Make these cute paper pumpkins for Halloween, Thanksgiving, or any fall celebration!
This super easy fall art project is festive, creative, cheap to make, and best of all, doesn’t leave your table looking like a craft store explosion! Let your kids create their own one-of-a-kind pumpkin using colorful construction paper, patterned scrapbook paper, a glue stick, and scissors.
Simply print and cut out the free pumpkin template, then let the kids fill the opening with strips of paper in all sorts of fun fall colors and patterns. Orange, brown, yellow, gold, gingham, polka dots, and even glittery paper all look adorable mixed together. There’s really no wrong way to decorate it, making this a great craft for toddlers, preschoolers, elementary-age kids, and even older children who want to get a little more creative with their designs.
Craft Supplies Needed
- two sheets of printer paper
- this free printable pumpkin template (or draw your own)
- variety of colorful construction paper or scrapbook paper
- green curling ribbon, tissue paper, or craft paper for the pumpkin vines
- glue stick
- scissors
How To Make Paper Strip Pumpkins
Step 1Print the Pumpkin Template or draw a large pumpkin shape on a piece of white paper. Carefully cut out the inside of the pumpkin, leaving you with a pumpkin-shaped opening in the paper.
Step 2Cut several strips from colorful construction or scrapbook paper. Mix and match different colors, patterns, and designs—the more variety you use, the more fun and unique your pumpkin will look!
Step 3Use a glue stick to attach the colorful paper strips to a piece of white paper, making sure to completely cover the center area where your pumpkin template will be placed.
Step 4Center your pre-cut pumpkin template over the colorful paper strips and glue it in place, lining it up evenly with the white paper underneath. Now you can really see your pumpkin coming to life!
Step 5Finish your pumpkin by gluing on a stem made from a small piece of scrap paper. Then add a little greenery with ribbon, green construction paper, or crumpled tissue paper to create cute curly vines and leaves.
Now that your one-of-a-kind pumpkin is complete, show it off! Hang your finished artwork on the fridge, classroom wall, or playroom—anywhere that could use a little extra autumn cheer. Kids will love seeing their colorful creation on display all season long, from Halloween straight through Thanksgiving!
This simple fall craft is wonderfully low-mess for home, school, daycare, or a rainy afternoon. There’s no paint to spill or complicated supplies to gather—just paper, scissors, and glue. Happy Fall! 🍁
