I've been missing in action on the blog lately but for good reason. We've been making velvet pumpkins for our church bazaar for the past few weeks. When I say "we" I mean my 2 sisters-in-law and myself.
These are some of the pumpkins that we made. You see, all 3 of us have fallen in love with velvet pumpkins so we thought that other people might buy them at our church's bazaar which was this past Saturday. I think we made a total of 24 pumpkins in all. Just a few of them were not made of velvet, and those did not sell! I have to admit that I, along with everyone else, love the velvet ones best.
I got the idea to make the velvet pumpkins after seeing a video on Facebook. Do you follow our blog's Facebook page? I really have not stopped long enough to write up a tutorial, but you can find the same video that I watched on Sarah's blog 1915 House.
I ordered some pretty silk rayon velvet in 3 different colors. One of my sister-in-laws bought her velvet at Hobby Lobby.
Once you cut your circles out of your fabric, the velvet pumpkins are really easy to make. The hard part, though, is figuring out what you're going to use for stems.
I cannot believe that I never have saved pumpkin stems from all the years we've grown pumpkins in our garden! There are places online where you can order real pumpkin stems but we really didn't want to pay the price they were charging. So I was out in the garden a few weeks ago and looked down inside a raised bed where sunflowers grew this summer. There was 1 dead sunflower plant lying down in the bed and I looked at the seed head. EUREKA! It hit me that I could tear off the head and I would have a "pumpkin stem!"
It just so happens that Leo's cousin grew a field of sunflowers this year so I called to ask if I could go in the field to gather some sunflowers. They said, "You know those flowers are dead, right?" Hehe!
Now I will have to admit that it took a few hours to remove the seed heads from the sunflowers, and then the stems had to be trimmed and then hot-glued to the fabric pumpkins. But they worked perfectly! My sisters-in-law and I had a lot of fun making the pumpkins and most of them sold at the bazaar.
Here is one of the blue velvet pumpkins on a shelf at the bazaar. Our church is small, but it has the most amazing bazaar every 2 years.
I'm sharing these photos that I took with my phone. There was a whole section of fall craft items.
And another section has Christmas craft items including a Christmas tree loaded with handmade ornaments. Look at these deer made with wooden spoons!
And look at this pretty Christmas scene.
One of my sisters-in-law made 4 of these really cute hanging lanterns.
Table after table of handmade goodness!
There were several of these dragonfly wall thingies made with ceiling fan blades, and they were fast sellers. Here is my sister-in-law Jean examining one that was painted in Gamecock colors. Note to self: I must make one of these to put on our garden fence next year.
In addition to craft items, there was a silent auction. Here are 2 of the items that were up for auction.
So many baked goods were for sale, and lunch was served as well. I contributed a huge pot of vegetable soup for the lunch. It was so heavy that Leo had to carry it in for me! I don't have a photo but there was a frozen food section where people made and donated frozen casseroles. People stood in line to purchase them because they know how good and convenient they are for working parents.
Lots and lots of delicious canned goods were donated as well. I came home with about 10 jars of fig preserves as requested by my mom. They are her favorite.
My other sister-in-law Jean bid on this planter buggy and won! Isn't it the cutest thing?
Our bazaar was a huge success, and it was a wonderful day of fellowship and a chance to make new friends. Mark your calendars to make a trip to our town, Lamar SC, two years from now when we have our next bazaar!
And since I had a few of the blue pumpkins left over, I'm having a giveaway! One winner will have a choice of either a light blue velvet pumpkin, a dark blue velvet pumpkin, or a blue and white pumpkin. The giveaway is open to residents of the continental US only (due to shipping rates.) Just leave a comment on this post and we'll draw a name this Saturday, Oct. 14. Good luck!
Deb
Love love those velvet pumpkins!
kural
wonderful
Susan Christy
Church Bazaar's are the best! And your pumpkins are beautiful.
Barbara F.
Wow! I would have loved to see this church bazaar. You did a wonderful job. That soup was probably a big hit. Throwing my name into the hat if I am not too late!
Becky Davies
Cute pumpkins! I saw some recently and thought they were adorable. Would love one!
Jackie
That is an awesome church bazaar!! I'm pea green with envy- it looked like so much fun! My husband's little family church used to have a 'Chicken Pie Supper ' every year with crafts and usually a quilt that was auctioned off. I so miss that.
I love all the pumpkins - even the printed one!
Peggy Schoenheider
Love seeing the pics of all the crafts! I, too, would have been in line for the frozen casseroles! What an awesome idea!
