In this sewing tutorial I want to share with you an interesting idea for a fall sewing project – creating fabric yoyo pumpkins. This is a hand-sewing project that’s perfect for when you need a bit of crafting therapy. In fact, I was making these while Hurricane Milton was battering our area. The power was out, and between checking in with family and friends and calming my dogs, I found working on these pumpkins to be a soothing distraction.
It just goes to show that even in tough times, a simple sewing project can be a comfort. These yoyo pumpkins are great for sprucing up your home in the fall, and they make nice gifts too. If you enjoy working with fabric and don’t mind a bit of hand stitching, you’ll probably have fun with this project.
What You’ll Need to Make Yoyo Pumpkins
To create these yoyo pumpkins, you’ll need:
- Orange fabric (I used velvet, polyester satin, and quilting cotton)
- Green fabric for the tops
- Cinnamon sticks
- Cardboard
- Green felt for leaves
- Glue gun or just craft glue
- Sewing supplies (needle, thread, scissors)
- Rotary cutter (optional)
- Printed templates or a cutting machine
Note: Some of the links on this page are affiliate links. This means I will receive a commission if you order a product through one of my links. I only recommend products I believe in and use myself.
Overview of the Project
In this tutorial, I’ll guide you through making three yoyo pumpkins. Each pumpkin consists of a number of fabric yoyos arranged on a small cardboard base, held together by cinnamon sticks. The top yoyo is made from green fabric to imitate leaves, and I’ll show you how to add felt leaves for the finishing touch.
Step 1. Preparing the Templates for Fabric Yoyos
Downloading and Printing PDF Templates
I’ve created PDF templates for all the circles you’ll need. You can of course simply draw these circles on the paper using the list of diameters I will list below.
- Download the PDF file from my Resource Library.
- Print the templates on cardstock or heavy printer paper. This will make your templates more durable and easier to trace around when cutting your fabric. But regular paper would work too.
- Ensure your printer settings are at “Actual Size” or “100%”.
- Cut out the paper circles carefully.
The PDF also includes a template for the pumpkin leaf.
Using a Cutting Machine (Optional)
If you have a Cricut Maker like I do or any other cutting machine, you can use it to cut cardstock templates. If you would like to have a Cricut machine (I find it useful for many projects), here is a link to Amazon for the current offers.
I prepared all the templates ahead of time, before Hurricane Milton knocked out our power. So I could continue working on the project even when the electricity was off.
- Open Cricut Design Space and select the “Shapes” tool.
- Insert a circle and set its size (diameter). For example, type in 5 inches for a 5-inch circle.
- Repeat this process for all the sizes you need: 5″, 5.5″, 6″, 6.5″, 7″, 7.5″, and 8″.
- Arrange the circles on your canvas and cut them from cardstock.
Using a cutting machine for the cardstock templates can save time and ensure precision. However, you can absolutely create beautiful yoyo pumpkins using the printed PDF templates if you don’t have a cutting machine.
✅ Related tutorial: How to cut fabric for quilting with modern fabric cutting machines: AccuQuilt and Cricut
Whether you’re using printed templates or Cricut-cut cardstock, these will serve as your guides for cutting fabric in the next step.
Step 2. Cutting the Fabric Circles for Yoyo Pumpkins
Now that you have your templates ready, let’s move on to cutting the fabric circles. Taking care with this step will help you create uniform yoyos, which in turn will give your pumpkins a neat look. The more precise your cuts, the easier it’ll be to assemble your pumpkin later on.
Cutting Circles from Different Fabrics
I used three different fabrics:
Orange velvet
✅ Related tutorial: How To Sew Velvet: Affordable Luxury When Done Right
Orange polyester satin: I applied Pellon fusible interfacing before cutting to make it thicker and easier to handle.
✅ Related tutorial: How To Use Fusible Interfacing (Video + Tips And Tricks)
See current offers for Pellon fusible interfacing at Amazon.
Orange quilting cotton
Some notes:
Cut most circles from folded fabric to get two at once.
The 7.5-inch and 8-inch circles are cut singly.
