DIY Christmas candlestick with pumpkin seeds. Pumpkin for Halloween - original decor ideas

Real works of applied art can be obtained from the “natural product” collected on the “natural product”. For some, this statement sounds somewhat unusual, but there is a considerable amount of truth in it. One has only to take a closer look at, and you will surely see the appropriate "". Especially in this regard, massive gourds stand out, so let's consider what can be done from the grown and prepared decorative.

What can be made from pumpkin

The first thing that comes to mind is a "head" for Halloween. But the decorative "abilities" of the steep-sided culture do not end there.

If you arm yourself with imagination and make some efforts, then from this plant you can build:

• The simplest candlesticks, lanterns or caskets (it all depends on the size of the workpiece).


• A vase with a cutout for a plastic tray in which the flowers will stand. It is even easier to insert a cut-out flat bottom from a bottle there. Often they are treated with decoupage glue and "dipped" in sugar - spectacular sparkles are obtained.


• Pots and small saucepans are considered more complex in terms of technology, which well emphasize the taste of cream soup.


It turns out that the assortment of crafts from a prepared decorative pumpkin is limited only by the imagination of the master. But no less important role is played by the blanks themselves, which are worth mentioning separately.

Choice of pumpkin for decoration

A small plant weighing from 100 to 500 g is best suited for such purposes. You can take all ripe and healthy rounds from this weight category. Fruits with more impressive "dimensions", in turn, are distinguished by thicker pulp, which is more likely to rot than reach the desired conditions.

Naturally, the pumpkin should be whole, without scratches, and even more so cracks. Equally important is the place of gathering and its time. So, the best choice would be a fruit hanging on a dried brown lash. But immature, too loose or "stuck" by the first frost specimens should be immediately put aside.




A separate topic is decorative melon lines. The most popular of them are the following varieties:

• "Orange" really like citrus. Small sizes (up to 300 g) in combination with bright color make such fruits a desirable decoration. In appearance, they can be both spherical and slightly flattened.
• "Tangerine". These crumbs are easily recognizable by their smooth skin with underdeveloped ribs.
• "Chalmoid". It is distinguished by an unusual type of fruit, which, as it were, is assembled from two parts. The variety is considered large and striking a variety of options design. Instances with a large upper half are often referred to as fungi.
• "Baby Boo", which, due to its small (10 cm) diameter and white color, can be mistaken for a giant garlic.
• "Kleine Bicolor". The contrasting "pear" color scheme is emphasized by a clear border: a dark green bottom with light stripes replaced by a rich yellow apex.
• "Sweet Dumpling". Quite large (400–500 g) fruits with ribs delight the eye with alternating white or yellowish “facets” and green stripes with frequent white dots running along their entire length.

Important! With open "garden" drying, the plant quickly begins to "give out" bad smell, so it is better to place it away from the gazebo and paths.


In addition to varietal diversity, there is also a species "scatter". The fact is that pumpkins of the original “bottle” shape, which are in demand as decorations, belong to a different species, known as lagenaria. And already from this “section” the most spectacular varieties stand out, such as the club-shaped line “Cobra” with spotted coloring and a bizarre shape.

Preparation

Even before you dry the pumpkin you like to get crafts from it, it will have to be properly prepared. This process is not fraught with special tricks and comes down to the following procedures:

• To begin with, the peel is washed in soapy water and thoroughly dried.
• After that, the fruit is wiped with alcohol or any liquids with its "participation".
• It remains to transfer the pumpkin to a place protected from sunlight. In such a room there should be good ventilation. There, the workpiece will stay until its shell begins to change color (this is about 1-2 weeks).



How to dry a pumpkin for long-term storage

Proper drying is a delicate process, and it also requires a fair amount of patience. If the fruit of the usual form can dry from 3 months to six months, then a more “thick-skinned” lagenaria will take at least 10 months (or even 1 year).

Did you know?It takes an average of 35-40 fruits to prepare 1 liter of pumpkin seed oil.

