Give your pumpkins that vintage feel with this ephemera pumpkin craft! Find yourself a pumpkin and a flyer from your local community or online, and let’s get crafting!

Supplies:

  • A pumpkin (real or fake)
  • A flyer or poster
  • Scissors
  • Clear glue (PVA/Hodge Podge)

Instructions:

1) Find a flyer or poster for something like a funfair or a sideshow – maybe even a haunted house! You could find one in your local community, or a vintage one online. If you’re using something modern and want it to have that vintage look, you could try staining it with coffee and drying it before sticking on your pumpkin! Here are some vintage funfair posters to get you started:

Poster with colour lithographic print of fair scene featuring dodgems and Sideshows, circa 1940.

1940s fairground poster by
Willsons, Leicester, National Fairground Archive, University of Sheffield Library

Poster for Charles Heal & Sons Carnival and Fun Fair 1,000 smiles an hour. Poster left blank for overprinting. Circa 1930.

Fairground poster, circa 1930, National Fairground Archive, University of Sheffield Library

Colour lithographic poster of fair scene featuring swing chairs, Gallopers, cake walk, Pierrots and dragon ride. Circa 1930.

Fairground poster, circa 1930, National Fairground Archive, University of Sheffield Library

2) Cut your flyer or poster into strips – I cut mine to 1 x 4 inches, but you might want to go bigger or smaller depending on how big your pumpkin is. Make sure to keep your paper strips in order!

3) Stick your paper strips onto your pumpkin, applying clear glue on both sides of each strip. There will be some overlap as you’re sticking on a round object – this just adds to the vintage charm of your pumpkin!

4) When your pumpkin is dry, display it for all to see – and make sure to share a photo with @geekgirlpenpals on Twitter and Instagram!

Contributed by Rhiannon
Rhiannon is a cake-making cross-stitching camper from the UK. She’s one half of the IGGPPC social media team, and a fraction of the Iggle Wellness team too! You can find her on Twitter at @WritingRhiannon.