I am hoping you will be tolerant of me – lots of exciting stuff going on around here! So, I haven’t had much time for new projects – but this is one of my all time favorite fall projects, so I thought I would share it again!
Grab your coupons and your sales flyer and head to the nearest craft store.
And buy the cheapest and ugliest fake pumpkin you can find.
I am going to show you how easy it is to make the ugliest pumpkins into a vintage doorknob pumpkins.
And, some of my favorite bloggers have a pumpkin project to share with you today as well!
The problem with fake pumpkins – even if you paint them, the stems are usually pretty awful. So instead of trying to make it look real, why not give it a vintage looks with some old doorknobs.
This is where I started
Four differently shaped and style pumpkins, an exacto knife, chalk and craft paint and a pile of doorknobs and hardware.
The easier ones to work with are the ones with the really cheap looking stem, it just pops off and leaves a very small opening.
For the other types, use an exacto knife to cut the stem off. You will need to use a wider base doorknob for this style – or one with a “collar” that blocks the opening.
Simply paint out your pumpkins as you choose and then select your hardware. They can be rough and tumbled and even with paint stains.
I simply rested them on top or inserted them into the styrofoam.
It really is that easy.
Just paint them your color choices. I used a beige craft paint on one, a blue chalk paint on one and the third one I layered two colors of blue chalk paint. It is all about using what you have.
For this pumpkin, I did not even paint it. The white was fine, it was just the terrible stem.
I added some twine with some vintage rusty keys tied to it. To curl the twine, I wrapped it around my exacto knife and sprayed it with hair spray and let it dry.
Now I have a style of pumpkin that fits perfectly in my home’s style and they are a little quirky just like me!
Some of my favorite blog friends have also pulled together some ideas for creating your own pumpkins. Stop by to see their projects as well.
Sharing at Savvy Southern Style
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Thanks so much for reading and wishing a great day.
Hi Laura,
Enjoyed your lovely home that I saw featured on Kim’s “SSS”. I would love to know approximately how much your carpenter charged for your bookcases with the cabinets below. We need this too. They look fantastic. Also, we are new to the Atlanta, GA area and I don’t know where to begin to find a good, honest carpenter. Any ideas would really be helpful.
Take care
The pumpkins are great! I love the idea of using the old doorknobs, so clever!
Have great day.
Susan
Laura, those are very cute! For those of us who love vintage and need something other than a doorknob coatrack it’s a good use of those old knobs!!! Sweet!!
always find inspiring projects here friend. always:)
hoping you are finding the fall weather refreshing where you are
xotiff
Oh my gosh these are soooo cute and clever! I have to do this! (Also can’t wait to try the tiny viniette inside a fake one I found on Pinterest!) I just love the old knobs, I’ve been watching for enough for my entire house….
You are a genius! I would have never though to put hardware on my pumpkins! I am adding to my do list! Thanks so much for sharing!!
Okay, now this even “I” can do! Love the look; now to find some vintage doorknobs:)
OMG! LOVE LOVE LOVE!!
LOVE this idea…and you are right the stems on the fake pumpkins really do look fake…the vintage door knobs are the perfect solution…thanks for sharing!!
What a fun idea! I love the one with the dangling keys.
Love love love! I am so glad I found your blog…..I have to find my ugly old fake pumpkins and make them pretty like yours!
What a fabulous idea! Just when it seems like all the truly creative pumpkin ideas have been done…you’ve come up with one – and a pretty one too! Thanks for the inspiration, my friend!
Laura, these pumpkins are the cutest! My sister and I were just antiquing and she found an old crystal doorknob that she was hoping would work on one of her doors. She was reluctant to buy it because she felt she might be wasting her money. Now I can tell her that even if it doesn’t fit her door, she can get some really adorable pumpkins out of her purchase.
Love this idea! Thanks for the inspiration!
You are a genius Laura!!! Those are adorable! What a clever idea!
Best idea EVER!!!!!
Look great!
Oooo, I love the keys on the door nob pumpkins and the twine! I can’t wait to try this. I saw some done with lace recently that Iiked a lot too. I can’t wait to try it. LOVE anything vintage (girlinthejitterbugdress.com)
Laura these are just too cute. i LOVE them. Pinned and sharing now on FB/Twitter. I know everyone says this {and I rarely do} but my party ends tonight and I would LOVE for you to pop over and enter these. I love featuring new people!!
If you have a chance just click on “Best Of The Weekend” on my nav tab. These are awesome!!
Have a great week!
I seen a lot of pumpkins on the blogs and on pinterest but I have to say that yours are my new favorite! I don’t have door knobs but I do have some cupboard knobs that might work. I’m going to try it.
Thank you! Love this…..had everything to do the door knob pumpkins. Just love how they look.
Love this so much!
Somebody’s knockin”
I’m just sayin’
🙂 me
BEYOND clever!! and I do love me some old doorknobs. Simply FAB! 😉
Oh this is great idea .These pumpkins look so amazing after makeover. Great Work keep it up..!!
GREAT idea!! Love the “quirky-ness” 🙂 Laurel
I can’t stop looking at the twine and keys pumpkin. That one is spectacular. They are all so perfect.
