DIY decorative pumpkins

homemade stylish minimalist fall decorations made from modeling clay

It's autumn... The days are getting shorter, the evenings darker, the weather outside gloomier and colder and our homes cozier and a cozy retreat. Maybe someone is sad that summer is over for this year, maybe you are also looking forward to fall. I love all seasons - I think the changes have their charm: there's something new, a new attitude to life, a new mood... and new decorations for the home. It feels new after the warmth of summer and yet familiar at the same time, as it repeats itself every year. There's something familiar about the emerging feeling, reminding us of the years before and experiences we've had during that season.

Do you have any fall traditions that you celebrate anew every year? ... Collecting chestnuts, rustling through colorful fallen leaves, flying kites, going for a walk in the rain and then warming up at home with hot tea or cocoa, a cuddly blanket and cozy music... hot chestnuts, rice pudding (you can find a recipe for coconut rice pudding with stewed plums here), plum cake, baked apples, pumpkin soup, new sweets and onion tart...

However you experience the start of autumn, it's always a nice tradition to welcome the new season at home with appropriate decorations. Here you will find an easy-to-implement idea: the DIY decorative pumpkins made from modeling clay are minimalist and their simplicity makes them suitable for any interior style, a stylish home accessory for indoors or outdoors, as a table decoration or as a gift.

For the DIY decorative pumpkins you need:

• Air-hardening modeling clay (or alternatively polymer clay)

• String/rope (e.g. leftover macramé)

• parcel string

• Brush and water

• Acrylic paint if necessary

It all started when my husband brought home some modeling clay from the shops: "You can certainly use it for something..." Thank you! I could actually use it very well: my earrings had lost a small white bead that I wanted to replace. The bead had a diameter of 1mm - so you can imagine how much modeling clay I would have needed. I was able to solve the problem of the missing bead on the earring in no time at all and - logically - had a whole packet of modeling clay "left over". (If you're looking for inspiration for homemade earrings, you can find it here!) I was just about to decorate the apartment for fall. So why not make pumpkins out of it? I also had leftovers from my last macramé projects, so I had the material for the pumpkin stems to hand.

These pumpkins are also a great craft project for children.

Step-by-step instructions

• Shape the modeling clay into a ball. The modeling clay comes in different colors, as you can see in the pictures, I used white. You can smooth the surface with your finger and a little water.

• Use the notches on a piece of parcel string to shape the furrows in the pumpkins.

• Then flatten the pumpkin a little.

• The indentations are probably not yet nice and smooth. You can do the "fine work" with a flat, soft brush and a little water. The modeling clay can easily be pressed into shape with the brush.

• Use the brush to make a hole in the top center and place the small piece of string in it. If you press the modeling clay firmly all around, the "pumpkin stem" will hold.

• Finally, you can work on the surface with a soft flat brush and a little water until you like it and then paint pumpkin color on it

• Leave to dry - done :-)

• If you like, you can of course paint the pumpkins afterwards. I decided to leave them white.

Now you can arrange the decorative pumpkins wherever you like in your home: on the windowsill, in a sun jar, as a table decoration, in front of the front door, in a gift basket... There's sure to be a suitable spot in your home where they will come into their own and bring a bit of autumn magic indoors.

I wish you lots of fun and a good start to a wonderful fall! Let yourself be carried away by the magic of autumn colors, the rustling of leaves, the candlelight and the anticipation of winter and be infected by the energy of autumn storms and the intensity of autumn colors!

If you like this post, please share it. I look forward to reading from you. Feel free to send me photos of your fall decorations. If you're looking for more fall decorating ideas, take a look at the DIY fall decorating post.

A hug and see you soon!