How to Make Paper Mache Pumpkins

These pumpkins cost almost nothing. The form is a grocery bag stuffed with polyfill and tied with string, and once the paper mache dries you cut the stuffing out and use it again on the next one.

Catherine from Cozy Craft Studio uses a paste of water, glue and flour together rather than one or the other. There is no measuring involved - you are after something a bit thinner than pancake batter. The last trick is worth the price of admission: a final layer of paper towel instead of newspaper, which smooths out every sharp edge.

If you have never done paper mache, the general paper mache method covers strips and layering, and the paper mache paste recipe has exact ratios. This page is about the pumpkin.

Choosing a form for the shape

The stuffed bag in the steps gives you a squat, lumpy shape that looks like a real pumpkin. The other options work too:

• Balloon: quick and round, but too perfect. Tape it into a flatter shape and pop it once the shell is dry.
• Crumpled newspaper and masking tape: free and solid. It stays inside, so the pumpkin ends up heavier and cannot take a light.
• A bowl turned upside down: good for a half pumpkin to hang on a wall or lean on a shelf. Cover it with plastic wrap first so the shell lifts off.

Ribs, stem and a curly vine

Pull the strings hard. A shallow groove fills in once three or four layers go over it, so tie them deeper than looks right. Six strings gives a fancier, rounder pumpkin than four.

For the stem, foil works, and so does a real stick or a twisted paper towel tube. A curly vine is a pipe cleaner or a length of florist wire wound around a pencil, slid off and pushed into the stem while the top layer is still wet. Paste a strip over the join so it stays put.

Painting ideas

Base coat in orange, then drybrush a darker rust into the ribs and a pale yellow over the high points. White or cream pumpkins look good with a touch of grey-green in the grooves. For a jack-o-lantern, draw the face in pencil and paint it black, or cut it out with a craft knife once the shell is fully dry. The ideas on painting a pumpkin carry over well.

To light one up, use a battery LED tea light only. Never put a candle inside paper mache. It is paper and glue, and it will catch fire.

How long it takes to dry

Each layer needs a few hours to firm up. The finished shell needs a full 24 to 48 hours before painting, longer in a damp house or a cold room. Near a heater vent or in front of a fan it goes faster. Tap it: dry paper mache sounds hollow and feels light.

Common mistakes

• Soggy layers: too much paste on each strip. Squeeze the extra off between your fingers every time.
• Mould: a shell that stayed damp for days. Dry it somewhere warm with air around it, and add a pinch of salt to a flour paste.
• Collapsing ribs: pulling the stuffing out before the second layer is firm. Wait the full couple of hours.
• Soft dents: painting before the patch is dry all the way through.

Once your pumpkin patch is done, a paper bat or two finishes off the shelf.