The 5-inch circles (for the tops) are cut from different fabrics – one green and one matching the pumpkin body.
You have two main options for cutting your circles.
- Using a Rotary Cutter
I like to use my Martelli rotary cutter, I feel comfortable with it but any rotary cutter with a good blade will do. I prefer this method because:
- It provides a clean, precise cut.
- It’s faster and easier on the hands when cutting multiple circles.
- It works well with different fabric types, including thicker ones like velvet.
✅ Related tutorial: Rotary cutter tips and tricks – what mistakes to avoid
To use the rotary cutter:
- Place your fabric on a cutting mat.
- Position your cardstock template on the fabric.
- Use fabric weights (I use my onyx stone figurines) to keep the template in place.
- Carefully trace around the template with your rotary cutter.
See the current offers for rotary cutters at Amazon.
2. Using Fabric Scissors
If you don’t have a rotary cutter, good quality fabric scissors work well too.
- Trace your template onto the fabric with a fabric marker or chalk.
- Cut carefully along the line, taking your time to maintain a smooth curve.
- This method might take a bit longer but can be just as effective with practice.
Sizing Guide for Circles
I made pumpkins in 3 slightly different sizes.
For the larger pumpkin (from quilting cotton with white dots), you’ll need 11 circles in these sizes (in inches): 5 – 6 – 6.5 – 7 – 7.5 – 8 – 7.5 – 7 – 6.5 – 6 – 5
For the smaller pumpkin (from polyester satin), use these sizes (in inches): 5 – 5.5 – 6 – 6.5 – 7 – 7.5 – 7 – 6.5 – 6 – 5.5 – 5
For velvet pumpkin, you will need only 9 circles (because the fabric is thicker) in these sizes: 5 – 6 – 6.5 – 7.5 – 8 – 7.5 – 6.5 – 6 – 5
Step 3. Creating the Yoyos
Now it’s time to transform fabric circles into yoyos. This process is done by hand and is quite meditative once you get into the rhythm.
Step-by-step Yoyo Making Process by Hand Sewing
- Using a small pair of scissors, carefully make a tiny hole in the center. Be cautious not to make the hole too large – it should be just big enough for the cinnamon stick to pass through.
2. Thread your needle and not the end.
3. Begin sewing a running stitch around the edge of the circle, about 1/8 inch from the folded edge. Keep your stitches even and not too tight.
4. Continue stitching all the way around until you reach your starting point.
5. Gently pull the thread to gather the fabric. As you pull, use your fingers to help the fabric fold inward evenly.
6. Once the yoyo is fully gathered, adjust it so it lies flat and the gathers are even.
7. Secure the gathering.
8. Tie off your thread and cut the excess.
The size of your yoyos will be approximately half the diameter of your original circles. As you make more yoyos, you’ll develop a feel for how tight to gather them for the best appearance.
✅ Related tutorial: How to Make Fabric Yo-Yos: A Step-by-Step Guide
Take your time with each yoyo, especially at first. Once you’ve made a few, you’ll likely find you can work more quickly without sacrificing quality.
Step 4. Assembling the Pumpkin Base
Before we start putting our yoyos together, we need to create a sturdy base for our pumpkins. This base will hold the cinnamon sticks, which in turn will support all our yoyos.
Creating the Cardboard Base
- Cut a small square of cardboard, approximately 1.5 inches by 1.5 inches. This will be the foundation of your pumpkin.
- If you want to make your pumpkin more durable, you can cut two squares and glue them together for extra strength.
- Once your cardboard base is ready, use a pencil to mark the center point. This is where your cinnamon stick will go.
- Using a sharp craft knife or scissors, carefully cut a small slit at the center point. Make it just big enough for your cinnamon stick to fit snugly.
✅ Related tutorial: The Best Glue Gun for Fabrics: Top Picks and Buying Guide
Attaching Cinnamon Sticks to the Base
Long cinnamon sticks are not difficult to find, but you will probably have to select both for length and thickness. We want a stick that is long but not very thick. I got a package like this one and I found enough sticks good for my purpose.
