DIY BOOK PUMPKIN: how to make fall pumpkins from an old book

Need a creative way to repurpose your old books? Try this DIY BOOK PUMPKIN craft. These rustic-looking pumpkins are perfect for Halloween and fall decor.

DIY book pumpkin craft. Book pages have been cut into the shape of a pumpkin. Outer edges of book pages are painted in a fall mustard yellow. There is a stick for the stem of the pumpkin and rustic curly wire pieces. There is a twine jute bow in the center of the pumpkin glued to the stem.

Make an adorable DIY book pumpkin. For this fall craft, I didn’t have an old book to upcycle. Instead, I used a book that I purchased from my local Dollar Tree. Check out more BOOK CRAFTS here & here.

Prefer video tutorials? No problem, keep scrolling to the bottom to watch how to make a DIY book pumpkin.

Hey there! I’m so glad you’re here. If you love this DIY craft be sure to check out these other fall projects:

And these other PUMPKIN CRAFT TUTORIALS:

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What supplies do you need to make a DIY book pumpkin?

With a few supplies you probably already have in your craft room you can make this pumpkin quick & easy. Here’s what you need:

supplies and materials needed to make a book pumpkin. Book, rustic wire, xacto knife, acrylic paint, scissors, burlap ribbon, sponge brush, stick.

How do you make a pumpkin out of a book?

Follow these step by step instructions to create your own adorable pumpkins from books… book lovers please don’t hate me <3 .

1. REMOVE THE COVER & HARD SPINE OF THE BOOK

First thing, remove the front and back covers along with the hard spine of the book. This allows you to easily curve your book around to form a circle.

2. MAKE A HALF PUMPKIN TEMPLATE

Second, remove the first page of your book and cut out a half pumpkin shape. Then, place your pattern flat side touching the binding edge of the book. Trace around the shape. (this step is similar to when you make paper hearts)

3. CUT OUT THE PAGES

Third, Using an exacto knife or scissors cut the line you just traced. You will want to cut through several book pages at a time.

Keep doing this step until you cut through the last book page.

4. USE SCISSORS TO CLEAN UP THE OUTSIDE EDGES

My pumpkin shape turned out a bit wonky. That was ok. I just used a pair of scissors to clean up the pages a bit so they were a little more even.

The pages don’t have to be perfectly exact. You won’t be able to tell they are a little off once you open the book up into the shape of a pumpkin.

5. PAINT THE SIDE OF THE BOOK

This is completely optional. I really like the look of the pumpkin painted around the outside edge of the pages.

Use acrylic paint and lightly paint the page edges. You don’t have to cover them completely.

You can also use spray paint for this step.

6. GLUE

Use a hot glue gun to add a bit of glue to the spine of the book. Open up the book and press the spine together.

Next, add hot glue to the last page then press the first page to it. Now you have a pumpkin shape.

7. PUMPKIN ACCENTS

I opted to use a stick from my yard to act as a pumpkin stem for my DIY book pumpkin. You could also use:

  • cinnamon stick
  • rolled up brown paper
  • rope
  • wooden dowel rod

Add hot glue to the bottom of the pumpkin stem then place it in the center of the book where the spine is still open.

Other accents you can use for the top of the pumpkin:

  • curly rustic wire
  • burlap leaf
  • ribbon bow
  • twine bow
  • raffia
  • felt leaves
  • wood beads

For my pumpkins, I chose to add curly baling wire (you can buy this from your local farm or hardware store), a bow made from twine, and a simple bow made from polka dot burlap ribbon. Use hot-glue to attach your accent pieces close to the stem of the pumpkin.

Oh my goodness these book page pumpkins turned out even better than I expected them to! I LOVE them mixed in with the rest of my fall decor.

diy book pumpkins easy tutorial. 2 pumpkins made from books sitting on a table

DIY BOOK PUMPKIN: how to make fall pumpkins from an old book

Need a creative way to repurpose your old books? Try this DIY BOOK PUMPKIN craft. These rustic-looking pumpkins are perfect for Halloween and fall decor.
Total Time30 minutes
Keyword: diy book pumpkin, diy dollar tree crafts, diy fall decor, fall crafts, fall dollar tree decor, rustic fall decor
Cost: $

Materials

Instructions

  • REMOVE THE COVER & HARD SPINE OF THE BOOK- First thing, remove the front and back covers along with the hard spine of the book. This allows you to easily curve your book around to form a circle.
  • MAKE A HALF PUMPKIN TEMPLATE- Second, remove the first page of your book and cut out a half pumpkin shape. Then, place your pattern flat side touching the binding edge of the book. Trace around the shape. (this step is similar to when you make paper hearts)
  • CUT OUT THE PAGES- Third, Using an exacto knife or scissors cut the line you just traced. You will want to cut through several book pages at a time.
    Keep doing this step until you cut through the last book page.
  • USE SCISSORS TO CLEAN UP THE OUTSIDE EDGES- My pumpkin shape turned out a bit wonky. That was ok. I just used a pair of scissors to clean up the pages a bit so they were a little more even.
    The pages don’t have to be perfectly exact. You won’t be able to tell they are a little off once you open the book up into the shape of a pumpkin.
  • PAINT THE SIDE OF THE BOOK-This is completely optional. I really like the look of the pumpkin painted around the outside edge of the pages.
    Use acrylic paint and lightly paint the page edges. You don’t have to cover them completely.
  • GLUE- Use a hot glue gun to add a bit of glue to the spine of the book. Open up the book and press the spine together.
    Next, add hot glue to the last page then press the first page to it. Now you have a pumpkin shape.
  • PUMPKIN ACCENTS- I used a stick from my yard to act as a pumpkin stem for my DIY book pumpkin. Add hot glue to the bottom of the pumpkin stem then place it in the center of the book where the spine is still open. For my pumpkins, I chose to add curly baling wire (you can buy this from your local farm or hardware store), a bow made from twine, and a simple bow made from polka dot burlap ribbon. Use hot-glue to attach your accent pieces close to the stem of the pumpkin.

Video

I hope you enjoyed this DIY book pumpkin tutorial. If you have any questions leave them in the comments below.

Happy Crafting!

Megan

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