This time of year I can't walk through a dollar store without picking up a few plastic pumpkins because they have so much crafting potential. When I bought these I had no clue what I was going to do with them.

The motivation for this pumpkin craft came while rummaging through my craft bin and the idea for these unique French burlap decoupage pumpkins with rusty leaves and wine cork stems unfolded.

French Burlap Decoupage Dollar Store Pumpkins

I had completely forgotten I had the French script burlap ribbon. I also forgot I had a bag of wine corks in there too. When I saw they were stamped with a French fleur de lis, the plan for my pumpkins took on a Parisian theme

The inspiration for the decoupage pumpkins came from Beverly's Across The Boulevard frayed ribbon pumpkins.

When inspired by another's work, I like to put my own spin on it. So for my dollar store pumpkins, I used burlap ribbon to decoupage the pumpkins and made faux leaves look like rusted iron.

This was my first time using a metal affects rust kit and oh my, now I want to rust all.the.things. In fact, I used the leftovers to make unique rusty abstract pumpkin topiaries.

When picking foam pumpkins, try and find three with different shapes or sizes to make the pumpkin vignette more visually appealing.

I also purchased a Fall leaf garland from the dollar store and used some of the leaves for the pumpkins. I love how the large faux leaves look like real rusted metal (more about that process later).

I love the French farmhouse style of these decoupage pumpkins. They could be incorporated into a French Country, Rustic, Industrial, or Traditional fall vignette. They could be paired with real or other faux pumpkin styles like these handpainted pumpkins and/or DIY sweater pumpkins.

What You'll Need To Make Them

These are the supplies I used to make the decoupage dollar store pumpkins. This post contains affiliate links so you can see what products I used or recommend for this project. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.

Supply List

Faux Pumpkins (alternatives)
French Script Burlap Ribbon (alternatives)
Fabric Scissors
Sewing Stick Pins
Mod Podge
Chip Brush
Wine Corks For Crafts
Large Fall Craft Leaves
Modern Masters Rust Patina Kit
Twine
Hot Glue Gun

Here's How To Make Them

Let's get into the nitty-gritty of how to make these French burlap decoupage pumpkins, starting with how to decoupage dollar store pumpkins with burlap ribbon.

Remove the stems from the plastic pumpkins but keep them for a future craft. Next, paint the pumpkins black with two coats of acrylic craft paint so the bright orange doesn't show through the burlap. Let the paint completely dry before moving onto the next step.

1. Cut strips of the burlap ribbon to fit each pumpkin vertically from top to bottom.
2. Cut an inverted V or point on the top of the ribbon strips.
3. Working in sections, brush matte Mod Podge onto the back of the burlap ribbon and the pumpkin.
4. Set the ribbon in place and rub your hand over the burlap so it nestles into the pumpkin spines.
5. Hold the ribbon in place with stick pins. Instead of ruining my good sewing pins, I keep a package on hand specifically for crafting.
6. Overlap the strips of ribbon ever so slightly and tuck the pointed end into the stem hole.
7. Before the Mod Podge completely dries but has a good bond to the pumpkin, remove the stick pins.

How To Rust Faux Leaves

Now for the fun part, how to make those dollar store faux Fall leaves look like real rusted metal. It's super easy and so much fun to watch the magic happen before your eyes.

Step 1 - Primer

1. First, you'll want to cover your work surface to protect it from overspray.
2. Brush a coat of the primer that comes in the Modern Masters Metal Effects Kit onto the front and back of each leaf.
3. Let it dry for 30 minutes.
4. Brush another coat of primer and let it dry for two hours before moving onto the next step.

Step 2 - Iron Paint

1. Brush one coat of Iron paint on both sides of leaves.
2. Allow the paint to dry for 30 minutes.
3. Brush another coat of iron paint onto the leaves.
4. Allow the second coat of iron paint to dry for one hour before moving onto the final step.

Step 3 - Rust Activator

This final step is where the magic happens before your very eyes!

1. Spray a light coat of rust activator over the entire surface of the leaves.
2. Wait five minutes and spray a second light coat then watch the magic happen.
3. Let the leaves dry completely before moving onto the next step.

How To Make Twine Pumpkin Tendrils

Now we're going to make pumpkin tendrils with twine.

1. Cut a piece of natural twine a minimum of 12-14 inches long. The longer the twine, the longer the tendrils, it's your choice.
2. Tie the twine to the center of the faux iron leaf stems leaving two long strands hanging on each side.
3. Rub Mod Podge with your fingers over the twine and wrap it around a pencil or wooden dowel.
4. Hold the tendrils in place with clips, I used hair clips that I had on hand.
5. Let the tendrils dry for about 30 minutes until they start to stiffen.
6. Once the tendrils are dry enough that they hold their shape, remove them from the pencil.
7. Push the center of the leaf stem into the hole at the top of the pumpkins and secure it with a hot glue gun.

Wine Cork Pumpkin Stems

For the final Parisian touch to the decoupage dollar store pumpkins is the fun wine cork stems.

1. With a hot glue gun secure the wine corks over the center of the leaf stems.
2. Loosen the curls on the tendrils and we're done!

So what do you think? I hope you were inspired by these unique French burlap decoupage pumpkins with rusted leaves and fleur de lis wine cork stems.

For more pumpkin inspiration you may like these 12 DIY pumpkin ideas that are easy on the wallet. Thanks for stopping by the Interior Frugalista today!

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