This beautiful popsicle stick pumpkin craft is so easy and fun to make your own and decorate for fall! If you love this, check out my pumpkin craft template too. This post contains affiliate links.

Turn a variety of craft sticks into adorable pumpkins to decorate your home. The combo of practical craft sticks, autumn shades of paint, and shabby ribbons make a multi-textured mantel accent, without being overly fussy. Doodles are optional!

I love a craft that you can sit back on the couch with and really relax with. That’s why doodle crafts are always a score in my book. While you can skip the doodle element on these popsicle stick pumpkins if it intimidates you, you might not want to.

You can sketch or pencil in your design first and then go over it in markers.

And don’t worry about it being perfect. Just go with the flow! Prepare a few extras in case you mess up – it’s really not hard!

Notice how using three different types of craft sticks here really switches up the projects. Pumpkins and gourds come in so many shapes and sizes. By whittling it down to a rectangle, you’ll find yourself observing the overall space that pumpkins take up.

There are short and fat ones, tall and skinny, and very square ones.

Some have loads of ripples and are full of texture. Some are smoother with a basic ridge.

How to complete your popsicle stick pumpkins

When you’re done putting them together, there are a few ways to display them to decorate for Fall and Halloween:

Prop them on open book shelves.
Use them as part of your mantel display.
Line them up inside a shadow box frame.
String them on the back for a garland that is totally not boring.

I’m sure you have some more ideas to add to the list – just comment them below!

To make these, I used three types of craft sticks: Jumbo craft sticks, mini craft sticks, and skill sticks. Doodles are a simple basket weave and a paisley. You can also try doodling monochromatic rainbows, doodling with orange paint markers for a tone-on-tone effect, making various size polka dots, writing quotes… You can even draw on Jack O Lantern faces for Halloween!

What you need to make the Popsicle Stick Pumpkin Craft:

Craft Sticks, Jumbo
Craft Sticks, Mini
Skill Sticks
Assorted Green Ribbon, Baker’s Twine and Scraps
Natural Jute Twine
Acrylic Craft Paint – Light, Medium, and Dark Orange, Brown
Permanent Black Marker
Glue Gun and Glue Sticks (wood glue or tacky glue can work too and should be used if crafting these with kids)
Scissors

How to make the Popsicle Stick Pumpkin Craft:

1. To create your base, line up six jumbo craft sticks, six skill sticks, or eight mini craft sticks on your work surface. Using scissors, trim additional jumbo craft sticks to the width of each pumpkin and attach with a glue gun.

2. Paint each pumpkin with a different shade of orange acrylic paint, light orange, medium orange, and dark orange. Set aside to dry and apply a second coat, if necessary.

3. Trim additional jumbo craft sticks with scissors, to create the pumpkin stems. Paint with brown acrylic craft paint. Set aside to dry and apply a second coat, if necessary. Once dry, attach each stem to the top center of the back of each pumpkin with a glue gun and glue sticks.

4. Using a black permanent marker, draw patterns on the plain craft stick pumpkins. Create a basket weave on the largest pumpkin by alternating horizontal and vertical lines. Draw a variety of swirls and teardrops on the smallest craft stick pumpkin to look like vines or paisley. Get creative!

5. Cut assorted ribbon, baker’s twine, lace, and rick rack scraps into 4” lengths. Cut an 8” length of natural jute twine and tie in a knot around the scraps, then tie around the pumpkin stem and secure with a knot. Trim ends of ribbon and twine, if necessary.

6. Make a trio, make it yourself, involve the kids…. What a fabulous open-ended craft for the whole family!

How will you be doodling and displaying your popsicle stick pumpkins? Comment below!