- Choose a cinnamon stick that’s slightly longer than you want your finished pumpkin to be. It should stick out a bit at the top to resemble a stem.
- Apply a generous amount of hot glue around the slit in your cardboard base.
3. Insert the cinnamon stick into the slit. Make sure it’s straight and perpendicular to the base.
4. Hold the cinnamon stick in place for a few minutes until the glue sets enough to keep it upright.
5. For extra security, you can add more glue around the base of the cinnamon stick where it meets the cardboard.
6. Allow the glue to dry completely before moving on to the next step.
The stability of your pumpkin depends on this base, so take your time to ensure it’s sturdy. Once your base is ready and the glue is fully dry, you’re all set to start assembling your yoyos onto this structure in the next step.
There are several alternatives you can use instead of cinnamon sticks to hold your yoyo pumpkins together:
- Wooden dowels can be a great substitute. They’re sturdy, readily available, and can be easily painted or stained to match your pumpkin’s aesthetic.
- Bamboo skewers are another option. They’re thinner than cinnamon sticks but can work well for smaller pumpkins.
- Thin twigs or small branches from your yard can add a natural, organic touch to your pumpkins.
- You could also use thin metal rods or wire, which can be found at most craft stores.
Whatever material you choose, it should be sturdy enough to hold the weight of the yoyos and long enough to extend slightly beyond the top of your pumpkin to create a stem-like appearance.
Step 5. Constructing the Pumpkin
Sort your yoyos by size, from largest to smallest. You’ll use 11 or 9 yoyos for each pumpkin, with the largest in the middle and the smallest at the top and bottom.
Attaching Yoyos to the Cinnamon Sticks
Take your smallest yoyo (5 inches) and carefully open it up. Place the cardboard base with the attached cinnamon stick in the center of the opened yoyo. Slowly and carefully regather the yoyo around the base. As you do this, make sure the cinnamon stick is coming straight up through the center of the yoyo.
- Take another yoyo and gently push the cinnamon stick through the hole you made, sliding the yoyo down to the cardboard base.
- Continue adding yoyos in order of increasing size, and then the largest (8″ for the larger pumpkins or 7.5″ for the smaller one).
- After reaching the largest yoyo, start decreasing in size again.
- Finish with another 5″ yoyo from green fabric, which will be at the top of your pumpkin.
- Space the yoyos evenly along the stick, adjusting as needed to create a pumpkin shape.
- As you add each yoyo, you can put a tiny amount of glue between them to keep them in place if desired.
- The final yoyo at the top should be the green one, representing the leaves.
Take your time to adjust the positioning of the yoyos until you’re happy with the shape of your pumpkin. This method of starting small, going to the largest, and then back to small will give your pumpkin a nice, rounded shape.
Step 6. Adding Finishing Touches
Now that your pumpkin’s main structure is complete, it’s time to add those final details that will really bring your creation to life.
Cutting and Attaching Felt Leaves
- Using the leaf template provided in the PDF, cut one or maybe two leaves from green felt for each pumpkin.
- Take your felt leaves and gently fold them down the middle and sew a few stitches to create a slight crease. This will give them a more natural, three-dimensional appearance.
- I added hand embroidery to the felt leaves. I created leaf veins using a hand-sewn chain stitch. I tried to mimic the natural structure of a real leaf. The chain stitch works well for this as it creates a slightly raised, textured line that resembles real leaf veins. It’s a small touch that really elevates the overall appearance of your yoyo pumpkin.
4. Position the leaves at the top of your pumpkin, where the cinnamon stick extends beyond the green yoyo. Arrange them so they partially cover the top yoyo and frame the ‘stem’ nicely.
5. Once you’re happy with the placement, use hot glue to secure the leaf in place. Apply the glue to the base of each leaf and press it firmly against the top yoyo and cinnamon stick.
✅ Related tutorial: Create Your Own Yo-yo Christmas Tree: Step-by-step Tutorial
As I worked on my yoyo pumpkins, my dogs decided they needed to be part of the action. They weren’t content to just lounge nearby; instead, they were practically glued to my side throughout the process. Their curious noses kept investigating the yoyos. At times, I had to gently shoo them away to prevent fabric from becoming an impromptu chew toy!
