October is all about some of our favorite fall activities – making caramel apples, jumping in big piles of leaves, and carving a whole fleet of pumpkins to greet guests on the "big night" on Oct. 31. Well, put down your kid-friendly carving knives and consider making a spooktacular craft pumpkin, instead.
Craft pumpkins continue to be a popular alternative for Halloween decorating as they last year after year and can be glittered, painted and, in this case, Mod Podged to make a primo keepsake pumpkin. Check out how to make a mummy pumpkin below and get started on creating a pumpkin fit for a pharaoh and preserved for the ages.
Materials
- 1 white medium craft pumpkin (most big craft stores have a brand to choose from)
- 1 package of cheesecloth (found on the notions wall at Jo-Ann Fabrics)
- Googly eyes
- Black acrylic craft paint
- Craft moss
- Mod Podge (antique sheen)
- Staple gun and staples
- Foam paint brush
- Hot glue and hot-glue gun
- Fabric leaves (try a piece of garland)
- Scissors
- Craft surface to work on (newspapers, cardboard, etc.)
Instructions
- Start out by opening up your cheesecloth. (It's great for the kitchen and the craft room!)
- Unwrap about one yard of cheesecloth and cut off the bolt. Cut long strips about 1-2-inch wide. Don't worry about making nice, straight cuts. The more they're crooked, the better!
- Next, place one end of cheesecloth at the top of your craft pumpkin and staple into place.
- Pull the cheesecloth around the pumpkin and staple the end wherever it falls. Continue wrapping the cheesecloth around the pumpkin until it's completely covered. Add extra staples all over the pumpkin. It's OK; your mummy won't mind!
- After the pumpkin is covered, apply the antique Mod Podge in patches all over the cheesecloth. The sealant will help bind some of the cheesecloth together and give an aged look to the mummy. Be as random as possible! Let dry.
- While the Mod Podge is drying, it's time to prep your leaves. If you purchased a piece of garland, cut off a handful of leaves from the strand. Place the leaves on a safe workspace and paint each one black. (Want to move faster? Try spray-painting the leaves instead.) Let dry.
- Now it's time to decorate the mummy. Hot-glue two googly eyes on the front of the mummy. Next, give him a stern mouth by making a row of X's with your black craft paint. Let dry.
- When the mouth is dry, take small amounts of craft moss and hot-glue into place on the pumpkin. Do this for the leaves as well. Ta-da! Now you've got a mummy pumpkin to decorate your family's crypt, err, I mean crib.
