The Easy DIY That Turns A Balloon Into Rustic Pumpkin Décor

Pumpkins are a classic symbol of Halloween, Thanksgiving, and fall in general. You can spot pumpkins everywhere all season long, and not just the kind that have been harvested. There are all kinds of fun and creative ways to decorate with pumpkins for a stunning fall display — faux pumpkins included. You can even craft the décor yourself. Did you know that a balloon is the perfect base for a DIY pumpkin? Whether you want to make itty-bitty ones or a giant decoration, balloons are a great starting point. Wrap them in twine, which helps give them a pumpkin shape.

Some people like to keep their fall decorations traditional or quirky. But you can also go high-end and give pumpkins a major upgrade with a simple DIY. For example, a project shared by crafty YouTuber Patti J Good Designs turns a balloon into beautiful farmhouse décor. Yes, it's pumpkin-themed! The supplies are cheap and easy to acquire. You'll need a large balloon, jute twine, brown paper bags or newspapers, glue, and Distress Ink (or a similar water-reactive dye) in your color of choice. Grab some fall-adjacent embellishments for the top of the pumpkin while you're out shopping, too.

Start by blowing up your balloon so that it's approximately one-third full. Don't tie it closed, though. Use a clip at the end instead to temporarily cut off the air. Wrap jute twine around the balloon, tie it, and secure it with a piece of tape. Do this several times around the pumpkin, creating its vertical ribs. Make sure to tape them down, too. Now, blow up the balloon until you reach your desired size and tie off the opening. The shape of the pumpkin should have come to life.

Begin cutting the paper bags or newspaper into thin strips. Create a mixture with a ½ cup of white school glue and 3 tablespoons of water. Coat the strips in the mixture, then place them one by one over the twine. Continue attaching the strips until the whole balloon is covered. Set the balloon aside on a piece of wax paper. Take an additional paper bag or sheet of newsprint, spritz it with water, and crinkle it up. Spread it out and carefully dry it with a hair dryer or leave it to air-dry.

Tear up the bag into tiny pieces and attach them to the pumpkin using the glue mixture. It'll add strength and texture. After the pumpkin is covered, let it dry. Time to get rid of that balloon! Pop it with a pin and pull it out through the opening. Gently push down on the top of the pumpkin with your fingertips to make it slightly flatter. Next, you can paint the pumpkin or use a finish like Tim Holtz Distress Ink in Vintage Photo to add some color.

Every pumpkin needs a stem. Create one by cutting brown cardstock into wide strips. Texture them with a paper crimping tool. Tightly roll up one of the strips, gluing it as you go. Roll the remaining strips onto it until you end up with a thick stem. Paint or distress this as well, then enlarge the hole in your pumpkin so it will fit. Secure the stem to the pumpkin by wrapping jute cord around the bottom of it and gluing it in place.

Adorn your pumpkin with extra features like store-bought fall leaves or ones made out of paper, and curly tendrils crafted from wire. You could also attach mini pinecones and acorns. You now have a gorgeous, rustic pumpkin that will look incredible anywhere you put it. Frankly, you'll likely want to make more! Decorations can sometimes be pricey, but you can use these DIY pumpkins to spruce up your home for fall at little cost.

Once you're familiar with making pumpkins out of balloons, you can customize this project. Create adorable baby pumpkins by cutting off the very end of a balloon and stuffing it with cotton. Wrap twine around the bulge for that classic squash shape. Or create a huge, contemporary pumpkin out of a jumbo balloon. Follow the same steps as the DIY above but paint the resulting large pumpkin a trending color like teal or cottage white. With how easy and affordable this project is, you can surround yourself with as many pumpkins as you wish this fall.