One of my favorite fall activities is decorating pumpkins. I prefer decorating over carving because a) it doesn’t make as much of a mess and b) I’m so clumsy that I get nervous I’ll cut myself if I carve a pumpkin. When brainstorming pumpkin decorating ideas, I decided to do a ribbon pumpkin DIY this year.

I chose a feminine color palette in rose, rust and marigold (stay tuned for my full fall decor using the colors). But you can choose any color scheme you want for this easy DIY project. I recommend doing two to three colors when picking out your ribbon. While you don’t have to do velvet like I did, I felt like the material gave the pumpkins an extra luxe feel.

Shop Ribbon Pumpkins DIY materials

the ribbon

I ordered two different sized ribbon: 3/8 inch and 5/8 inch. The sizing really depends on the size of the pumpkins you’re decorating. If you’re doing the smallest pumpkins, you can’t go higher than the 3/8 inch. The smaller ribbon also was easier to use for the medium pumpkins. In the future, I’d only get the 5/8 ribbon if I was decorating a standard size pumpkin. Again, choose any color scheme you want! You can probably find ribbon at your local craft store but I prefer just ordering on Amazon since it’s so easy and has free shipping. The ribbon I ordered comes in so many different color options.

the DIY process

My crafting was really a result of trial and error. I played around by cutting different size ribbons and positioning them on the pumpkins. After a few failed attempts, I came up with three decorating styles I liked. Here they are from easiest to most difficult:

{Bow Pumpkin} The easiest one was definitely tying a box around the stem of the pumpkin. To do this:

1. Cut a long piece of ribbon
2. Knot it around the stem of the pumpkin.
3. Tie a bow.
4. You can then cut the ends to either hang short or drape long so they fall on the table. You can also double up on the ribbon, like I did in a few with rust and rose.

{Present Pumpkin} Another style I like is a mini bow on the front of the ribbon, almost like you’re tying the pumpkin up as a package. I liked this one best for the mini pumpkins. To create this style:

1. Wrap a single ribbon around the pumpkin, securing it with glue (I always use E6000. It’s crafting magic!).
2. Cute a separate piece of ribbon to make a small bow.
3. Glue the bow to the middle of the ribbon already wrapped around the pumpkin.

{Stripe Pumpkin} This isn’t hard to do, it’s just a little more time consuming than the bows. To create a striped pumpkin:

1. Measure the ribbon from the stem to the bottom of the pumpkin and cut off a piece.
2. Use that length to cut additional small pieces of ribbon (you need around 8-10 pieces, depending on the size of your pumpkin).
3. Glue each piece to each ridge of the pumpkin from the stem to the bottom
4. You can leave as is, or tie a bow on top by repeating the steps for the bow pumpkins.

{Ribbon Stem Pumpkin} The most advanced DIY is wrapping the stem of the pumpkin with ribbon, only because it takes more patience. To do this:

1. Add some glue to the stem of your pumpkin.
2. Slowly wrap your ribbon around the stem, securing it as you go.
3. When you’re almost done, cut the ribbon and some glue on the ribbon. Then pinch it around the end of the stem so not stems still shows.
4. When you’re done you can add a bow by repeating the steps for the bow pumpkins.

more embellishment

I left some pumpkins with just ribbon. But on others, I wanted a little extra embellishment so I added floral designs.

Paper flowers are easiest to use because they are lightweight and glue on very easily. There are so many different color flower embellishments to choose from. I went with pink flowers to match my blush decor.

Michaels paper flowers, $5.99

My favorite part about this DIY is that depending what color scheme you choose, the pumpkins can take you from Halloween into Thanksgiving. Plus, if you have any leftover ribbon, you can always use it for a pretty hair bow!

If you have any questions on the crafting project, feel free to ask me in the comments below… and happy crafting!

Want more fall decor ideas?

• Glam pearl pumpkins DIY
• Metallic stripe pumpkins DIY
• Chic fall home decor
• Fall table decor