Chenille Pumpkins Made From A Torn Blanket

I made these chenille pumpkins from a blanket that had seen better days. I just can’t bear to throw things away when there is still some potential for a great project. These stuffed pumpkins are a true testament to my reuse, recycle and repurpose motto.

The chenille blanket was worn so thin that the material had started to tear and fray. I loved the texture of the popcorn dots of yarn and knew that I would one day find a way to recycle and repurpose this material.


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Supplies Needed to Make Chenille Pumpkins

  • Fabric {preferably recycled from an old chenille blanket but any fabric will work}
  • Needle and thread
  • Stuffing
  • Jute twine
  • Faux leaves and vines
  • Stick for the stem

chenille-pumpkins-made-from-a-torn-chenille-blanket

I cut a long strip of the chenille material from the blanket and then cut it into four 12×12 squares. I traced my dinner plate onto the smooth side of the material to create a circle pattern. {Note: I wanted various sizes of chenille pumpkins so I traced different sizes of plates.}

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After I traced my circles I cut the material and grabbed my needle and thread. Now trust me when I say have very limited sewing skills as I can barely sew on a button but this is an easy sewing project and I have even seen some tutorials where people have opted to skip the sewing and use a glue gun.

basting-stitch-used-to-make-chenille-pumpkins

I am guessing a glue gun would work to make chenille pumpkins but honestly I just folded the edge of the fabric over and did a basting stitch all the way around the edge and gathered the material leaving and opening at the top to insert some stuffing. {I didn’t even know it was called a basting stitch until a friend told me it’s not called a gathering stitch. Here is a quick video tutorial of a basting stitch which can be used for gathering material.}

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I filled the chenille pumpkins with some fluffy stuffing I picked up at the thrift store for 50 cents. Once I stuffed it to my liking I pulled the basting stitch until the top was almost closed but left room to insert a stem for my pumpkins.

stem-and-leaves-added-to-chenille-pumpkins

The stem is made out of random sticks I found out in my yard and I added some faux leaves and curly vines from my craft supply stash. (Yes, you can see more project using my craft stash supplies here.) Once the stem was in place I took some jute twine and crisscrossed it around the chenille pumpkins to create the look of grooves.

Making these chenille pumpkins was a quick and easy project that any beginner could do. Trust me.

chenille-pumpkins-made-from-a-torn-blanket-from-denise-at-my-thrifty-house

29 comments

  1. Sam @ Raggedy Bits says:

    These are just the cutest pumpkins!! I love the texture of them and that you have repurposed a chenille blanket to make them! Love using old chenille blankets to make repurposed quilts too!

    • Denise Bryant says:

      Sam…I loved this blanket so when it started to tear I was bummed but knew it would serve another purpose in a new life.

    • Denise Bryant says:

      Toni…I love the texture too and they are super easy to make. With your sewing skills I am sure you can add an extra twist to my design.

  2. Beverly says:

    I love these pumpkins. I have an old chenille quilt that will work perfectly for these. Thanks for the tutorial. I will be making some of these soon.
    Bev

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