Pumpkins and Acorns, Oh My!

I'm a bit ridiculously late for last month's challenge for the Blogging Business Artisans Etsy team, but I'm going to show it to you anyway! The challenge theme for August was "Fall is Coming" and was brought to us by Linda of Linda B's Jewelry. If you'd like to see the other challenge projects for August, just click here!

There is a built-in see-through shelving unit that separates a portion of my living room from the dining room, and one of these cubbies is where I place holiday decorations that Noli can play with. It's in the first, and lowest, cubby so it's very prominent in the room and she likes to change things around and decorate it however she wants. The agreement, of course, is that she can do whatever she'd like in her cubby, but she has to leave the other decorations -- especially breakables -- alone! Works pretty well!!

I didn't have much for her for Thanksgiving so I thought for this challenge I would crochet some pumpkins for her. The larger one is about 5 inches tall and the smaller about 4 inches tall.

I had bought this little fabric pumpkin a couple of years ago, and then forgot about it since it wasn't with my Thanksgiving decorations. I came across it recently and then decided to make some pumpkins to go with it!

I think Noli will really like these on her shelf, especially since I made them just for her!

For the past several years we have been picking up acorns from under the oak tree in the front yard. The rule is that we can't pick up whole acorns because those are for the squirrels to eat. So we just get the caps. 

Noli is around four years old in these two pictures -- 

but I guess I didn't take any recent acorn-picking pics  : )

No, I didn't make her hat, but a friend of her mama's did!!

I had seen crocheted acorns using a real cap and liked the idea, so I made some to go with the pumpkins!

Noli will really like them since she picked up all the caps (and believe me, there are a LOT of caps!) If I get around to it I might just make some to put in my Etsy shop! If I get around to it.....

If you crochet it's very easy to make these -- 

Rnd 1 - just start with a magic ring and make 5 sc in the ring. 

Rnd 2 - 2 sc in each stitch (10 sc)

Then single crochet on those 10 sc until it's as long as you'd like 

I used worsted weight cotton and acrylic and crocheted 6 or 7 rounds with both an E and an F hook. Great way to use up all those bits and pieces of leftover yarn!

If you don't crochet you could use fabrics -- cut a circle from the fabric, hand sew around the edge to gather, stuff with fiberfill and draw up the end and secure. I didn't make any from fabric so I don't know how big the circle should be, but it's like the crocheted ones -- it's just however big you want it to be!

For the caps, be sure to wash them and let them dry well over several days. I also put mine on a baking sheet in a 250 degree oven for about 15 to 20 minutes to make sure there are no bitty critters lurking about!

Stuff with fiberfill

and hot glue the acorn cap onto the open end of the acorn. Don't you like my nifty glue gun holder?

Aren't they cute?

I think Noli will really get a kick out of them!


Do you have a special place to put kids' holiday decorations?
Do you have special decorations that they can play with?

♥♥