Many people love to carve and decorate pumpkins for Halloween. They make wonderful three-dimensional figures and lanterns. Or maybe you should make a fairy-tale and magical carriage from a pumpkin with your own hands for Cinderella’s toy wedding? Or use it for a fun themed photography project.
A little history
Carving crafts from pumpkins is an echo of the distant past. According to the history of the Irish people, carving began with turnips. The ancient Celts created lanterns from this vegetable to mark the onset of Samhain, the end of the harvest and the day of honoring the dead. On this holiday, October 31, the Celts placed burning coals in carved turnips to light the way for the souls of close relatives and protect themselves from evil ghosts.
When Irish immigrants arrived in America in the 1840s, they discovered that pumpkins were much easier to carve. Other ethnic groups followed suit, and the pumpkin became the fall symbol of Halloween.
How to decorate a pumpkin
The hardest part is finding or building the wheels and pieces to decorate the carriage. You can try to buy cheap wooden or plastic wheels and 3D print the carved parts. But in the end it’s much easier and cheaper to make everything yourself.
Rhinestones, beads and large beads will also decorate your homemade craft. A pumpkin carriage gives unlimited space for imagination. Cutting out crafts is a pleasant and useful way to spend leisure time with your child and enjoy the creative process yourself.
It is not necessary to follow the master classes “How to make a pumpkin carriage with your own hands” at all points. The shape (elongated upward or squat), the use of colors in the decor and your personal ideas will help you create a unique and unique masterpiece.
An example of a homemade wheel
Necessary materials:
- wire;
- model clay;
- glue;
- papier-mâché paper;
- thin wooden rods or bamboo sticks;
- dye;
- hot glue gun.
Twist the wire to form circles, two of them should have a larger diameter. Add spokes and a piece of clay to the center of the wheel to secure the design details.
Cover the resulting part with modeling clay, this will add volume. To strengthen the wheels, wrap them in paper coated with glue. After drying, paint it in the desired color.
We cut the wooden rods to the required length and paint them, then hot glue the wheels onto a bamboo stick.
An alternative method is to form the whole thing entirely out of clay and bake it.
Winter carriage
At the first master class For a do-it-yourself pumpkin carriage we will need:
Cut a circle around the stem to form a lid. Remove the pulp from the pumpkin, setting the seeds aside. Add windows and a door for the carriage and wipe down all the parts of the pumpkin.
Paint the entire pumpkin and the lid and stem. This process can be entrusted to a child, because it is not too complicated. Set the piece aside until completely dry before the next step.
Apply glitter glue. In this master class for a do-it-yourself pumpkin carriage, the window and door openings are outlined. Next, attach the decorations. The child can indicate the place for them, but it is better to stick them on yourself. After finishing decorating, you need to wait so that the glue is completely dry and the jewelry does not fall off this masterpiece.
Attach the wheels with nails by piercing the small pumpkins all the way through and carefully driving them deep enough into the larger one. The tricky part is to ensure that the weight of the pumpkin is distributed evenly across all four pumpkin wheels. Light up this pumpkin by placing a candle inside.
The handmade pumpkin carriage in the photo just begs to be seen. Lighting, background and two mice complete the picture after midnight.
We will need:
- 3 belt buckles (preferably with an ornament);
- 1 large pumpkin (about 25 - 30 cm);
- marker;
- dark gray paint;
- glue, preferably in a gun for convenience;
- 1 decorative lamp or candle;
- 4 small pumpkins for wheels;
- 4 caps decorated with ornaments;
- 2 wooden or metal rods (length equal to the width of the pumpkin);
- thick wire;
- decoration instead of a stalk;
- drill.
Peel the seeds from the pumpkin, then trace the buckles you choose for the windows and door with a marker. Cut the openings to the required size, paint the fruit dark gray and secure the decorations with glue. Carefully separate the stalk and replace it with a decorated top.
In this master class for a DIY pumpkin carriage, we will need a drill. Use it to make a hole through the center of each small pumpkin. Now put them on the rod, forming an axis, and secure them at the edges by gluing the caps. Repeat the same steps for the second set of wheels.