Oh, there you go again you clever person! I have been making fabric pumpkins and making myself crazy in the process trying to find something appealing to use for stems. I’ve tried pine cones and some old ceramic doo-dads that look as if they might have once hung on a chandelier, but I had not thought of door knobs. I did get on e-Bay today and bid on some real dried pumpkins stems, but the knob idea really appeals to me. Maybe even cabinet or drawer pulls for the smaller pumpkins? Thanks for another outside-the-box idea. You’re great!
absolutely brilliant – I always embellish the stems (yeah they look soooo fake) but never thought of using a knob – love love love them! ♥
Laura, this is such a genius idea! I love it! I’m going to start keeping my eye out for vintage door knobs when I’m out thrifting/antiquing. I bet there’s been a run on them on eBay after everyone sees this post! 🙂
LOVE this idea! Just brilliant! NOw I have another thing to look out for! Vintage door knobs and such!
This is so cool. I had to pin it!
I love those knobs.
What a fabulous idea! The pumpkins look great, I love the vintage look the doorknobs give them! Beautiful!
I just wanted to let you know that I featured your wonderful project on homework. Thanks so much for sharing it on The Inspiration Board. Have a great weekend!
carolyn
homework &
DETAILS
Wonderfully clever. I see a trend coming on!! Well done!
Now How cute are these…. I love them all, what a great idea. I would like to invited you to come by and share them at One More Time Events Hugs, Tammy
Goodness… I adore this, Laura! Love a good junky anything but never thought of this! I’ll be featuring you on I Love That Junk and various other places this week. 🙂 Thanks for linking up!
Hi Laura, I love your pumpkins! Anything with junk is good with me… great idea!
Susan
How fun! Thank you for sharing 🙂 I have some old round irrigation knobs that I might use.
Love your pumpkins!! They look fabulous, will need to try to make some myself.
Margaret
These are GORGEOUS, and I LOVE the blue-ish color you’ve chosen.
I hope it’s okay for me to use one of your full-size photos (from over at I Love the Junk) on Facebook WITH A LINK back to her post (which leads back to your site 🙂 ).
If not, just let me know, and I’ll delete it right away (as soon as I see your comment reply.)
I wish I could think of ideas like this. You’ve got a great God-given creative mind!!
Adorable Laura! Sharing on my twitter page. Thanks for linking it up to the Monday Funday party!
Gorgeous Laura! I love the colors you painted these pumpkins too; how elegant and beautiful!
Love, Love this idea and will be making some for my fall table! Thanks for sharing!
hugz,
Suzanne
wow! I can’t believe those are fake pumpkins, they look so real, and this idea is so truly unique. love it!
I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT!!!!!!! Easy, inexpensive, and creative. Thank you!
The pumpkins are so cute. I like the idea because I think they would look great until after Thanksgiving. Who knows I may make one and put some tinsel on it for a Christmas pumpkin!!.
Such a cute idea! Now I just need some vintage doorknobs!
Have a great week.
Im pinning!
Way too cute Laura….I love the way to added the keys too!!!!…This has to be one of my favorite “pumpkin projects” this year!!!
Laura,
You did it again. I am loving me some door knob pumpkins! I can’t wait to make these because I have a collection of old door knobs. What a great idea and I just had to Pin them. You have the best ideas my friend. Thanks again and keep on inspiring us.
Oh Laura!!! I love this idea!!!! It adds so much to a plain pumpkin!!!! I’m going to try it…. IF…. I can find fake pumpkins cheaper than the doorknobs!!! Looking yesterday and a large pumpkin was $39.99 at one of the big craft stores…. Lord help me, I nearly fell out!!! Thanks for the inspiration!!!!
So clever and quirky! Love the doorknob pumpkins…. I have an old doorknob that came from my grandparents home years ago, now I know what to do with it…Thanks for posting this!
I LOVE this idea! What a fun and whimsical way to decorate for fall. Pinned!
Laura, this is such a fabulous idea! And those pumpkins are so so chic!!!! I’ve gotta try a few of these! Pinning and featuring you on fb! xo
Really Clever Idea!
Thanks so much for linking to Whimsy Wednesday, Laura – love these pumpkins! I included you in my weekly feature from the party – Easy Ways To Decorate For Fall!
You can see it here http://www.ohmy-creative.com/fall/easy-ways-decorate-fall/
Party is open for this week – hope to see you there!
Susan
Woah! I’m really loving the template/theme of this website.
It’s simple, yet effective. A lot of times it’s very difficult to get that “perfect balance” between usability and visual appeal.
I must say you’ve done a awesome job with this. Also, the blog loads very quick for me on Chrome.
Superb Blog!
Laura,
I used the doorknobs on velvet pumpkins from Michael’s, some from my 106 year old mother-in-law’s house. In addition I also raided a bucket of small bent pipes and gas and water spigots. I glued the larger pumpkins to pressed glass saucers in a similar color to keep the top-heavy ones from toppling over. That’s because the larger ones are slightly bent to the side. The smaller ones sit straight up. Added ribbons, keys and tiny gears. So much fun I practically bought out the one Michael’s store.
Love your decorating ideas.
Asking questions are actually fastidious thing if you are
not understanding something totally, but this article presents nice understanding yet.
Well I had to take a break from unpacking to come back to this post and give this little craft idea a go, and I am so pleased with how they turned out. Thanks for the inspiration (and mucb needed break). I used flat ivory and gray, and metallic silver and gold and let my daughter choose the knobs. We put them in a dough bowl on the kitchen counter. Such a pretty touch of Fall. Just what I needed!
No primer first?