How to Crochet a Farmhouse Pumpkin (Fall Decor)

Lay out an 8 mm (US L/11) crochet hook, one ball of super bulky yarn in the fall color you want, polyester fiberfill stuffing, a 3-inch cinnamon stick for the stem, twine or jute cord for the bow, a yarn needle with a large eye, sharp scissors, and a hot glue gun if you want to anchor the stem.

Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick & Quick is what MJ uses in the video. One ball makes two small pumpkins (about 3 by 5 inches) or one large (5 by 7 inches). Fisherman is the classic cream, Pumpkin is the orange, Mustard is the yellow. For a farmhouse color story, make all three.

Make a slip knot on the hook. Chain 16 for a small pumpkin (about 3 by 5 inches finished) or chain 22 for a large pumpkin (5 by 7 inches finished).

Skip the first 2 chains - those count as the turning chain, not a stitch. Half double crochet in the 3rd chain from the hook: yarn over, insert the hook, pull up a loop (three loops on the hook), yarn over, pull through all three. Work one HDC in every remaining chain across. You should end with 14 stitches for the small size. The starting chain does not count as a stitch in this pattern.

Turn the work. Chain 2 (does not count as a stitch). Now look at the top of your row 1 stitches from behind - the V of each HDC is visible on the front, but there is a third horizontal loop tucked underneath, behind the V. That is the third loop, and that is where every stitch from row 2 forward goes.

Yarn over, insert your hook down into that third loop on the first stitch, pull up a loop, yarn over, and pull through all three. Repeat across the row. You should end with 14 HDC in the third loop.

The third loop is what makes this pumpkin look like it was knit instead of crocheted. As you work into it, the V of the previous row pops forward and creates the visible rib. That rib is the whole pumpkin aesthetic.

Keep going. At the end of each row, turn, chain 2, and work HDC in the third loop of each stitch across. Every row from here is the same - just the third-loop HDC.

You are aiming for 19 rows total. Count by looking at the visible ridges on the right side of the work - each pair of rows forms two ridges, so count 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, then the 19th row is the last one. The finished rectangle should measure about 6 by 10 inches for the small pumpkin. If you are testing a different yarn weight or hook size, aim for that 6-by-10 ratio.

With the right sides facing each other (the side with the prominent ridges on the inside), fold the rectangle in half so the two short edges line up. Chain 1 to start. Insert your hook through the first stitch on the top edge and the first stitch on the bottom edge at the same time, yarn over, and pull through all three loops on the hook - that is a slip stitch joining the two edges.

Continue slip stitching the seam closed all the way across. Keep the tension loose - if you pull tight, the seam will pucker and the pumpkin will look pinched. Chain 1 at the end to secure, then flip the tube right-side out so the ribs face outward.

Fasten off with a long tail - at least 18 inches of yarn so you do not run out partway through. Thread the tail onto a yarn needle with a large eye.

Weave a running stitch around one open end of the tube, catching only the bulky ridge stitches and skipping the spaces between them. Work all the way around the end. Then pull the tail tight - the fabric gathers into a tight cinch. This is the bottom of the pumpkin. Anchor the tail by passing the needle back through in the opposite direction once or twice so the cinch holds.

Push polyester fiberfill into the open top of the pumpkin. Use small handfuls at a time and work the stuffing all the way down into the cinched base before adding more.

For a plump, round pumpkin that holds its shape on a shelf, stuff firmly. For a slouchier, more rustic farmhouse look, stuff lightly so the body has a little give. Either reads as farmhouse - go with whichever you prefer.

Single crochet around the top opening, catching only the bulky ridge stitches like you did on the bottom. Slip stitch to join the round. Fasten off with another long tail.

Thread the tail and pull the top closed. Then to create the segmented ribs that give the pumpkin its shape, send the needle from the cinched top straight down through the center of the body and out the bottom. Pull the yarn tight. Bring the needle back up through the body to the top, exit between two ridges, pull tight, and repeat. Four passes around the pumpkin gives you the four classic rib indentations.

Weave in any loose ends with the yarn needle so nothing pokes out later.

Push a 3-inch cinnamon stick straight down into the cinched hole at the top of the pumpkin. If it wobbles, add a small dab of hot glue around the base before pushing it in - the glue grabs the yarn and holds the stem upright. Cut a 10-inch piece of twine, wrap it once around the base of the stem where it meets the body, and tie it in a small bow. Add a small wired faux leaf tucked under the bow if you want that extra touch, or swap the twine for a snip of plaid ribbon for a fall color pop.

Fluff the ribs with your fingers - the segments smooth out and the pumpkin sits properly once the yarn relaxes. That is the whole pumpkin. Make a coordinating pile in cream, orange, and mustard for the mantel, or pair this one with a chunky mushroom for a fall vignette. If this is your first finished crochet object, browse easy crochet projects for beginners or check essential crochet supplies for what to stock next.