Despite the occasional interruption, their enthusiasm was infectious. It made the project feel like a family affair, especially during the tense hours of the hurricane. I managed to capture a few photos of them. Their active presence reminded me that sometimes, the joy of creating is amplified by the loving (if slightly mischievous) company we keep.
Variations and Tips
One of the joys of making yoyo pumpkins is the ability to customize them to your liking. Here are some ideas and tips for working with different fabrics and creating various sizes.
Working with Different Fabrics
Quilting cotton is the most versatile and easiest fabric to work with. Experiment with different prints for varied effects
Try using burlap for a rustic look.
Lightweight denim can create sturdy, casual pumpkins.
Silk dupioni adds a elegant, slightly textured appearance.
Different fabrics may require adjustments in your sewing technique or gathering tightness to achieve the best results.
Customizing Pumpkin Sizes
- Adjusting Overall Size
- To make larger pumpkins, increase the diameter of your largest circle. For example, try a 9″ or 10″ circle as your largest.
- For smaller pumpkins, reduce the largest circle size to 6″ or 7″.
- Always maintain the proportional difference between circle sizes for a balanced look.
- Mix and Match
- Create a charming display by making pumpkins in various sizes and fabrics.
- Group them together for an eye-catching autumn arrangement.
As you experiment with different sizes, you may need to adjust the size of your cardboard base and the length of your cinnamon stick accordingly. Play around with different combinations until you find the perfect size and shape for your project!
Display Ideas
- Centerpiece: Group pumpkins of different sizes and fabrics as a table centerpiece.
- Mantel Decor: Line them up on your fireplace mantel for a festive autumn display.
- Bookshelf Accent: Place them between books or other decorative items on a bookshelf.
- Entryway Welcome: Set a few by your front door to greet guests with seasonal charm.
- Window Sill: Arrange them along a window sill to enjoy as you look outside.
- Bathroom Decor: Add a small one to your bathroom counter.
- Office Desk: A mini yoyo pumpkin can brighten up your workspace.
- Gift Topper: Use a tiny yoyo pumpkin as a unique gift decoration.
Scented Variations
I added Balsam Fir Sachet Filling to one of my pumpkins for a lovely scent. This is a great way to add an extra sensory element to your decoration.
You can experiment with different fillings based on your preference:
Lavender for a calming effect
CoolCrafts Dried Lavender Flowers
Cinnamon and clove for a spicy fall aroma
Pumpkin pie spice for a classic fall fragrance
Mulling spice mix
Selefina Spices: Mulling Spice Mix
Simply add a small amount of your chosen filling to some yoyos before attaching it to the cinnamon stick.
Care Instructions
- Avoid placing pumpkins in direct sunlight for extended periods to prevent fabric fading.
- If you’ve added fragrance, you can refresh the scent by adding a drop of essential oil to the base.
- Keep out of reach of pets and small children who might be tempted to play with or chew on them.
Did you enjoy this tutorial? If you did, don’t forget to bookmark this pin (see below) on your sewing Pinterest board! That way, you can easily return to this guide on fabric yoyo pumpkins whenever you’re ready to start making them. Plus, make sure to follow me on Pinterest to stay updated with more sewing advice, step-by-step guides, and creative inspiration!
latest posts
- Blanket Stitch Tutorial: Techniques, Tips, and Variations
- Must-Have Presser Foot for Sewing Challenging Fabrics: The Roller Foot
- How to Change a Presser Foot on Your Sewing Machine
- Leftover Fabric Ideas: Fabric Crumbs Projects
- 21 Scrap Fabric Projects to Transform Your Textile Trash into Treasure
- Easy Scrap Fabric Projects: Fabric Corner Bookmarks Tutorial
- Top 10 Fabric Care Tips for Handmade Garments
- Sewing Memory Christmas Ornaments with Treasured Family Clothes
- Creating Memory Christmas Ornaments from Loved One’s Clothing