Easy Crochet Pumpkin Tutorial for Fall Home Decor

Decorate for fall with handmade goodness by following this easy crochet pumpkin tutorial. Make pumpkins in your favorite colors for fall.

I originally wrote this blog post in 2013 and gave this tutorial a much-needed update for 2020.

This is a pretty easy tutorial and crochet beginners won’t have too much trouble with it. If you want a good beginner’s guide to crochet, my number one favorite beginner book is The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Amigurumi. The author teaches you how to create all the basic shapes that are the starting point for most projects.

I love to crochet, but I’m terrible about following a pattern closely. Fortunately, these pumpkins are pretty simple – a circle that turns into a bowl. The trick to closing these pumpkins is creating a drawstring. And I made a simple yarn leaf and added a stick out of my yard for the stem.

If you’re looking for more cute beginner crochet tutorials, check out my crochet doily pattern. You can easily make it match your fall decor by choosing a coordinating yarn color.

Tips and common questions

• There is no gauge for this project. You could make these larger by adding more increase rows like in step 3.
• You can use any type of yarn. I used scraps with my first pumpkins, so the orange is wool and the green is cheap acrylic. When I redid this tutorial with the yellow one, I used cotton, which is my preference.
• If you don’t have fiberfill, try stuffing your pumpkins with scrap fabric and yarn.
• Make your pumpkin into a jack-o-lantern by sewing little pieces of black felt for a face.
• For the crochet leaf and stem on the orange pumpkin, I crocheted a star shape and made a knot in the center.

How to make a crochet pumpkin

Supplies

• yarn in orange or gold (or any color!) and green
• size F crochet hook
• polyester fiberfill
• scissors
• plastic needle
• sticks

Pumpkin instructions

Using the main yarn for your pumpkin, start with a magic ring or chain four and slip-stitch to make a circle.

Round 1: Half-double crochet into the circle 14 times. Slip-stitch into the beginning and chain 2.

Round 2: Half-double crochet into each stitch around the circle, but increase in every other stitch. You’ll make one stitch in the first and two in the second and so on alternating. Slip-stitch into the beginning and chain 2.

Round 3 through 8: Half-double crochet one time into each stitch around the circle. For these rows, crochet in the round instead of slip-stitching into each row at the end. This will create a smooth face.

After you finish round 8, leave a long tail about 10 inches long and cut the yarn. Pull it through the loop one last time to make a knot.

Thread the end of the yarn through the eye of the plastic needle. Whip stitch around the entire top of the pumpkin.

Stuff the pumpkin with fiberfill. Remove the needle and carefully pull the drawstring to close the pumpkin. Knot the yarn and tuck in the tail.

To get the bump sections, wrap the pumpkin in yarn like you’re tying a ribbon on a gift. Basically, you’re dividing the pumpkin into four sections by squeezing it with yarn. Loop the yarn under the bottom and pull tight at the top and tie it off.

Leaf and stem instructions

To make the leaf, cut 9 strands of green yarn about 3 inches long.

Lay out one as the central vein and tie the other 8 down the middle. Slide them down to one end.

Trim the yarn ends into a taper that resembles a leaf shape. It doesn’t have to be perfectly symmetrical.

Unwind the fibers of each shorter yarn. I separated them with my fingernails, but you could use a needle or maybe a fine-toothed comb. Fluff the fibers until it looks like a leaf.

Cut a stick about an inch long. I just picked one up from my backyard and snapped it to the length.

Stick the end of the leaf into your pumpkin and poke the stem in too.

Fall crochet pumpkin display

These crochet pumpkins are cute fall decor that can go just about anywhere. Stash them on a shelf among your regular home decor, use them as a centerpiece on a table, or anywhere you like.

I think these would be adorable displayed in front of this easy DIY fall and Halloween printable art gallery.

What’s next? Try these other fun and creative ideas on One Mama’s Daily Drama:

• Pumpkin Centerpiece Thanksgiving Table Decorations
• Chunky Crochet Scarf Tutorial
• DIY Fall Porch Decor Tutorial