I have a fabulous fall craft project for you today! My friend Julie and I are showing you how to make concrete pumpkins. They are really fun to make and turn out so cute. I hope you love them as much as we do!
If you are looking for a new kind of fall pumpkin craft, learning how to make concrete pumpkins may be perfect for you! I love crafting for fall and have made lots of different types of pumpkins. These have such a unique look and no two turn out the same. So, if you’re like me and have already made lots of pumpkin crafts and want something new, you’re in the right place!
And don’t let the idea of concrete intimidate you! It’s really very simple to mix up and use. Julie and I feel like we are pros already! You want your consistency to be like a Frosty or slightly more wet than cake frosting. Don’t worry, it’s easy to get the hang of it!
How to Make Concrete Pumpkins
So let’s talk about the tights you’re going to need for this project first. You don’t want to use pantyhose or thin tights for this project. If you can see through them, the concrete will leak out. We had a couple different pairs and the one we ended up liking the best were the sweater tights.
The ribbing on the sweater tights left a really pretty pattern on our pumpkins that we loved! Depending on the look you are going for, you can use smooth tights or any pattern that you like. How cool would it be to find some with pumpkins woven into them! As long as the pumpkins are raised I bet would work.
What to use for your Concrete Pumpkin Stems
Julie and I used a couple of different things for our pumpkin stems. I actually collect old pumpkin stems from year to year so I have them when I craft for the next fall season. I just stash them away and then pull them out when I am making things like fabric pumpkins. (If you want to learn how to do that, you can check out my post How to make Fabric Pumpkins!)
We used old stems for a few of our pumpkins and for three of them we used old railway ties that we we had found at the Springfield Market. I absolutely love how they look in the concrete pumpkins! You should definitely keep your eye out for old railway ties but in the meantime, you have other options!
You can use old stems like we did but, if you don’t have and, find bits of wood lying about. Large sticks work great! If you have any drift wood, that could be really cool too! I’m sure you can come with some cute ideas too!
But Wait, there’s More!
When you watch the video you will see that we actually made a few different kinds of concrete pumpkins. Spoiler alert: one of them was basically a fail. But! you will also see how we made adorable succulent planters with the concrete and a couple of balloons.
There was a bit of a learning curve with with planters. But I tell you what I will do differently next time so you can learn from my mistakes. I really love the way the planters came out and they were pretty simple to do too! We used succulents in ours and they really look adorable!
You could use real succulents like we did or you can go with artificial ones if you prefer. You can also use any other plant you’d like, just be sure you put drainage holes in the bottom. And don’t worry, I explain how I do that in the video!
How to Make Concrete Pumpkins Supply List
- Cementall
- Twine
- Scissors
- Thick tights (not pantyhose, if you can see through them the cement will leak out)
Step by Step Instructions
- Start by cutting 3-4 pieces of twine and laying them crisscrossed (like slices of a pie) on your work surface.
- Then combine your Cementall with water. I used about 4-5 cups with approximately 1/4 cup water. You want it to be a consistency that resembles a Frosty, a little wetter than cake frosting. If it still seems powdery and lumpy when you are stirring, add more water a tablespoon at a time until you get the right consistency.
- Next cut the heal and toes off of your tights and tie a knot to make the bottom of your pumpkin. Then fill the leg with your concrete mix, leaving enough space at the top that the concrete won’t leak over.
- Now set your tights in the center of your twine pieces. Once piece at at time, pull both ends of a piece and tie them together in a knot. Repeat this with the rest of your twine.
- Finally ,if you are using a railway tie or stick as your stem add it down into the concrete. If you will be using an old pumpkin stem, you can push it in a bit as your concrete hardens to make an indentation for it. Then, once the pumpkin is cured you can use E6000 to attach your stem.
- When the concrete is mostly hard to the touch but still a bit soft, remove your tights. Don’t let it set too long or you won’t be able to get your tights off. The sooner you get them off the better.
The Wrap Up!
So that’s how to make concrete pumpkins! It was definitely an adventure and a learning experience and I love the way they turned out. I love the neutral color of the concrete. I especially love the concrete with the railroad ties. But you could absolutely paint your pumpkins if you want to.
You could even add vintage embellishments or pretty fall leaves to them! If you give these pumpkins a try I’d love to see what you come up with for yours! Either way I hope you have a fabulous fall and a great time crafting!
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