Sock Pumpkins

If you’re looking for simple seasonal decor to create this fall, try making your own Sock Pumpkins!

Image is a collage of project photos intended for saving the blog post to Pinterest.

How to Make Sock Pumpkins

This is a quick and easy project that only requires a few basic supplies. You can make your own sock pumpkin in less than 15 minutes. Here’s how to get started.

Image contains four pumpkins made from fuzzy socks; a tan, a grey, a mint, and a cream one, sitting on a wooden desk.

Materials

fuzzy sock, your choice of color
scissors
branch/stick
yarn
thread
sewing needle and large-eye sewing needle
Poly-Fil
Poly Pellets
hot glue gun and glue sticks

Instructions

Cut your sock near the heel to form a tube.

Image contains Amy’s hand holding a fuzzy white sock that has been cut at the heel to create a tube.

Fill the tube with a mixture of Poly Pellets and Poly-Fil.

Poly Pellets are weighted stuffing beads. The more of these you add, the heavier your pumpkin will be. They will give your project a beanbag-like feel.

Image contains Amy’s hand holding the bottom of a white sock filled with Poly-Fil.

Gather the top of the sock and glue or sew shut using a needle and thread.

I like to do a running stitch around the neck of the gathered area. Then I gently push the excess fabric down inside the opening and pull the thread to gather the area shut. I finish by sewing a few stitches across the opening to make sure it remains closed.

Image is a collage of two photos. On the left, Amy’s hand tucks the excess sock inside the ball. On the right, a sewing needle closes the opening.

Divide the pumpkin into sections with about 36” of yarn.

Take your piece of yarn and find the center. Place the center section over the middle of your pumpkin and use it to divide the ball in half. Tie it tightly. This will give you two pieces of yarn that are about equal in length.

Image contains a cream colored stuffed sock divided in half with a tied piece of yarn.

Flip your ball over, and bring the yarn back up over the top, dividing off 1/3 of each half. This gives you two large sections and two smaller ones. Tie tightly. Again, you should have two long strings left.

Image contains the stuffed sock divided into four sections; two large and two small, with yarn held by Amy’s hand.

Flip your pumpkin over and bring the yarn back to the bottom, dividing the larger sections in half. This should give you six sections that are somewhat equal in size. Tie at the bottom.

Image contains a stuffed sock divided into six sections with tied yarn.

Take one of the long strings and thread it onto a large-eye sewing needle. Push the needle up through the center of the pumpkin from the bottom to the top. Then, send it back down from top to bottom and pull. This will draw the center of the pumpkin down inside, creating a space for the stem and making that classic pumpkin shape. Tie the two pieces of yarn in a tight knot and trim the excess.

Image contains Amy’s hand holding a sock pumpkin without a stem.

Glue a branch/stick in the center as a stem.

Now your pumpkin is ready to display! These are so quick and easy to make that I bet you’ll want to create more than one. I sure did!

Image contains a pumpkin made from a fluffy white sock with a branch stem.

Crafting Tips

Try using a variety of sock colors to create pumpkins that will match your home decor.
Check your local thrift store for socks, as well as for gently used sweaters. A sweater sleeve can also be used for this project!
Want your pumpkin to have more weight? Substitute Glasslets Glass Micro Beads for the Poly Pellets.
Feel free to glue a felt or other faux leaf next to the stem if you want your pumpkin to have one.