The main rule is that shrinkage should be natural. Some try to speed it up by “running” in the microwave or oven, but this negates all the decorativeness of the fruit: at the slightest mistake, the pumpkin will turn out to be baked, and it would be wiser to eat it. With such heat treatment, the structure of the fibers is disturbed, and as a result, the peel loses the necessary rigidity.

Therefore, it would be better to let the moisture out "to chance". The role is assigned to the pores covering the surface of the fruit and the stalk. Immediately before drying the whole ripe pumpkin chosen for decor, you will have to put an oilcloth or a piece of thick film under it - over time it gives a natural leak. This is a necessary condition for storage in room.
This method is the most massive and simple, but it has its own nuances that it is advisable to keep in mind:

• The fruits are laid out (or better - hung) on ​​the loggia or balcony. If “lying” storage is planned, they try to place the pumpkin on a table with frequent gaps between the planks - they will provide proper ventilation.
• Do not forget about the constant circulation of air (for these reasons, solid countertops and closed cabinets, warm kitchens or musty cellars are not suitable).
• The first couple of weeks, the blanks are inspected every day, rejecting too soft or wrinkled specimens. There is one tricky point here related to mold. It can appear on the peel from exposure to moisture flowing from the fruit. Such "traces" are easily erased, but after a couple of days they appear again. This is not scary - at the end of drying, you will see an unusual pattern on the "skin" of the vegetable.

Important!Purely fodder varieties are difficult to decorate- not every knife can cope with bulky and dense pulp.



• Unripe pumpkins rot most often, while hitting their ripe "colleagues". Seeing a small spot, try to put pressure on it with your finger - rot lends itself immediately, and it is better to throw out such an instance. Due to inexperience, the “effect” of rot can be confused with mold, which was mentioned in the paragraph above.
• For uniform shrinkage, weekly turning is required (at least once a week and a half). This simple manipulation will keep the pumpkins from rotting.

Did you know?Every autumn (September to November) the German city of Ludwigsburg turns into the “pumpkin capital of the world”. There is the largest festival entirely dedicated to this culture.

Some purely decorative varieties in warm regions can be dried on fresh air. Here, too, there are technological subtleties:

• First of all, the fruit is cut off along with a 4–5 cm tail. It is not worth tearing it off - moisture evaporates much worse through an uneven hole, which will slow down the whole process.
• The tail is also required (torn stalks are very susceptible to rot).
• The future "decor" is hung separately or placed on ventilated wooden pallets. Otherwise, the requirements are the same: regular inspection and “scrolling” with rejection as necessary.




By the way, about waste. Get ready for the fact that even with the right content, 7–10% of the blanks will go to the pit - this is the price “for beauty”.

In addition to the two main methods, there is another one. This storage "on the vine", which is practiced by followers of the most natural agricultural technology. Everything is simple here - the fruits dry out without separation from the plant. For the best effect, they are placed in divided sections of the fence or palisade with prepared niches.

The obvious advantages of such drying are excellent ventilation, coupled with a good “preservation” of a ripened pumpkin, which is not afraid of rain or frost. Already after the cut, it lends itself well to varnishing or painting. Of the shortcomings, only the insecurity of such plantations stands out - they can easily become the prey of country thieves or suffer from large animals.




How to determine readiness

Having found out the main details, let's not forget about such a question as checking the readiness of the product for artistic processing.

We continue to collect creative ideas on how to decorate candles when autumn comes. In part-1, we showed - from what is found in the garden, forest or park. There it was about compositions around candles. And here we turn to candlesticks, into which the gifts of autumn nature can easily turn - also edible.

In addition to inspiring ideas, you will learn how to make a candlestick from an apple or a pumpkin with your own hands (2 master classes). And now - meet the second part of the collection of autumn ideas with candles and gifts of nature!

Before you - options for candlesticks from autumn harvest. Here are combinations of an impromptu "candlestick" and decor around it, which gives the composition a particularly original, and sometimes even a festive look. See more examples from individual materials in other sections of this gallery.

