DIY Chinoiserie Pumpkins: Perfect Fall Accent to your Centerpiece

The perfect twist on traditional for your Thanksgiving table.

These were almost too easy! Truly, it took about thirty minutes to do five blue & white chinoiserie pumpkins using some decoupage & paper cocktail napkins.

I’ll break it down for you.

DIY PUMPKINS

Things you’ll need:

• scissors (your “sharp” pair - paper napkins are hard to cut surprisingly)

• Matte Mod Podge

• Foam Brush or paintbrush

• Paper Napkins (I used: napkin 1 & napkin 2)

• Faux white pumpkins

• Wine optional

***All of these are from Amazon and can arrive in a day or two, in case you’re like me and you decide to do things like this last minute.

You can do any theme you want on your pumpkins. It doesn’t have to be chinoiserie - as long as it’s the 2-ply paper napkin. I avoided straight lines and went with a more organic pattern so I could easily slap the napkin onto the curves of the pumpkin without much thought.

Directions:

1. Pull the stem out of the pumpkin

2. Cut your napkin into the appropriate size for the pumpkin. Cutaway any extra material/white part.

3. Remove the “backing” ply (the one without the printed pattern).

4. Coat the pumpkin with a light coat of mod podge. Less is more here.

5. Stick the napkin to the pumpkin and slowly work it into the creases. It will naturally start to crease and the pattern with fold up in areas, try to keep the pattern as smooth as possible.

   Pro tip: Use an extra cleaned foam brush to press the napkin into the creases and the edges down. You avoid having your tacky fingers tips pulling up the napkin or messing up the print.

6. Let dry & then add the stem back into the pumpkin top.

FALL CENTERPIECE

Things you’ll need:

• Waterproof Planter or Vase (I used this wooden planter)

• Floral Foam Bricks

• Wooden Kabob Skewers

• Faux Pumpkins or your DIY Pumpkins

• Flowers - I suggest a variety of at least 2 greenery & 2 flowers types.

This part of the project also pairs well with your second glass of wine. Ha

Directions:

1. Soak your floral foam to max absorbency. I usually just fill up the sink with water, throw the foam bricks in and let soak.

2. Cut your wet floral foam with a knife to the appropriate size of your container. For the wooden planter, I’m referring to the internal plastic liner. You want your foam brick to fit but not jiggle around. If you cut it too small (read: me every time), don’t worry just take an additional slice of the whats leftover and shimmy it into the container til the foam brick isn’t moving around.

3. Take your faux pumpkins and jam a kabob skewer in the base of each one.

4. Arrange the pumpkins in the foam according to your liking. Don’t worry about it being perfect, you will readjust these after all the flowers are in.

5. Next arrange your larger/taller flowers around the centerpiece, followed by smaller flowers (focus on the shape of your arrangement).

6. Last, push your florals aside and fill in the space with your greenery. Also, readjust any pumpkins, etc.

Water your arrangement everyday, especially if you make this ahead of time for your Thanksgiving table, which you should because Martha Stewart would.

If you’re more a visual person, check out a time lapse of me putting the centerpiece together on Instagram.

Tag me in your arrangements this Holiday! #avoidingboredomblog

Additional Resources & Inspiration:

• Better Homes & Gardens: Chinoiserie Pumpkins Are the Elegant Fall Accent Your Home Needs

• Beautiful Blue and White Pumpkin DIY

• DIY Chinoiserie Pumpkin Fall Centerpiece - has good photos regarding removing the backing ply & cutting up the napkin.