Align the axes so they are approximately the width of the pumpkin. Carefully, without moving, tie the wire from one set of wheels to the next, forming a strong mesh for a large pumpkin. Place the “carriage” on the base and light it from the inside.
Transport for Cinderella
The secret to making a DIY pumpkin carriage master class is very simple: a little preparation, imagination and time.
We will need:
- paints of different colors;
- thin brush;
- cardboard;
- glue;
- golden paper
- decorative “fluffy” wire;
- dowels
First, you need to remove the seeds from the pumpkin and cut out an arched window. Then paint it white and use a thin brush to draw a lantern, the bottom of the carriage, the silhouette of the door and the monogram “C” (Cinderella). Set aside until paints are completely dry.
For the wheels, four circles are cut out, two of which have a slightly smaller diameter. We make duplicates from golden paper and glue them onto cardboard, and add decorative wire rolled into a spiral on top.
Carefully make holes for the dowels in the pumpkin and wheels, assemble the entire structure; for greater strength, cardboard circles can be placed on glue.
Everyone already knows that crafts can be made not only from artificial, but also from natural materials. Pumpkin is one such material. Do you think pumpkins can only be used to make Halloween figures? However, this is not the case. Real craftsmen make from it everything that their imagination allows, from all kinds of faces to openwork lanterns and complex sculptures. If this type of creativity is not familiar to you, then you should try with less complex crafts. For example, a pumpkin carriage is just right for learning basic skills in carving (artistic cutting of vegetables and fruits).
The finished carriage can be used both as an independent craft and as an element of a composition. In addition, it can be used as decoration for a themed party. Try creating this craft with your child. This will give the baby a lot of impressions.
Making your own pumpkin carriage: choosing and preparing a pumpkin
If this is your first time doing this type of creativity, you need to choose a large pumpkin. The larger the vegetable, the easier it will be to cut. Also, pay attention to the shape of the pumpkin. The main thing is that it is of the correct shape and has good relief. Choose the color yourself. Carriages in bright orange or white look very impressive.
Crafts are often made from decorative pumpkins, but they can be made from regular ones, then you need to dry them properly. When choosing a vegetable, you first need to make sure that there are no rotten spots on it. Then wash thoroughly and wipe with an alcohol solution.
If you're storing the craft for a short time, simply drying the pumpkin will do, which won't take much time. To do this, carefully cut off the neck and remove the pulp and seeds with a spoon. Do not throw away the cut top, it will be needed for the craft. Next, you need to stuff it with plenty of paper (you can use newspapers) to eliminate moisture. The paper must be changed until it becomes dry. The main thing is not to overdry the pumpkin, as this will complicate the work.
There is a more complex drying method that allows you to store the finished product for a long time. This process takes six months. The pumpkin is dried whole. To avoid disappointment at the end of the term, instead of dried pumpkin, choose several vegetables. Pumpkins washed and wiped with an alcohol solution must be placed in a dark and well-ventilated room. Arrange vegetables so that they do not touch each other. Now be patient and turn and check the pumpkins every day for six months to make sure they don't start to rot. Rotten vegetables should be thrown away immediately.
The carriage can also be made from fresh pumpkin, but then it will last very little.
So, the pumpkin has been selected and prepared, all that remains is to decide on the tools and material that will be needed to make the carriage with your own hands.
You will need:
- pumpkin;
- white paper;
- wire;
- PVA glue;
- plasticine or plastic;
- golden outline;
- paint in golden and white shades;
A master class with step-by-step instructions will help you make a pumpkin carriage. Carefully follow the sequence of actions as in the photo and you will succeed.
Step 1. Making the wheels. We twist the wire into a ring and use several crossed twigs to make knitting needles on it. The two rear wheels need to be made larger than the two front ones. To securely fix the spokes, you can twist them together and additionally fasten them.
Step 2. Strengthen the wheels with plasticine.