Mary Tullila
Autumnlicious!!! What a great assortment of things to sell. Handmade is the best!
Tammy Wilkes
Beautiful!! Love following your blog!!
Teresa
Your pumpkins are beautiful, Jane. I love reading about your crafting and decorating ideas.
Rhonds
Love your pumpkins!! Neat stems!!
CherylM.
Very pretty pumpkins. I really like to go to church bazaars, they usually have the best items!
Nancy H
I would love to win a velvet pumpkin!
Janis Hill
I'm so glad the Fall Craft Fair was a huge success. It looks like there were a lot of donations, as well as a lot of great crafts for sale.
What a fun giveaway. Who wouldn't want one of these cute pumpkins!
Your pumpkins are so stinkin' cute! You have me thinking about and wanting to try my hand at making them, but I know mine would end up looking like a Pinterest Fail!
Paula Krouse
That sunflower stem idea is genius!
Kaycee
These pumpkins are so perfect with their sunflower stems, what a great vision you had to use these for the stems! Thank you for the opportunity to enter.
Linda Kendall
Thanks for all of the photos of your wonderful bazaar. It's easy to see why it was such a sucess!
Cheryl B.
Pumpkins are adorable! Great ideas!
Cookie Eddings
Your bazaar was the best yet. I hope I get to come for the next one. You ladies worked so hard, but I bet that you had lots of fun. Thanks for all of the pics so we could really understand what it was all about. I really enjoyed seeing all of the crafts & food.
Thumbs up on the pumpkins that you girls made, they were beautiful.
Gloria Stover
I love the velvet pumpkins! I'm hoping to try and make some for next fall and I will send you a picture! I think I would love the dark blue velvet pumpkin for my Kentucky Wildcats! My husband's "room" is all blue so I will be wishing it will
be mine!
Miriam H.
I love the velvet pumpkins, especially the dark blue ones. They are gorgeous!
Pam Amick
We have to wait 2 years before the next bazaar? Let us Bunko girls know the date, and we'll head that way. Looks like some really unique items. Love your pumpkins. I may try to make 1.... maybe! Thanks Jane.
Lee Gordon
Looks like quite a craft fair! Church ones are always the best! And what a selection of things to choose from! Also, your pumpkins are lovely!
Doris Raab
Oh I would love to have been there. Good job on the velvet pumpkins. I love that dark blue one. Gorgeous!
Anita
Jane, your pumpkins are fabulous!!! So clever to use the sunflower stems. You have inspired me.
Your church bazaar looked like so much fun.
[email protected] Designs
The velvet pumpkins are so beautiful and what a great idea to use the sunflower stems...I have saved many pumpkin stems and have yet to make one! The items in the Church Bazaar are so cute, from your sister in law's lantern to those ever so cute wooden spoon deer! Looks like the Bazaar was a huge success!!
Nancy Cox
Love the pumpkins. I would love to win.
Ellen
I love your pumpkins. I also have sunflowers . Will try to get stems from them. I live in Utah. I would love to come to your next bazaar.
Janice
Jane!
Had to “google” Lamar to see where it is. I’m from NYS near Canada but a road trip in October 2019 to South Carolina sounds good to me!
Beautiful bazaar!
Joanna
I simply love church bazaars. They're the best places to get handmade items. Have a great week.
Robyn
Hi Jane! I love the velvet pumpkins. I have wanted to try my hand at making these and you have inspired me! Marking my calendar for 2019 to hit the road to SC for your Church Bazaar!!
Robyn
Hi Jane! Love your velvet pumpkins. I have wanted to try my hand at making some and you have inspired me!!! I am marking my calendar for 2019 to hit the road to SC for your bazaar!
Anne Pik
Wonderful work on those beautiful pumpkins Jane & very smart to use dried sunflower stems - they turned out so well! I love your community involvement and service. Thanks for sharing.
Mary Roth
I wish I lived close to you. I happen to live way up in the Northeast region in New Jersey near to NYC.
Your church is always hosting amazing events. I remembered your church had to a luncheon for the women that had a different theme for each table that you shared and they were all beautiful and unique as well as your recent church Bazaar with so many stunning displays.
I love your velvet pumpkins and how clever you were able to make the stems from dried sunflower stalks. They came out so beautiful! ????
Kris @ Junk Chic Cottage
Good Morning Jane. Oh how I love your sweet pumpkins. Love the white with the blue roses. Oh great to use the sunflowers for stems. Loved looking at all the fun stuff at your Church Bazaar too. Those sweet little reindeer made out of wooden spoons are just adorable. How fun it must have been.
