Pumpkins and Creepy Mice

I saw these "fabulous" creepy mice on Martha Stewarts website.

Actually I saw them at my neighbor Jami's house as I popped in one day while she was hanging them on her walls and she showed me the website. Jami is awesome.

And from that moment on I had to have creepy mice scampering all over my house too!

These are Martha's. If only I had wooden stairs! *sigh* 

So I, downloaded the creepy mice template and went to town. Martha's website has all the instructions you need for cutting out the mice so I won't go into that. I also must admit that I cut them out with my silhouette. That machine is so much fun.

Or you can buy them pre-cut at Michael's craft stores.

I decided that since my stairs were so wide I needed some more decorating.

I needed the decorations to be light so that when the kids kicked/threw them down

the stairs they wouldn't break anything.

So... da da da dit dada! Fabric Pumpkins!

I wish I had a cooler name for them, but I have never been good with naming things.

All of my high school art projects were called "untitled." I tried to make people think that I was being poetic and mysterious but really I just couldn't think of any names.

The same lack of inspiration plagues me today. I have plenty of inspiration to make stuff

but none to name what I make.

Back to the pumpkins... sorry I'm getting so side-tracked. 

I have the same problem with getting side tracked that I had back then too... Sorry, again.

To make the fabric pumpkins you don't need a sewing machine, but you do need a needle and some thread.

About 1/2 yard of fabric will make 4-6 pumpkins depending on how big you want them.

 • First, tear your fabric into strips, I tore mine from 6" to 10" wide. Make a little cut and then tear.

          * Denim, or stretchy fabric will not tear well, only use woven fabric. I like the ratty look of the 

             torn fabric, but you can just cut it instead.

• Then cut the strip in half-ish. I cut some in half and some about 3 or 4 inches to one side of the half 

             mark in order to have some fat pumpkins and some skinny pumpkins.

• Then sew the ends of your cut strips together. If you don't have a sewing machine get some iron on 

             hem tape and iron the ends together to form a circle of fabric.

 I wanted some pumpkins to be a little orangish in color so I squirted some craft paint in a bowl of water, stirred it up and dipped my fabric inside. Then I ironed it to set the color. For the next two pumpkins I added a little yellow paint and then a little brown paint to the water.

While I was ironing I noticed mr. B making himself a pbj sandwich.

Looks pretty impressive doesn't it ;-)

#1 - Next, get out your needle and thread and gather the fabric strip at one side of your fabric circle to form the bottom of your pumpkin. 

#2 - Once it's gathered poke the needle through the center a 5 or 6 times going back and forth

in order to secure it. 

#3 - Turn it right side out and fill with either those little plastic crafty beads that are supposed to be used for this.... or popcorn kernels, or rice, or lentils, whatever. I go the cheap route and use dry goods. This will give the pumpkin some weight on the bottom so it stays upright.

#4 - Then gather the top and stuff with poly fill.

For the stem I was originally going to cut up a stick and glue it to the top. But then I remembered (from past experience) That these pumpkins will probably also be used as bean bags, so I shouldn't put anything hard or sharp on them... bummer.

So I cut some brown felt into strips and hot glued a wire (so I could shape the stem) on it then rolled it up and twisted it. I cut that to desired lengths and hot glued it into the pumpkin ( No making fun of my puny hot glue gun, it has served me faithfully for many years) I stitched around it a few times to secure it in pretty good (bean bags remember, these will get thrown).

I liked the ratty edge of the fabric, so I encouraged it to poke out around the stem as much as I could.

This was a pretty quick project I made about 5 while I watched Thor one evening after the kids were in bed and my man was at work. If you haven't seen that movie, it's pretty good you should give it a shot.  Yowzaa.

But here is a shot of my stairs, my kids think the mice are cool. The pumpkins keep getting re-arranged... But this is life. At least my life.

Another close up.

Still lamenting the fact that I have horrible carpet on my stairs, not beautiful wood.

Here are some mice running around our entry closet. And a spider web in the front door window that I cut out at the same time.

Here is an unfinished project that I stumbled onto while I was looking for pumpkin fabric.

I might have to do something with that next!

Thanks - RM

Shout out to my son J for taking some of these pics! Nice work kido.