Foam Pumpkins - Part 3

This is the last of the carvable foam pumpkin makeovers that I have planned for this year. This time, the pumpkin is covered in lush velvet (velveteen, really).

I started, once again, from a foam pumpkin from Dollar Tree.

I used this velveteen fabric that I have in my stash. This fabric began its life as a king-size waterbed blanket. I bought it at a yard sale many years ago, gave half of it away, have used it in several projects, and still have a lot left. It worked well in this project because it doesn't ravel when cut and was easy to work with.

I used some scrap paper to approximate the size of fabric strips I'd need to cover the pumpkin from top to bottom, and be convex enough to cover the roundest part of the pumpkin.

Using that pattern, I traced it on the back side of the velveteen fabric with a sharpie, and cut the strips with pinking shears. I needed fourteen of these strips to cover my pumpkin with plenty of overlap.

Then, using two straight pins at each end, I attached the strips to the pumpkin. I started at the top, pulled gently, and then attached the strip to the bottom. Each strip overlapped the previously strip about 1/4 to 1/2 inch.

I wanted to try something different for the top. Instead of using the styrofoam stem that came with the pumpkin, I made my own stem from aluminum foil and polymer clay. (I didn't take any photos while I was experimenting, sorry).

I began by taking aluminum foil and crushing it into a shape that looked something like a pumpkin stem and vine. Next, I conditioned some polymer clay I had in my stash left over from a project from my daughter's wedding. After softening it, I rolled it into a thin layer.

Next I cut it into narrow strips and laid it over the foil armature, smoothing the pieces into place and rubbing them until they adhered to each other. Making the shape and keeping it was a little tricky and called for some patience.

I cured the polymer clay by placing it in a 275 degree oven for 30 minutes. After it cooled, I painted the clay with one coat of white chalk paint (for good coverage). I then applied two coats of an Aztec Gold paint. I didn't really like the result because that gold is rather dull. So I added one coat of Pure Gold paint. That made my stem nice and shiny and gave me the look I was going for.

Finally, I used hot glue to attach the stem to the top of the pumpkin.

Overall, I'm pleased with this piece. I like the technique I used for the stem. I do think the size and the shape of the stem is slightly disproportionate to the pumpkin. It sticks up a bit taller and straighter than it did in my imagination. I think the finished piece makes a pleasant addition to my pumpkin patch.