Halloween DIY: Cross-Stitch Pumpkins

When I initially started making and selling online, some of my first projects were embroidery and cross-stitch hoops. Being an avid movie-watcher, working with a needle and embroidery thread is a great way to get some work done while still being able to watch your favorite Netflix show. So you bet I was excited to take one of my favorite pastimes and apply it to pumpkins with these Cross-Stitch Pumpkins! Non-traditional pumpkins are definitely on-trend this year, and these pumpkins are just as easy and fun to make without the hassle of breaking out the miniature pumpkin-carving saws. Plus, you can still use whichever colors and designs you want in order to personalize your pumpkins to fit your aesthetic.

Grab a needle and thread, you’re about to have the coolest pumpkins on the block this year! —Sam

Supplies

-Drill
-Drill bit (1/16)
-Pumpkins (I used ones that are 5″ in diameter)
-Embroidery thread
-Large embroidery needle
-Printed design that you want to put on your pumpkin
-Clay tool or something to poke small holes in the pumpkin
-Tools to cut and gut pumpkin (such as a knife and large spoon to scoop out the inside)

How-To

Step 1: Clean and gut the pumpkin completely to prep it for the embroidery thread.

Step 2: Create a design on a 4″ x 4″ grid (this is how big my grid was based on the size of the pumpkins I used), and print and cut it out.

Step 3: Place the design on the pumpkin and, using your clay tool, make small perforations on the corners of each square in your design. You don’t need to puncture all the way through, just enough so that you can see the hole once the design is removed from the pumpkin.

Step 4: Using the drill, make the perforations you just made larger and drill all the way through to the inside of the pumpkin.

Step 5: Thread your embroidery needle with thread. Using your printed design as a guide, poke the needle in a hole going toward the inside of the pumpkin and then back through another hole to the outside, creating X’s in the squares of your design.

Step 6: When you are finished, remove the needle, cut any excess string and knot the string on the inside of the pumpkin. Place the top back on and show off your creation!