Shake, Shake, Shake!

Materials:

12" wooden dowel, painted and ribboned

ribbon                              felt

           embroidered floss                airdry paper clay

           3/4" Styrofoam balls            empty matchbox 

          crepe paper                      pipe cleaner

 tinsel pom pom                    paint

6-8 small buttons                 stuffing

                 paper covered florist wire      book page for hat                 

Instructions for Surprised Pumpkin: Print pattern and cut out. Pin pattern pieces onto felt and cut out. Cut one 1"x 11 1/2" strip of orange felt for side of pumpkin. Stitch face pieces on.  *TIP: Position each felt piece correctly and then add a tiny drop of glue and let it dry. This will keep everything nice and neat while you stitch.

Instructions for Smiley Pumpkin: Ditto, except use a disappearing ink pen to draw stitching lines and then stitch on these lines (matching 2 strand embroidery floss) using a stem stitch.

2. Stitch side strip onto face. Now it is time to add the shaker box. I made my own box but you can use a small matchbox (I didn't have one, go figure....I usually keep everything! Note to self: buy some matches in cute little boxes). Add 6-8 small buttons. Tape shut. Cut an X on the long side of the box. Use a small amount of hot glue and glue the box to the back side of the face (see above photo). Make an small X on the bottom of the pumpkin. Now insert dowel through X in pumpkin and then into the matchbox. You may add a tiny bit of glue were the dowel meets the felt, on the inside of the pumpkin.

3. Now stitch the back on using a buttonhole stitch. Add stuffing when you get a little more than 3/4 of the way stitched. Finish stitching.

4. At this step you can add different lengths of ribbon. Glue them to point where dowel meets the pumpkin. Cut the collar out of black poster board or you can cut it out of a cereal box and paint it black. Add fringe to top and bottom starting and stopping at slit. Add collar to pumpkin, use tiny drop of hot glue or Aleene's tacky glue (I use this glue for everything! You just have to be patient with it.). You can add the party hat to the Smiley pumpkin at this point.

Spider: Cover 3/4" Styrofoam ball with thin layer of air dry paper clay. TIP *Keep fingertips wet to smooth out the clay. Let dry overnight or dry with fan or hairdryer (I used hairdryer but be careful! Don't get burned). Paint black and then paint face. Spider legs are paper covered wire painted black. You can find this in florist department in 12" lengths. Cut 8- 2" lengths. Tiny drop of Aleene's glue on tip of leg and insert into spider. Let dry. Add hat (smaller version of hat pattern). Glue onto pumpkin.  Bend legs when spider is dry and add sucker. Sucker: 1/4" x 2 1/2" strips of felt rolled together and glued at tip. Stick is 1" toothpick, glued onto felt sucker.

Bat: Ditto on paper clay covered ball. After paint has dried, add wings and ears. I used Aleene's glue, it is not as shiny as hot glue and you can paint over it if mistakes happen. Add hat to bat. Glue onto pumpkin. 

Please let me know if you don't understand something.

Hope you enjoy making a Pumpkin Shaker!

Happy Crafting,

Holly