Easy Pumpkin Craft with Plastic Bottles

Transform a simple plastic bottle into a festive autumn decoration with this quick and budget-friendly craft!

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This project guides you through turning a flexible plastic container into a charming pumpkin using orange yarn, green felt leaves, and a pipe cleaner stem. By cutting vertical flaps, weaving yarn through them, and shaping the bottle, you create a textured fall accent perfect for seasonal decor.

You'll need

Plastic bottles – I used 2-liter soda bottles, but any flexible plastic bottle will work

Orange Yarn – the amount you need is dependent on the size bottle you choose. Any type of yarn will work, so look for discount yarn unless you want to choose a more textured yarn.

Green felt – only a small piece is needed for the leaves

Green Pipe cleaner – You need one pipe cleaner per pumpkin

Small Stick or Dowel (optional) – if you want to add a stem to the pumpkin

Directions

Start by trimming the upper portion of your chosen plastic container. For a standard 2-liter bottle, removing the top third works well, but feel free to adjust this measurement based on the desired pumpkin size.

Slice downward along the sides to create vertical flaps. Aim for widths between three-quarters and one and a half inches, making them narrower for slimmer bottles and broader for wider ones. Crucially, ensure you end up with an odd number of these flaps to allow for proper weaving.

Thread your orange yarn through the flaps in a continuous over-and-under pattern, circling the container until you approach your target height.

Puncture a small hole near the top edge of each vertical flap. These openings will serve as anchor points to secure the yarn and prevent it from slipping back down.

Once a section of flaps is covered, knot the yarn securely on the interior surface of the bottle. Snip any excess strands close to the knot to keep the bottom area clean.

Bend the yarn-covered flaps inward to form the pumpkin's round shape. Thread a green pipe cleaner through the punched holes at the top of the flaps to weave them together and maintain the structure.

Sketch leaf shapes directly onto a small piece of green felt and attach them to the top of the craft using a needle and thread for a handmade touch.

Wrap the remaining length of the green pipe cleaner around a pencil or similar object to create a curly stem, adding a playful finishing detail.