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do-it-yourself autumn candlesticks from apples:

Let's start with apples. Juicy green or red apples are the perfect backdrop for a thin white or red candle. Put them one by one or collect a "harvest" composition on a tray. Decorate them with red berries or just leave the stalk and leaf.

apple candle holders for tea candles:

Candlesticks made of apples are also suitable for tea candles. In addition to the “one-story” composition on a tray, you can also create a multi-level one by raising several apples on overturned glasses or high candlesticks. Or let apples and candles float in a bowl or basin. For beauty, you can throw leaves, berries or nuts there.

how to make candlesticks from apples - master class:

It is very easy to make a candlestick from an apple. First of all, find a fruit that is hard enough - it should not fall apart while you "drill" it. Attach a candle (or a small candlestick for tall candles) to the top of the apple and circle it around the outline. And then cut a hole in the apple along the diameter of this circle - deep enough so that the candle “sits down” tightly, but does not sink (the wick should be on the surface).

This idea is also suitable for a thick candle - the only difference is that the hole needs to be cut from the bottom side. Such original candlesticks are beautiful on their own, but they can also be supplemented with small decor - for example, bows and small twigs.

For sophisticated fragrance connoisseurs: before lighting a candle, sprinkle cinnamon on an apple and turn the candle into an aromatic one.

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do-it-yourself autumn pumpkin candlesticks:

With pumpkins, you can also do a lot of things. Tiny pumpkins are a great alternative to apples: they are stronger and last much longer without losing their appearance. Of these, you can make both a simple candlestick and a more intricate one.

A small pumpkin girdled with lace is a cute decoration a la vintage. Two pumpkins of different sizes - an elegant "two-story" candlestick.

Gorlyanka, cut into halves across - candlesticks for thick tall candles. The top with ponytail and bottom plus toothpicks make a fun candle house that kids will love.

with flowers and branches:

Candlesticks can be additionally decorated with fabric flowers, leaves or berries. If you have a large pumpkin, wrap a wreath of fresh fall flowers around it (the candle is placed in the center).

from a pumpkin painted with silver paint:

Try an unusual move: silver paint or glitter spray. Color the pumpkin and tie it with the same ribbon. Or create an elegant composition in silver tones: a tall candlestick, and on top - a small pumpkin, in which a candle is placed (for special chic, everything is covered with a brilliant silvery spray). Isn't it luxurious?

gourd candle holders for tea candles:

And here are examples of wonderful tea candles made from pumpkins. Below is a master class on how to do it yourself.

how to make candlesticks from small pumpkins for tea candles - a master class:

With a pumpkin, you will have to tinker a little longer than, for example, with apples. To make a hole in it, you will need a drill, a special drill (if the pumpkin is small, you can get by with a knife), an assistant who will hold the pumpkin, and patience. But do not hesitate, it is worth the effort - the result will exceed all expectations.

In a hole made in a pumpkin, you can install a tea candle or even make an eco-candle with your own hands (pour melted wax or stearin into the hole and install the wick). Another option is to remove the spark plug from the sleeve, place it in the hole and melt it with a hair dryer for better adhesion. In the photos - 2 master classes in pictures, the second - from Martha Stewart.

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unusual artichoke and asparagus candlesticks:

By the way, Western decorators are very fond of decorating the table with asparagus and artichokes - their greens and petals are perfectly combined with each other. These vegetables are rare in our country, but candlesticks from them look truly curious.

The asparagus is simply tied around the candle, with the artichoke more options. Instead of the core (it is cut out, leaving only the petals), you can put both a small and a tall candle. For greater safety, hide the candle behind the walls of a glass candlestick or stack.

Candlesticks themselves can be decorated in different ways. Put them in painted bowls or, conversely, serve them in deliberately simple tin buckets - both are perfect for country music. Put them on a tray with other vegetables, fruits, frame with tassels of berries. By the way, you can also make decor from neighboring vegetables - for example, flower vases.

