DIY Papier-mâché Pumpkin

I have to say, this craft very nearly didn’t reach completion! The pumpkins were a lot fiddlier than I thought they would be to create, they did not come out how I expected and several times I nearly binned the whole project but thankfully with a little perseverance they are finished and they look better than I could have predicted. Most importantly, my little one had a lot of fun! They are too little to participate in pumpkin carving so this was the perfect project for my toddler to be creative and enjoy some spooky festivities.

For this craft you will need balloons, newspaper, flour, water, string, spray paint and children’s paint.

The idea is you start by blowing up a balloon half way, tying a string around it to create pumpkin-like sections, then blowing it fully. This was impossible for me, especially as I don’t like balloons popping. Eventually I decided the shape created would just have to do! I rolled up some extra newspaper to create a stem for the top.

Then I made my own glue using flour and water. This is how I used to make it as a child and I thought of all the projects to try this method, this was the one. It was so, so messy! I dipped shreds of newspaper in the formula and applied them all over the balloon until it was completely covered. I left the pumpkins to dry and it took a couple of days but once they were dry, I was actually quite happy with them.

I had left over spray paint so decided that would be a lot quicker than painting them. It was but it gave them a weird shiny finish! I have embraced this since spraying them but it’s something to consider if you choose to spray them.

Then came the most fun part – painting them! A note about paint colours, especially with children. I highly recommend limiting the colours, or you will end up with a big brown mess. I created 4 paint colours by mixing the paints. It might be intimidating to mix your own colours and it’s a lot of trial and error, but the result is worth it. I created warm, autumnal tones for my child to play with. Also, full disclosure – I did the little pumpkin, they did the big one! Last point to make, I use and reuse the plastic containers from when we buy fruit to hold the paint. They don’t have holes and they are the perfect size and shape for painting projects.

I’m so happy with how they’ve come out and the fun my toddler had painting them. It’s made me want to perhaps do some more papier-mâché projects in the future!