Step 3. Decorate the wheels. We dilute PVA glue in water and glue thin paper, covering the workpiece with a layer of papier-mâché. This will give the structure strength and reliability. We measure the width of the pumpkin and accordingly cut the wire of the required length for the wheel shaft (instead of wire, you can take skewers or chopsticks).
Step 4. After the blanks have dried, paint them with golden paint.
Step 5. Attach the wheels to the shaft.
Step 6. Making windows. Using a marker, mark the cutout locations on the pumpkin. To make it easier, you can make a stencil on which to apply the contours. Then, using a small thin knife, carefully make cuts. Using a spoon, remove the pulp if the pumpkin is fresh.
Step 7. Decorate the base. We carefully draw the openings along the edge with a golden outline, thereby hiding the imperfections. We apply patterns in the same way and decorate the carriage to your taste. You can use acrylic paint and thin ribbons for decoration, with which you can create a carriage from a fairy tale. An example of carriage decoration can be taken from a children's book.
Step 8. Assembling the carriage. Using a glue gun, glue the parts to the base. You can attach the shaft with wheels using wire. This method of fastening is more reliable. The carriage is ready!
If you put a candle inside, you will get a fabulous candlestick and a beautiful decorative element.
Video lessons on the topic of the article
Below you can watch several video master classes with various variations of making pumpkin carriages.
Craft "Cinderella's Carriage" for the "Gifts of Nature" competition. Crafts from pumpkin and watermelon. Organza will be used as window decoration. Pumpkin seeds imitate gravel.
Materials and tools
How to make a carriage for Cinderella from a pumpkin with your own hands? Step-by-step instructions for children and adults.
1. Use round or nutmeg pumpkin (for example, the Arabat variety). Cut out the bottom of a round pumpkin, cut off the oblong part of a butternut squash, and use the round part. Remove seeds and pulp from the inside of the pumpkin using a knife and carving spoon.
2. Cut out circles on both sides of the pumpkin using a carving knife (a round knife for removing the core of an apple).
3. Using toothpicks, attach pieces of granza to the inside of the pumpkin. These are window curtains.
4. Use watermelon rinds to make the wheels and floor of the carriage. Trace the bottom of the pumpkin onto a piece of paper and cut out a template for the floor. Attach the template to the watermelon rind and cut out using a knife. Also cut out four wheels for the carriage (the diameter of the wheels depends on the size of the pumpkin).
5. Attach the wheels to the base of the carriage using toothpicks. To ensure stability of the structure, use two toothpicks to secure one wheel.
6. Place the carriage on the base and secure it with toothpicks.
Well, now, as has always been the tradition, or so to speak, it is customary to hold children’s exhibitions and fairs on autumn-themed crafts made from various materials in schools and kindergartens, you have been given the task to bring a craft made with your own hands. Mainly these can be crafts from various vegetables, such as zucchini, eggplant, carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, etc. , as well as natural materials.
Of course, the most popular craft is a large pumpkin craft, made in any interesting way.
Have you ever taken part in such a thing, perhaps even won some prizes or gifts? I remember at school we always had such fun events every year. It was very interesting and cool to see who made what.
In this article I offer you beautiful crafts that you can do very quickly and easily at home yourself, but if you have preschool children, then together with your child.
DIY pumpkin crafts for kindergarten children
I offer these work options to the youngest children; I think they will not be too difficult to complete.
I remember that in one of my articles, namely “”, I already told you about such an easy application. I hope that you will apply the knowledge gained in it to your pumpkin.
This is done like this: apply PVA glue to the pumpkin, take colored paper napkins, separate the thinnest layer and apply it to the smeared pumpkin, then spread the glue over the napkin again. Let it dry and you will get a magnificent masterpiece.
Interesting! You can also use cotton fabric as a base; it will also stick easily.
2. Painted creation with a marker. You can depict any plot or picture, funny faces or anything that your beloved child wants to draw, for example butterflies, flowers, a house, geometric shapes, etc.