Autumn is a wonderful time, it seems as if nature is ready to give her all her colors before cold winter. And a great gift from this time of the year, we get all kinds of vegetables that are not only useful to eat, but also to make all kinds of crafts from them - decorations for the interior.

Today on the site "Dream House" we will talk about the pumpkin. It is not only useful, but also beautiful colour, from green with splashes of yellow, to rich yellow and orange. Thanks to the color and thick skin, pumpkin crafts are durable and beautiful. They can please the eye for a very short time or, conversely, for a very long time. What can be made from a pumpkin, how to extend the life of crafts? We'll talk about this.

What crafts can be made from a pumpkin with your own hands

The first thing that comes to mind is a pumpkin on. On this holiday, the pumpkin head is found everywhere, and in our country the idea was picked up fairly quickly. Second - . But we have a separate post about them. What else?

The easiest crafts to do are all kinds of caskets, candlesticks, lanterns,. More difficult to manufacture items are made from dried pumpkin - handbags.

You can fill a children's room with a large number of pumpkin crafts: a mobile for a crib, maracas, a lamp, and more. Together with the children it will be interesting to make a carriage, houses, various animals, pumpkin boats, all kinds of little men.

Funny faces - pumpkin crafts

Funny faces - pumpkin crafts for the garden

DIY pumpkin crafts for children

A fireplace or a shelf in the living room can be decorated with such original craft like a round gourd clock.

Crafts from a large pumpkin - clock

If you are a happy owner of a garden, then fill it with street lamps and lanterns, a birdhouse, an intricate pumpkin washstand.

Luxurious look pumpkins, decorated with fresh flowers, sparkles, autumn leaves. This is perhaps one of best jewelry For .

And with the help of paints you can make beautiful patterns.

How to Make Pumpkin Crafts: Highlights

Getting acquainted with the pumpkin as a material for crafts, it is best to get your hands on easy-to-make items, and only after that move on to more complex crafts.

We select a tool

For the manufacture of a particular craft, it is necessary to properly prepare improvised tools. Most often you will need:

• long knife;
• scraper or spoon to remove the pulp from the pumpkin;
• paper for faster drying of the pumpkin;
• thin paper, coal;
• an awl to make small holes;
• scotch;
• paint, cutter, etc.

We select and dry the pumpkin

Most often, crafts are made from decorative pumpkins, but ordinary small specimens can also be used. Having chosen a suitable vegetable, inspect it for the absence of rotten spots, wash and wipe thoroughly, preferably with an alcohol solution. Your next step depends on the purpose of the future craft.

If you do not plan to store it for a long time, then a simple drying of the pumpkin is necessary, which does not take very long. You should cut off the neck, remove the pulp and seeds with a spoon, then stuff it big amount paper to absorb moisture. Change the paper until it is no longer damp. The pumpkin is now ready to use.

If you want to make something more serious, like dishes, then you should know how to dry a craft pumpkin so that it lasts much longer. You will have to be patient, because this process will take six months. In order not to get disappointed by the end of the term instead of a well-dried pumpkin, choose a few pieces for drying. In the process, some of them may begin to rot. So, pumpkins washed and wiped with a weak alcohol solution must be removed to a well-ventilated room not exposed to sunlight. Vegetables should not touch each other. Every day for 6 months, turn the pumpkins over and check if they have begun to rot in order to remove the infected vegetable in time.

How to dry a pumpkin for crafts

Dried Pumpkin Crafts

Let's start creating

To make DIY pumpkin crafts a lot of fun, use our tips:

• if the pumpkin was dried whole, then before removing the seeds from it, pour water inside, then rinse the pumpkin;
• to apply a pattern to a vegetable, you must first apply it to thin paper, then glue it to the pumpkin with adhesive tape and “pierce” the pattern along the contour with an awl. After you remove the paper, wipe the craft with charcoal, it will help fix the pattern. The second option is to use ordinary carbon paper to apply the drawing;
• finally apply the drawing on a well-dried pumpkin with a jigsaw or a wood burning device;
• on a fresh pumpkin, you can apply a pattern with a conventional vegetable cutter;
• if you decide to use paints, then give preference to acrylic;
• do not cover the craft with varnish, the pumpkin must breathe;
• if the fresh pumpkin craft has begun to dry out, dip it in water for several hours;
• cut the picture should be from the center;
• if you unsuccessfully cut out part of the pattern in a fresh pumpkin, you can return the cut piece with a wire.

