Wired pumpkin - Pinspiration

I found this cute wire pumpkin on Pinterest earlier in the year. I finally got around to making it. Isn't it cute?? Here's the original Pinterest post from Someday Crafts blog. My directions are a little different, and I believe I may have found a faster way to get the same look but using only one long piece instead of 40. One piece = a lot less cutting and twisting =)

Here's what you'll need:  a cylindrical shaped object (like this Oxi Clean), wired jute, wire cutters

The wired jute was purchased at Hobby Lobby in the floral department. I didn't use the whole roll. In fact, the remaining jute is what's shown in the picture above. You don't need the Oxi Clean itself, only the tub that it is in or any other cylindrically shaped item you can find such as a vase, or a glass, or a large can of soup. Any size will work...mine was about 4" in diameter, but it needs to be the same diameter from top to bottom. Your pumpkin will be about twice the size of the item you use to roll it on, once it's opened up and fanned out.

 

I should have taken pictures along the way, but I was on a roll (pun intended) and really just wanted to have fun with it. Seriously, this took me about 15 minutes once I started rolling it.

 

Here's how I did mine:

  -Cut one 6" piece of  wired jute to wrap the center.

  -Cut one 8" piece of wired jute to use for the stem.

  - Start by coiling the jute around one end of the cylinder and twisting the end underneath to secure  it (seriously, that may be the hardest step).

  - Keep winding the jute all the way around and around and around, keeping the rows nice and neatly pushed together until you either count 40 coils or get to the end of your cylinder.

  -Carefully slide the coils off into your hand keeping them as neat as possible. If you accidentally let go of it, it will look like a giant slinky and you can easily push it back together...no worries!

  -Use the 6" piece and wrap it around one edge of the coils which are together in your hand. This will hold the coils all togher and end up in the center of your pumpkin. Wrap it around a couple of times and twist it under itself to hold in place. Refer to the Pinterest blog if you need a visual.

  -Fan open all of the coils so it looks like a pumpkin (below).

  

   -Take the 8" piece and coil it any way you like to make it look like a stem. I just used my fingers to coil this one. Be sure to leave 1-2" straight on one end. (see below) 

 

Use a bit of hot glue to attach the striaght end of the stem into the center of the coils.  TaaaaDaaaaa....You are done!

Hope you enjoy making this and getting it out with your Fall decorations each year.