Easy DIY Paper Pumpkins

A few weeks ago we did these quick and easy, little, paper pumpkins as a free craft in our store. We got a great response, but I know that a lot of our Instagram followers wished they could have been there. I figured- why not do a little tutorial so you all can make them at home? I know, Halloween is this weekend- but this is such an awesome craft for any fall decor (would be so cute in a cluster for a Thanksgiving centerpiece!) Plus they only take a few minutes- so why not?

This is an easy craft for kids or adults! I would love to see it done with patterned paper or as a garland (WOULD BE SOOO CUTE) but whatever you do- tag us @paperieandpen #radpaperhowto so we can see! 

The supplies are pretty simple and straight forward. The best paper would be a text weight (thin) paper like from an office copy machine. I think it would also work well to use wrapping paper or a non-cardstock scrapbook paper. If you would like to make a larger pumpkin, you can make the strips longer and use more of them.

A normal hold punch works fine, just make sure you are punching the holes in the same place. But if you do a lot of hole-punching, a Crop-a-dile will be the best thing that has ever happened to you...since you can punch through a whole stack at once!

Punch 2 equal holes in your paper strips- one on each end, and one in the center. You will then assemble a brad in the center hole and fan out your strips into an equal circle.

Take another brad (point side up) and start gathering the ends of the strips one by one until you for a nice spherical shape. It works best if you alternate strips that are across from each other. When you have collected all of the ends, loosely open the brad to keep it all together while you cut your leaves. 

Take your leaf paper and fold in half. Cut a leaf shape out of one side. If you would like to draw it first, you may- but you can just freehand with the scissors if you are daring.

Open up your leaf shape and make sure you like the size with your pumpkin, feel free to trim down if you would like. Once you are ready, punch a hole in the center of the leaves and the center of your brown rectangle. Then you can open the brad at the top of your pumpkin and add the leaves and brown, then re-open the brad and tightly fasten.

You can then start to scrunch and twist the brown paper into a stem. Be careful not to pull it off of the brad while you are doing this. But the more that you twist and manipulate the end upward- the more it looks like a stem.

You are finished! Feel free to add finishing touches to your pumpkin- we crinkled our leaves a little bit. We would love to see how yours turned out- make sure to tag us: @paperieandpen #radpaperhowto

Hope you had fun!

Get Inky with Sarah Pearl!

Here at Paperie + Pen, to say we are "paper obsessed" would be a total understatement. And the things that Sarah can do with some ink on paper is simply drool-worthy... which is WHY we are SO excited to not only be featuring her on our blog today, but also having her teach us her ways! (Contact shop or check Facebook and Instagram for current workshop schedule)

We have nothing but nice things to say about Sarah- she is sweet, quirky, adorable, but most of all- she has a gift for creating beautiful marks on paper and creating mail that seriously makes a person feel special.

"Don't cry over spilled ink...unless you are wearing white jeans" -Sarah

Here is her story is the words of the lady herself:

Hi, I’m Sarah Pearl Foutz, from Sarah Pearl Studio! I live in Boise, Idaho and can’t think of a better place to raise my 5 kids (and husband). My love for lettering began at a young age when I would pour through my grandma’s magazines each Sunday and fill out all of the mail-order forms in my best handwriting. Moving on to junior high, I became the master of bubble letters and note-folding (ancient text messaging at its finest!). When I went to college, every semester I promised myself that I’d take a calligraphy course. When I found out I was expecting my first child, then the focus became simply graduating, and the course in calligraphy (and floral design and advanced clogging) was replaced by graduate courses in psychology. To this day, graduating with a 1 month old is still one of my proudest achievements!

Fast forward to my current life—I really can’t believe that this will be the first year all of my kids will be in school full-time. In preparation of this momentous occasion, over the last couple of years I’ve been rediscovering what my passions are so I’d be productive while they were at school (you know, instead of watching soap operas!). I have always been a very creative person who enjoys a diverse range of “handicrafts” ranging from designing adorable crocheted bootie heels for babies, to sewing repurposed vintage dresses, to embroidering my whimsical sketches. Even though I loved all of these past times, I would bounce around from one hobby to the next to keep myself interested. (My husband thinks I have crafty ADD). However, when I started dabbling in calligraphy, I never looked back. 

When it comes to learning something new, I become borderline obsessed, and calligraphy was no exception. I immersed myself into the art whole-heartedly through a variety of books, online courses and websites, and practicing any chance I got, usually for several hours a day. In July 2015, I had the amazing opportunity to study with Master Penman Barbara Calzolari, at an intimate workshop setting in California. Even though I pride myself on being almost entirely self-taught, that experience taught me the value of one-on-one mentoring and encouragement, and is something I will cherish for a long time.

The thing I love the most about calligraphy is the ability the hand-written word has to evoke emotions. The rich swells and hairlines are reminiscent of a different era, and brings out the romantic in all of us! I love sharing this gift with others through letters, cards, and prints, and obsessing over the little details like handmade paper and vintage stamps. I think we all yearn for the human touch of communication in this fast-paced technological world, and when people know you’ve taken the time to make something handmade just for them, it touches their heart in a significant way. Making a positive difference in people’s lives is what keeps me coming back to the pen every day. I hope I can share the joy of calligraphy in the Treasure Valley and inspire others to keep the spirit of penmanship alive!

Make sure you follow Sarah's beautiful work on Instagram @sarahpearlstudio --It makes us happy every time we see her funny, gorgeously scrawled sayings and "happy mail" that makes one excited to open the mailbox!!

Photos of Sarah by: Ampersand Studios