How to Make a Unicorn Pumpkin

Wow I can’t believe it’s already September. It’s still pretty hot here but every so often there is a cool breeze that feels like fall, and I get really excited! I just love everything about fall (what’s not to love) from spending a lot more time outside, watching the leaves change colors, and of course carving and decorating pumpkins. And this month’s Michael’s Makers challenge was to decorate a craft pumpkin. As much as I love carving pumpkins, it can be so difficult with little kids especially. Plus then your pumpkin only lasts for a week or two. I love no carve pumpkin decorating ideas (every year my kids and I paint craft pumpkins and they love it). And this year I wanted to make a pumpkin for my 5 year old daughter Lyla who just absolutely love arts and crafts lately. So we sat down together and came up with the idea to make a unicorn pumpkin. She even drew me a picture of what it should look like.

What you need:

1. Craft pumpkins
2. Spray paint
3. Yarn
4. Scissors
5. Hot glue gun
6. Pencil
7. Sharpie
8. Polymer clay
9. Mod Podge
10. Glitter
11. Colored cardstock

Step 1: Spray paint your pumpkins. Since I bought white craft pumpkins at Michael’s, I didn’t use a primer or anything. I coated the pumpkin with one coat of paint and it looked great (I used Plutonium Paint in Manko), but there are so many fun colors you could use for a unicorn. I think that white or light blue would look especially good.

Step 2: Make your unicorn horn. I used polymer clay to make a unicorn (it took one small package) but you could also use Model Magic if you have time for it to dry overnight. I pressed the horn against the part of the pumpkin where it was going to go so that it would fit nicely onto the pumpkin. Bake the clay according to the instructions on the package.

Step 3: When this has cooled, coat it in a layer of Mod Podge and cover it in glitter. I used a medium sized gold glitter so that it would have more texture. You could use ultra fine glitter for a slightly different look. When this has completely dried, seal it with another coat of Mod Podge.

Step 4: Start making your unicorn’s mane with yarn. I think it would be a lot of fun to make a rainbow mane, but I just went with a dark pink yarn. Wrap the yarn around your hand about 15 times. Then use another piece of yarn to tie a knot in one end, and cut through the other. I made about 8 of these little bunches of yarn.

Step 5: Use a hot glue gun to attach these pieces of yarn starting right in front of the pumpkin stem. I attached the very top piece sideways and all of the rest vertically.

Step 6: Cut out ear shapes out of cardstock. I used white and pink. Then use a hot glue gun to attach them to the pumpkin.

Step 7: Use a pencil to lightly sketch out your eyes, nose holes, and smile. I went with a fun kawaii sort of style, but there are a lot of other ways you could make the eyes. Then use a black sharpie to draw over the pencil. I was able to erase the pencil marks gently without removing the paint.

Step 8: Now it’s time to attach the horn to complete your unicorn pumpkin. I tested it first and made a little mark where it should go, just in front of the pumpkin stem. Then use a big blob of hot glue to attach the horn. If any hot glue leaks out, use a toothpick or a plastic knife to remove it before it cools.

And that’s it. Enjoy your unicorn pumpkin. Lyla absolutely loves it and I suspect we may end out making a few friends for this one. What about you – what color combos would you make?

 

What about you? Are you as excited about fall as I am? To kick off fall in your own home, visit Michaels.com and check out the variety of craft pumpkins available – there is every color, shape and size you could ever want! There are tons of ways to DIY your own craft pumpkin for your home, a party or even as a gift. And be sure to check out all of the other Michael’s Makers pumpkin ideas on the Michaels blog.

And if you love this unicorn pumpkin, check out these watercolor pumpkins I made last year or this collection of no-carve pumpkin ideas.