3. Very often for competitions they use options for representing a pumpkin in the form of an owl or a chicken.
Make blank templates from colored paper or fabric and let your child glue them on themselves.
Moreover, such work can be done both from the pumpkin itself and its seeds.
4. Another option is to make such a brilliant masterpiece using acrylic paints, just use a brush to paint the piece in a circle with different colors.
Important! Apply the first layer of white over the entire vegetable so that all other colors look brighter later.
Pumpkin crafts for an exhibition at school on the theme “Autumn has come”
For school-age children the task becomes more complicated; many different creative displays can be made.
1. The most common is this scary head. It is usually made for Halloween in November, but it also has its place here.
Making it is also not difficult; remove and cut off the stalk. And with a knife, or even with your hands, remove all the pulp along with the seeds. Well, after the creative process, use a knife to make the necessary holes, for example, like in this photo, and initially outline the features of a funny face with a simple pencil.
Here are some new ideas for you:
2. The most common option, which children absolutely love, is pumpkin carriages. I suggest you watch this video and learn how to make such a miracle yourself:
3. For lazy fidgets, you can make a craft with a joke). I think everyone will have fun! After all, the main thing is participation and a little effort and imagination, and you can even make such a weirdo:
Don't forget to decorate it with leaves or dried flowers.
4. From all sorts of old newspapers and magazines, for example, TV show magazines for a week, you can make such a mysterious autumn lady “Autumn”.
5. If you don’t have a lot of free time, then the task before you is still the same. There are some simple and fairly quick options for crafts made from this autumn orange vegetable, which I found on the Internet:
6. Well, the very last option, together with other vegetables, for example, zucchini. Such a naughty snail on a leaf, you will need half a zucchini and half a pumpkin.
Master class “Autumn crafts from pumpkins”
I suggest you make the easiest and at the same time pleasant plot in every sense, this is an autumn composition of flowers, namely “Bouquet in a Pumpkin”. Which, by the way, can be presented as a gift or souvenir for any holiday that is celebrated in October, for example. It will look creative and incredibly beautiful and original at the same time.
We will need:
- pumpkin - 1 pc.
- water - 1 tbsp.
- knife - 1 pc.
- scissors - 1 pc.
- floral sponge - 2 pcs. or one big one
- fresh flowers - bouquet
Stages of work:
1. First of all, grab the pumpkin and carefully cut off the top with a knife.
2. Now take out all the orange pulp with seeds.
3. Take a floral sponge and cut it into two parts with water.
4. Use a knife to make it so that it fits completely into the hole, i.e. corresponds to the diameter of the pumpkin.
5. Place it inside.
6. Sprinkle the sponge well with water so that it absorbs as much as possible, and then the flowers will last not a day or two, but for two to three weeks.
8. Start assembling the composition by simply sticking the stems into the sponge.
9. This is such a beautiful and sunny chic craft creation, the main thing is to want to make it and it will delight you and others for a very long time.
Another very original and unique decoration you can make for an exhibition at school is a flashlight or candlestick. Moreover, the Halloween holiday is just around the corner, perhaps you will make such an invention for it:
Sincerely, Ekaterina Mantsurova
Autumn is the time when school or kindergarten will definitely ask you to make crafts from natural materials. Also, autumn is the time of the increasingly popular Halloween holiday in Russia. Therefore, fate itself puts a pumpkin in our hands.
Cinderella is already in a hurry to the ball, but the pumpkin carriage is not ready yet, the master class will help solve this problem. You can do anything with your own hands. Let's take a closer look at the master class on how to make a carriage out of a pumpkin.
To work you will need:
- pumpkin,
- sketch,
- wheel base,
- nail,
- decorations.
Selecting a pumpkin
The right pumpkin is an important detail; it will be the basis of the carriage:
- The bright orange fruit creates a festive mood;
- White color looks very elegant. With gold decoration and thin spoked wheels, the craft looks light and airy;
- A rich green vegetable will create the effect of precious malachite, while a matte one will give it nobility.
