How To DIY The Cutest Crochet Pumpkins To Spruce Up Your Home For Fall

Nowadays, pumpkins start hitting the shelves before summer is even over — pumpkin candles, pumpkin spice, and plenty of plain old pumpkins. But there are good reasons to get a head start on the season, including if you plan to DIY your decorations. These adorable crochet pumpkins are a unique way to decorate your home with pumpkins and practice a fun craft at the same time.

Of course, the most classic pumpkin decor is the carved pumpkin. There are infinite pumpkin carving ideas to choose from to put your own spin on a jack-o-lantern, from the spooky to the cute or funny. But it can be tricky to keep your carved pumpkins from rotting, especially if they're not outside in cold weather. A crochet pumpkin, on the other hand, can be used year after year, and you can get creative and make pumpkins in a variety of colors, sizes, and patterns. All you need to get started is yarn, a crochet hook, a needle, and stuffing.

If you're a beginner crocheter, @autumn_crochet on TikTok has a simple tutorial for small pumpkins that uses just a few stitches, including chain stitch, single crochet, and half double crochet. You'll need light-weight brown and orange yarn (or whatever colors you'd like the body and stem to be), a 3mm crochet hook, a wool or tapestry needle, stuffing, and scissors. Some crochet pumpkins require working "in the round," or in one continuous circle, but with this one, you'll instead create a flat tube with ridges in it to represent the sides of the pumpkin, then attach the sides, stuff it, and add the stem.

There are many variations on this classic crochet pumpkin. You can make your pumpkin bigger by making the rows longer or using thicker yarn and a bigger needle — one tutorial by Stitchberry, for example, uses super bulky weight yarn and an 8mm hook to create a pillow-sized crochet pumpkin. Don't forget to get extra stuffing if you decide to go this route. You can also create more exaggerated pumpkin indentations by wrapping yarn around the side and pulling it back through the pumpkin, repeating that step as needed to create as many indentations as you like. You can switch out yarns to create pumpkins in different colors or patterns, and instead of crocheting a stem, you can use a nice piece of wood or a cinnamon stick for more cozy fall vibes.