin dishes.  
I can already smell the distinctive scent that comes from an oven filled with autumn spices. 

It was still early and I didn't have all the ingredients that I needed for some baked goods, 
so I decided to make something else.  
How would you like to drink your pumpkin pie?
This is truly a pumpkin pie in a cup, creamy and ice cold.
Pumpkin Pie Frappe
Pumpkin Pie Frappe
I love all things fall, especially this time of the year, so I whipped up this fun frappe.
What's neat is that you can share this beverage with other pumpkin pie lovers and make it presentable by adding a mini pie on the side or inside as a garnish, oh the possibilities!
Here is the recipe to make your own:
  • 1/2 cup premade coffee
  • 2 cups of ice
  • 1/4 cup of sugar
  • 3 Tablespoons of pumpkin puree (can)
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/4 tsp pumpkin spice
  • 1 cup of half and half or your milk preference
  • 1/3 cup vanilla ice cream
  • whip cream + caramel for rim
  • sprinkles
You may adjust the amount of each ingredient to meet your taste preference.  
I added extra cinnamon and nutmeg to my drink and oh yes, a little extra ice cream.

Place all the ingredients in a blender, while your drink is mixing, grab a cup and line the 
rim with caramel.  Place the sprinkles in a flat dish and holding your cup upside down, 
press it unto the sprinkles.

The caramel acts as a glue to make the sprinkles stick to the cup, and tasty too.
Once your mix is well blended, pour it in the cup, add whip cream if desired and garnish with cinnamon or 
pumpkin spice.  You may also add a swirl of caramel on top.  Serve.
Pumpkin Pie Frappe
For fun, add faces or other artwork!
Makes about 2 servings.




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