How to make a papier-mâché pumpkin?

The main symbol of Halloween is "Jack's lamp". It was made from turnips, but pumpkin was considered a cheaper product, so it gradually replaced the turnip and became a container for candles. It was believed that a terrible face, carved in a pumpkin and displayed on the windowsill, drives away evil spirits from the house. The pumpkin has received strong associations with the holiday, is its main attribute, and many are not averse to making such a decorative pumpkin so that it will serve for more than one year. From papier-mâché, for example.

The base is a form that is subsequently pasted over with paper and brought to a state of maximum resemblance to a pumpkin. The most obvious option seems to be using a balloon. And to make the pumpkin naturally ribbed, the ball is tied tightly with a rope, imitating sectors.

When everything is done, the ball can simply be pierced with a needle - it will deflate, and its remnants can be brought out through the hole directly with the rope. All other options with pasting a round object are more problematic, because it will be harder to remove the base. The ball is the cheapest and easiest option. And the size of the pumpkin can be adjusted.

In addition to the ball, to work on the pumpkin you will need:

• newspapers or writing paper;
• PVA glue;
• acrylic paint;
• twine rope;
• brush;
• screw;
• sharp knife;
• pencil.

Perhaps, for the author's decoration of the work, you will need something else, but usually this is enough. If the pumpkin is patterned, you will need more than one orange acrylic paint, but other colors.

You need to start by inflating the balloon, which is then tightly tied. The ball is inflated to a suitable size, then tied with twine so that the future craft is divided into sectors, and it looks organic. At this stage, the stage of making the base is completed.

How to make a papier-mâché pumpkin with your own hands.

1. The first layer is not smeared with glue - this is a must, because otherwise it will be a problem to get the ball. The base, like pieces of paper, is simply moistened with water so that they do not fall off the surface of the ball. Thus, the first layer is not pasted over, but only sticks to the base. He covers it completely, without voids.
2. The second layer is applied to the paste. A piece of the ball is gradually, fragment by fragment, coated with glue. It is covered with pieces of paper. There should be no unsticked places. It is not necessary to immediately cover the entire ball with glue, as it will dry out until it reaches the gluing point. Smeared - glued, and so on over the entire surface.
3. It is better to divide the paper into 2-3 piles at once. They should vary in color or thickness. This is done so as not to lose track of the layers. It will be seen if one layer is completely glued, if the next one is started early. So, one layer can be a newspaper, another - a clean notebook in a box, the third - a used notebook with inscriptions, etc.
4. The minimum number of layers is 5. But the harder you want to make the pumpkin, the more layers there should be. If you need a large pumpkin, it is better to make more layers.

The next stage is especially responsible - cutting a terrible (or funny - as anyone) faces.

• First, you need to draw a face on the pumpkin, or rather, outline it on the basis of a pencil: eyes, a hole for the nose and grin of sharp, dangerous teeth. This does not always work out the first time, but you have to be patient. All this is cut out with a sharp knife. If there is a candle inside the pumpkin, make a hole at its base for the candle. In order not to suffer with its insertion through the mouth and subsequent ignition (and this is extremely difficult), it is better to limit yourself to the base in the hole.

• The shape is there, the face is carved, but the pumpkin is still completely different from itself. This is because it is not colored. It's time to pick up paints. The inside of the pumpkin should be black. It is not very easy to do internal painting, but it is possible to do it. You should take a wide brush so that the staining is faster. Someone manages to do it with a spray can. You can also use a foam sponge on a pencil, which paints over large areas inside, which means the process is faster.

• Outside, the pumpkin is orange. Gouache or acrylic paint, but in several layers, will cope with this. There is no need to rush, the pumpkin should be painted evenly.

• The tail is made of paper or a nut, for example, which is glued to hot glue in the right place. The nut is also pasted over with paper so that the original shape is not recognizable. Someone makes a ponytail from fabric, from velvet paper. In one case, you will have to paint it, but in the case of using velvet paper or felt, not.

The decoration depends on the purpose of the pumpkin. If she stands on the windowsill, you can decorate it with a witch's hat - it will be both funny and atmospheric. Light a candle inside - of course.If you don't want to mess with something flammable (for example, there is a risk that young children will want to check what's inside), you can limit yourself to a battery-powered Christmas garland rolled up inside a pumpkin. Or you can even use one or more fishing fireflies.

You can also draw themed patterns on the pumpkin - a spider web with a spider, for example. This is done with black acrylic paint and a thin brush. You can cover the pumpkin with clear varnish to make the craft glossy. A set of different-sized pumpkins looks very nice - one might say, a family of three pieces. Exposed on the windowsill, they will cheer up both the owners and passers-by.

See below for a pumpkin-making workshop.