Paper lunch bag pumpkin

I was playing around with a pile of lunch bags (as you do) trying to come up with something for halloween/autumn (as mentioned before, I much prefer to use what I've got instead of spending money, wherever possible!!) and came up with this - the lunch bag pumpkin!

 

I used 3 lunch bags for this project.  First, cut a template from card stock - I made a long, leaf kinda shape with flat ends instead of pointed - I made sure the length would fit onto a lunch bag.  Cut the bottoms off two lunch bags and cut up the seam, so you can lay them flat.  Use the template to draw the shapes on, and then cut them out.  I used 8 but you may prefer or require more or less, depending on how thin or fat you make your leaf shape!

 

Again from the white card stock I cut out a circle and using hot glue, began to attach the pieces to it - I found it easiest to begin by gluing the first 4 pieces opposite each other, then filling in the spaces with the remainder.

I cut another circle this time from the brown paper, and covered the pieces of white card which were still showing - this will be the outside base of the pumpkin.  I them took a full length section of lunch bag (this is where the 3rd bag came in, but if you have enough left over from the first two, save a lunch bag and use the scraps!) and simply twisted it around - no glue was required to help it hold it's shape.  This will become the stalk.

 

Turn the pumpkin (yes, it looks more like a flower at the moment!) over and using hot glue, attach one end of the stalk to the centre.

 

Now it's time to start bringing each section up to form the pumpkin shape.  I used hot glue for this, but double sided tape would probably work too.  If you look closely at the "flower", the leaves make up 2 layers - the first 4 you attached, and the last 4.  It is easier if you bring up the first 4 and glue them first.

I was so eager to get on with it, I didn't stop to take pictures - sorry!  Here it is with all 8 sections glued - I tried to curl then back down onto the stalk and glue them, to give a more realistic pumpkin shape.

The final touch was to tie a bow of rafia around the stem.  This if course won't stand up to much abuse, but the stem inside lends it a bit of strength, and stops it from sagging down on itself.  A nice easy project, which took me about 15 minutes!

Nikki x

Linked with

Someday Crafts, Whatever Goes Wednesday #86

Blue Cricket Design - Show and Tell 4/10/11