Try to choose a vegetable of the correct shape. It can have a round shape, oblong or flattened, but always symmetrical. Handmade pumpkin carriages with a pronounced relief look great, as in the photo:
Master class on creating a sketch
The next step in the master class is working out the details. We move on to creating a sketch of the future craft only after we have chosen the basis. If done in a different order, it will be very difficult to find a fruit that fits the chosen design.
To get inspired, look at the photos of finished works that we provide below. You can take an already proven idea or create a unique model with your own hands.
To begin with, we draw the contours of your pumpkin, outline the windows and wheels. It is recommended to immediately think through all the decorations. You may need ribbons, scraps of fabric, ribbons, beads, sequins, glitter glue - whatever you like.
At the same stage of the master class we decide how to make the wheels. There are several options:
Process of creation
Using the sketch, we make a full-size stencil. We glue it to the fruit with tape and outline the outline of future windows and doors, piercing holes with a nail along the outline of the drawing.
The next step of the master class will be the most painstaking work, cutting. Ideally, this is done with special carving knives, but you can also use a regular kitchen knife. If large holes are not planned, cut out the lid on top. You need to cut a little with a bevel so that later the lid does not fall through. Carefully scoop out all the pulp.
After the base is cut out, all that remains is to fit the wheels and decorate Cinderella's carriage. You can insert a small candle inside, and the pumpkin carriage will be illuminated with a mysterious glow. Your DIY Halloween decoration is ready.
Master class on drying pumpkin
I would like the work done to please the eye for a long time and not deteriorate. How to make a pumpkin carriage stronger and more durable? It's very easy to do it yourself. After cutting out the lid, scrape out the flesh as best you can. Along with the seeds, you need to remove the edible part and prepare something tasty from it. A thin crust will dry faster, but don't overdo it.
To dry, push crumpled paper inside. You can use old newspapers. Change the filler as it gets wet. If the newspaper remains dry, it means the workpiece is ready. This way the craft will please the eye longer and can last for about six months.
The carriage is ready and Cinderella can safely go to the ball.
Examples
You can make a chic pumpkin vase with your own hands in just 10-25 minutes. Its rich orange color will brighten up any home decor and make it elegant for autumn. The main thing is that it’s all free and with your own hands.
If you don’t know what to do with an unnecessary pumpkin brought from the garden, just turn it into an original vase. And so we read the step-by-step master class.
- Small pumpkin
- Glass cup or jar that will be inserted into the pumpkin
- Floral foam (can be purchased at any flower shop)
- Carving knife or regular knife
- Spoon
- Wax or paraffin - optional
Vase master class
Step 1
Place our glass on top of the pumpkin and indent it by 1 centimeter. Using a knife, mark a circle and its future diameter for cutting.
Just make sure in advance that your glass is smaller in height than the pumpkin.
Cut a cone with a knife and remove all the seeds with a spoon. Ideally, you need to remove all the seeds if you want the pumpkin to last longer.
We wash the pumpkin and let it dry. If the diameter of the hole allows, then you need to blot the inside with a napkin. So that the pumpkin is dry from the inside.
TIP: to make such a vase last longer, you can heat paraffin or an old candle and treat it with wax from the inside. This pumpkin will remain calm until March.
Step 2
Fill the glass with floral foam and form a composition of fresh flowers. What to do if there is no foam? Then take a regular glass of water or a simple foam rubber.
We insert the glass into the pumpkin and the vase is ready!
Such a vase without paraffin treatment costs 1-2 months, of course, a lot depends on the humidity in your room, as well as on the type of pumpkin. If you treat it with paraffin from the inside, it will last 3-5 months.
Pumpkin flowerpot
You can also make not only a vase with fresh flowers, but also a pot for indoor plants. The manufacturing technique is the same, but there is one point.
If you want to insert a flowerpot into a pumpkin, remember that all flowerpots have a hole at the bottom. The water will leak and quickly ruin the pumpkin. Therefore, you must first place a sealed pot in the pumpkin, and then insert a flowerpot with flowers into it.
See more beautiful photos of vases and pumpkin planters and get inspired!
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