Happy New Week.
Kris
Pat @ Life at Lydias House
Looks like a great bazaar! I have kept some pumpkin stems for years thinking I would make velvet pumpkins but I’ve never gotten it done. I need to watch the tutorial and get on it! Yours are beautiful!
April DLC
Those are adorable! What a great idea for a family fall craft. I would like to try and make a few with my children this week. Thank you for sharing.
Debra Bartels
Love the sunflower stems. Great idea! I made some velvet pumpkins a couple of years ago. I didn't have pumpkin stems either. Used sticks instead. I also added vintage jewelry to some of mine. Picked up some velvet dresses from Goodwill to make mine. Would love a sunflower stem to add to mine. Thanks for the chance to win one. Happy Fall!
Alice G
Your velvet pumpkins are beautiful. You are so creative and who would ever think of sunflower stems. They are perfect.
Thx for sharing!
Cheryl DeBoard
What an amazing bazaar! What great prices for handmade items! Love your pumpkins!
Christi Treadwell
Beautiful Pumpkins!
Shirley
Jane, I love your pumpkins. I shall have to check the tutorial out.I think the blue & white one is so cute but sadly I can't enter as I live in England. I know where you are coming from postage is astronomical as well as Customs & taxes.
Your church bazaar looked amazing so many talented people.They must be such a nice congregation. Will you be able to share at a later date instructions for making the wooden spoon reindeer?
Francis Moore
I love the velvet pumpkins. I bought three at Joann's this year when they marked them down. Your bazaar was unbelievable.
Janet Taber
So many good bazaar ideas! We had one at our small church for a few years but haven't in a while. So much work for just a few makers, but I think it is about time again, and I'll borrow a bunch of your ideas! We never had it this early, but that would really help, to get it done before the busyness of the holiday season. Love your velvet pumpkins! How clever!
Lynda Ramage
I'm working on a church craft show here in Gaffney for next weekend. Too bad I didn't have some of your ideas sooner. I pray your church made a lot of $$$ and it was good fellowship for all. The pumpkins were lovely! Fall is such a wonderful time to decorate and use color. Looks like your church hit it head on. Thanks for sharing your ideas and activities with all of us. I know I look forward to them. Blessings, Lynda
Wynema
I love the pumpkins. Your bazaar would be fun to attend. Love the buggy planter your sister-in-law won.
Helen
Beautiful pumpkins! Loved what you used for stems.
Melanie
I really enjoyed this post and my favorite take away was the frozen casseroles. That is a great idea! The velvet pumpkins are beautiful! I would cherish one if i won! Glad the bazaar was a success!
Kim Stearns
I love homemade items because I always think about the love and time put into making them. Your pumpkins are beautiful and I would love to win one! Brightened my day when I saw that you had a new post.
Nancy Reffle
I love going to a good handmade Fall/Christmas Bazaar and yours was Gorgeous!!! The Velvet Pumpkins are so rich looking and I think add a that great Jewel tone color that moves us into the Holidays. Thanks for sharing everyones beautiful Talents. I would have any of those pieces in my home!!!
Frances Batson
I would love to come to your next bazaar. I live in the upstate and will have to look up Lamar on my map. I love the velvet pumpkins. I have been wanting one. I love church bazaars. Not only really creative crafts but great food.
Gayle Kesinger
I love these velvet pumpkins but the retail prices are way to high for my budget. How clever you are to make them and they look wonderful.
Sandy
The pumpkins are so so cute. I love going to things like that. I am always amazed at how creative people are.
Kathy Ose
I also love church bazaars. Beautiful job on the pumpkins. I have been drooling over the blue ones. Thanks for sharing.
Mary
Adorable pumpkins Jane and brilliant to use the sunflower stems! I'm going to have to remember to save my pumpkin stems this year. Cute, cute, cute and delicious items at your bazaar, wish I was closer!
Jane
Beautiful pumpkins, Jane, and I know why they were a hit at the bazaar. I have a few velvet pumpkins on my blog--of course I didn't make them, I can't sew a stitch!
What a great church you have! The reindeer make me smile, as well as all of those delicious looking baked goods!
Jane x
Stacey
Your pumpkins are so pretty! I would love to try this project. Using the dried sunflower stems was a great idea!
Looks like you and Jean had lots of fun. 🙂
Kathleen G
Awww I think the blue and white pumpkin is cute! How fun to make them with your sisters in law and for a good purpose too! I love church bazaars and the fellowship. All the homemade crafts and goodies look wonderful and delicious:).
Kathleen in Az