Velvet Pumpkins

I can’t let a Fall season go by without crocheting at least one or two pumpkins (can anyone?). This year I had some velvet yarn kicking around that I picked up on clearance (yep, I’m still on the velvet train and I’m not disembarking anytime soon) and I thought the velvet yarn would make some deliciously luxurious pumpkins (spoiler alert: I was right). Conveniently, I do have a black and white decor thing going on in my kitchen at the moment, so I decided to whip up a couple of velvet pumpkins to add to my table as a centrepiece in black velvet and “greige” velvet.

I knew I would be using an already existing pumpkin pattern, rather than designing one; there are so, so many gorgeous pumpkin patterns out there (no need for me to reinvent the wheel!), so I asked for some recommendations on social media of your favourite pumpkin patterns and you guys did not let me down. I decided to go with Yarn + Chai’s Little Rustic Pumpkin pattern and it was such a delightful make! Since I’ve finished them, I’ve had company over at our house a few times (we have a new puppy and everyone needs to get their puppy cuddles in), and I’ve had three separate compliments on these pumpkins! They are definitely a showpiece.

The pumpkin is cleverly constructed and such a quick make! I finished both of these over a weekend, crocheting at a leisurely pace. I even had time for crafts, as you can see from the video above! Since the velvet yarn is a bit trickier in terms of being able to see your stitches, stitch markers were a must. After the first couple of rows, I was in a groove and, with my stitch markers, I had no issues with the velvet.

Let’s talk stems. I loooove the idea of using a cinnamon stick for crocheted pumpkins, as suggested by Rebecca in her pattern for the little rustic pumpkins. It truly does give hand-made pumpkins a finished, non-hand-made look and really does up the rustic factor! However, these velvet pumpkins were not giving off rustic vibes; these babies, especially the black velvet pumpkin, were giving off some serious luxe and moody vibes. I wasn’t sure the cinnamon stick would match the velvet, so I needed something a little more luxurious and indulgent for the stems for these not-so-rustic velvet pumpkins.

I took a trip to my local Dollarama (a dollar store chain in Canada), and found some silk cord. Perfect! The silk cord is shiny and luxurious, and comes in so many gorgeous colours. I had a really hard time choosing which colours to go with for each pumpkin. I decided on a dusty rose/blush for the grey velvet pumpkin and a lavish looking bronze for the black velvet pumpkin (I really struggled with whether I should give them matching pink stems! But I’m glad I went with the bronze for the black one because it looks so lush!).

I picked up some dowels and then broke out my trusty glue gun and got to work. Depending on the size of the dowels you are able to find, you may need to cut them down to size. I cut mine to be about 9cm/3.5″ long each. I glued the silk cord about two-thirds of the way down the dowel and left the remainder of the dowel exposed so I could glue it to the pumpkin. Check out the video to see exactly how I made them!

Photo time! But first, Pin this baby for later. Or click HERE to pin the silk cord pumpkin stem tutorial.

Here are some progress photos:

Do you plan on making any velvet pumpkins this year?

Keep in touch on the Spin a Yarn Crochet Facebook Page and feel free to post and share pictures of your finished items and/or links to your shops! Be sure to also follow us on Instagram and hashtag your creations using #spinayarncrochet!

The information and photos in this post are the sole copyrighted property of Spin a Yarn Crochet. You may not copy and paste or reproduce any part of the information contained herein electronically, verbally, written or otherwise, including translations.

You may make and sell products from our patterns but we ask that you please link back to this post.

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites at no added cost to you. As such, this post may contain affiliate links, which means Spin a Yarn Crochet may receive some compensation if you click a link and purchase something that we have recommended. Thank you for your support!