Pumpkin Crafts for Beginners

Having caught fire with the idea of ​​​​creating something, I don’t want to wait 6 months. Therefore, we bring to your attention the most simple crafts from natural material- from a pumpkin.

pumpkin candle

Prepare a small pumpkin as described above. After a quick drying, carefully attach the wick to the bottom of the gourd, pour the wax inside. You can use aromatic wax.

Small candles - crafts from a round pumpkin

Candlestick

Follow the steps described for making a pumpkin candle, only at the end, instead of wax and a wick, put a small candle inside the vegetable. If you wish, you can first apply a drawing and make the candlestick more openwork. You can also make a lamp.

Pumpkin basket

Perfectly decorate the autumn table. Open the pumpkin under the basket, cutting out the excess. Remove seeds and dry quickly. The handle of the basket can be carved, and a plain pattern can also be applied to the side parts of the pumpkin.

This pumpkin craft will be interesting to do with the children. Use the proposed sketches on the Internet, and feel free to get to work.

Finally, I would like to note that you can make crafts from pumpkins all winter, brightening up cold evenings. And the received products will be a pleasure to give to your friends and relatives. Believe me, such a reminder of warm days will bring them a lot of pleasure!

Pumpkin has long ceased to be exclusively a "raw material" for culinary specialists. Today it is a design material, from which, with minimal skills, you can make a lot of beautiful and original ones.

The decor of this bright vegetable adds autumn color to the house, and the process of its creation captivates and cheers up!

We suggest arming yourself with orange-sunny pumpkins and transforming your home so that you can also feel the breath in it, and not just in parks and squares, gradually covered with yellow foliage.

Why pumpkin?

- a versatile vegetable, equally useful for both the culinary specialist and the designer. By the way, according to some characteristics, this is not a vegetable, but a berry, like a watermelon or melon, but in any case, the botanical features of this plant do not affect its aesthetic value.

Why a pumpkin is convenient to use for crafts:

• she long lasting even without special processing, pumpkin decor will “please the eye” all autumn;
• pumpkin has a dense, hard and smooth surface, with which easy to operate even for a novice decorator;
• decorative varieties have a spherical shape, on which convenient to apply drawings or ornaments.

For decoration, choose fruits without damage and spots, with a skin of a uniform color and a stalk of 5-10 cm. When you prepare the pumpkin and remove the pulp from it, proceed carefully, leaving 1-1.5 cm of the skin. It will not be superfluous to treat the inner surface of the vegetable with sandpaper and disinfect with alcohol. Be sure to let the fruit dry in the sun.

Master class on decorating a pumpkin

What autumn pumpkin crafts can you make?

The number of home and garden decorations that are made from pumpkins is limited only by the flight of fancy and the abilities of the decorator.

Easiest to do pumpkin painting marker, acrylic paints or make crafts such as:

• flashlight;
• a box with a lid;
• candlestick;
• figurines of animals, for example, seals, owls;
• pumpkin vases for autumn bouquets.

Pumpkins of different shapes and sizes with peels of various shades of orange are good on their own: put them in a wicker basket or put them in a box, adding dried flowers - and a simple decor for ennobling arbors, yards, flower beds is ready!

And if you pre-arrange the vegetable using the technique, supplement it with burlap, make a “cobweb” of ribbons, or simply stick lace napkins on the pumpkin, the delight of households and guests is guaranteed!

Found on AliExpress / Decoupage Napkins

The multi-colored pumpkins look interesting. The easiest way to fully color a vegetable is to use spray paint. The fetus prepared in this way can be painted with an indelible marker (used to sign CDs). We recommend that you first make a sketch with a simple felt-tip pen, erasing unsuccessful lines or curls along the way, and when the drawing is completely satisfactory, draw it with an indelible marker.

