Paper pumpkin crafts are a great way to decorate a bedroom or home for Halloween. They are usually inexpensive to make using craft paper and look effective and stylish. This perfect Halloween craft uses an old book, or you can buy one at the dollar store. Your teenager can then transform it into a cute pumpkin.
Crafting has lots of benefits for teens. The activity is a kind of mental yoga for the teenage brain and can help with anxiety as well as building mental skills including focus and perseverance.
This easy paper pumpkin craft is suitable for older kids and teenagers. The simple project uses inexpensive materials from the dollar store in a fun way. I’ve also included a free pumpkin template you can use to get the right shape.
Halloween is one of my favorite times of the year. Whatever the weather, there’s much fun to be had with the kids both indoors and outside. However, sometimes you just need some quiet craft time inside. This easy Halloween craft is a great rainy day activity for teens and older kids with some adult help.
This fun fall crafts idea uses a Dollar Store paperback book and craft paint to make a Halloween pumpkin decoration. Paper pumpkin crafts are great to give as gifts.
This DIY project would also make an unusual addition to a ‘You’ve been booed’ gift especially if you are looking for non-edible treats to leave your neighbors. Lots of people have allergies or food restrictions so leaving a non-food gift makes your offering more inclusive this pumpkin season.
Materials:
· 1 Paperback Book – Dollar Store
· Craft Paint – Orange
· Assorted Green Ribbon Scraps – Craft Stores
· Twig – From the Yard
· Pencil or Marker
· Craft Knife
· Self-Healing Mat
· Paintbrush
· Scissors
· Wire Cutters or Branch Cutter
· Binder Clip
· Free Printable Pumpkin Template
Instructions:
- Gather all supplies. Remove the front and back covers of the paperback book.
- Download and print the FREE TEMPLATE or draw your own shape on the inside of the book covers with a pencil or marker.
- Cut out the book pumpkin patterns with scissors.
- Open book flat at the halfway point, trace the pumpkin pattern on the right half of the open book with a pencil or marker. Repeat by tracing the pumpkin pattern on the right half of the open book.
- You need an adult to do this part: Using a new, sharp blade on a craft knife, carefully cut through the pages a few at a time. Be careful to cut away from yourself not towards yourself.
- Protect any surface on which you are working so that it is not damaged by the craft knife. I suggest that you insert a self-healing mat under the book. Continue cutting pages until half of the pages are completely cut out.
- Repeat on the other side of the book.
- Flip cut out book pumpkin on your work surface and attach the exposed spine together with a line of glue dots from a hot glue gun.
- Fluff out the pumpkin shape by crinkling and crumpling each page individually. Bend and score the spine of the book as you fluff out the pumpkin shape.
- Fold the book pumpkin in half and secure it with a binder clip or paper fasteners.
- Dry brush orange craft paint around the edges of the book pages. Carefully separate any pages that might have stuck together, then set it aside to dry.
- Gather a stick from the yard and cut it to size with wire cutters or branch cutters. Attach to the top of the pumpkin with a glue gun and glue stick to make the pumpkin stem.
- Tie assorted green ribbon scraps around the stem of the book pumpkin to finish.
Change things up by creating book pumpkins of different sizes, and colors. Pumpkin paper crafts make beautiful Halloween decorations for this time of year.
Displaying your Paper Pumpkins
A great way to display these little pumpkins is on a piece of black paper or orange paper with a decorative larger pumpkin and some fake spider web. You could use this as a table centerpiece or display on a bookshelf.
Try making a small pumpkin and some larger pumpkins to create a small display. Add in some leaves from your backyard once the leaves change color or use artificial fall leaves.
Store the pumpkins that you have made with your other fall decorations and you will be able to enjoy them again in the following years.
For other fun ideas for DIY Halloween decorations that kids can make, how about making this felt wreath using orange, black and purple strips of felt.
Younger kids would also enjoy making puffy paint pumpkins and I have a tutorial for you here >>
3D Paper Pumpkin Craft
Materials
- Paperback Book, One – Dollar Store
- Craft Paint – Orange
- Assorted Ribbon Scraps - Green
- Twig – From the Yard
- Pencil or Marker
- Craft Knife
- Self-Healing Mat
- Paintbrush
- Scissors
- Wire Cutters or Branch Cutter
- Binder Clip or paper fasteners
- Free printable pumpkin template
Tools
- Pencil or marker
- Scissors
- Craft knife
- Self healing mat or surface protector
- Hot glue gun
- Paintbrush
Instructions
Gather all supplies. Remove the front and back covers of the paperback book.
Download and print the FREE TEMPLATE or draw your own shape on the inside of the book covers with a pencil or marker.
Cut out the book pumpkin patterns with scissors.
Open book flat at the halfway point, trace the pumpkin pattern on the right half of the open book with a pencil or marker. Repeat by tracing the pumpkin pattern on the right half of the open book.
You need an adult to do this part: Using a new, sharp blade on a craft knife, carefully cut through the pages a few at a time. Be careful to cut away from yourself not towards yourself.
Protect any surface on which you are working so that it is not damaged by the craft knife. I suggest that you insert a self-healing mat under the book. Continue cutting pages until half of the pages are completely cut out.
Repeat on the other side of the book
Flip cut out book pumpkin on your work surface and attach the exposed spine together with a line of glue from a hot glue gun.
Fluff out the pumpkin by crinkling and crumpling each page individually. Bend and score the spine of the book as you fluff out the pumpkin shape.
Fold the book pumpkin in half and secure it with a binder clip or paper fasteners. Dry brush orange craft paint around the edges of the book pages. Carefully separate any pages that might have stuck together, then set it aside to dry.
Gather a stick from the yard and cut it to size with wire cutters or branch cutters. Attach to the top of the pumpkin with a glue gun and glue stick to make the pumpkin stem.
Tie assorted green ribbon scraps around the stem of the book pumpkin to finish.
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