Found on AliExpress / Sequins

Start with simple ornaments: stripes, cells, zigzags. Gradually, you will fill your hand and be able to decorate pumpkins using the ombre technique, apply ornate unusual patterns to the fruit. Involve children in decorating pumpkins - this is a joint creative occupation relaxes, tunes in to positive, and as a result you get a unique author's decor.

How to arrange an autumn bouquet in a pumpkin?

Pumpkin will be a great alternative for compositions of autumn flowers: asters, chrysanthemums, ears of corn, gerberas, dahlias, rudbeckia, zinnias. As well as succulents and other plants growing on your site. Compositions in a pumpkin are suitable for decoration not only at home, but also on terraces, arbors, patios.

For a vase, it is better to use small rounded fruits - the most aesthetic and most often used as a decorative material.

A pumpkin vase is made simply and quickly:

• cut off the top of the vegetable and remove the pulp from it, which will fit for culinary purposes;
• inside the fetus place a bowl or flask with water;
• "vase" fill in available floral material as tightly as possible, so that in the center of the composition there are more tall flowers and low on the sides.

Found on AliExpress / Art Supplies

You can complicate the vase by pre-painting it with acrylic gold paints, covering it with “sugar” crumbs, sticking strings of beads or rhinestones along the longitudinal stripes of the fruit.

More complex techniques for decorating pumpkin vases are figured carving and burning.

Found on AliExpress / Autumn decor

Yard autumn compositions from pumpkin

As we have already noticed, the pumpkin itself is a finished decoration of the living space and yard. Just hang small fruits at different heights in the gazebo, write "Welcome" or "Hello, autumn" on the pumpkin and place it near the entrance - guests will appreciate such autumn props.

Small pumpkins are used to create a border at the garden path or decorate flower beds. An interesting pumpkin garden craft - a house for fairies, a gnome, an owl. To create them, use cones, dry leaves (they will become an alternative gnome beard), sunflower seeds (you can make owl eyes out of them).

Pumpkin is also suitable for decorating a festive autumn table. Place the main autumn vegetable on a dish with a high leg and ennoble the composition with dry leaves, pieces of burlap, vines, small flowers, sprigs of viburnum or rowan.

Vase and candlestick made of pumpkin + Photo

Previously, we have posted articles on "pumpkin carving". In continuation of this topic, see another entertaining master class. Here, not a knife will be used as the main tool, but a drill (screwdriver) and a set of drills. A pumpkin vase or candle holder, which can be created using the method below, will be a great decoration for your fall party.

To create a vase and a pumpkin candlestick you will need:

Pumpkin

felt-tip pen

Drill and different sizes drill

Insulating tape

Large sharp knife

Spoon

Glass jar

Flowers

Wireless LED lights, glow sticks or decorative candles

Pumpkin Candlestick Vase Step by Step:

The first step is to decide on the pattern that you will drill on your pumpkin. You can use the ideas in Figure 2-5, or you can come up with your own.

Then mark with a felt-tip pen the image consisting of holes with which you want to decorate the pumpkin. To create holes, it is desirable to use drills of various sizes.

To create a symmetrical horizontal pattern, you need to use electrical tape - stick it on the pumpkin for reference (Figure 4).

Using a large sharp knife, it is necessary to cut off the top of the pumpkin, and then take out all its pulp and seeds (Fig. 6).

You can create an unusual autumn vase from a pumpkin. So, to decorate a pumpkin with flowers, you need to install a glass jar of water inside and cover with a "lid" (Fig. 7).

Then you need to drill holes in the "hat" for each flower stalk. Here it is important to point the drill in the direction of the water can so that the stems can get into the water without any problems. They need to be cut to the same length and remove the leaves. After that, each stem can be inserted into a separate hole.

Use wireless LED lights or glow sticks as illumination. You can also use tablet candles, but the pumpkin does not need to be covered with a “lid”.