It has been raining non-stop for the past week, and both me and my daughter have been sick. So naturally we have stayed nice and cozy indoors, sipping hot chocolate, eating lots of soup, watching episode after episode of Gilmore Girls, and crafting. Yep, this is the life… well except the being sick part… and it would be nice to actually see the sun once in a while.
Anyway, before I got sick, I attended a little blogging event at my local Orchard Supply Hardware store where I got to meet some wonderful women and learn some fun holiday craft ideas including this cute pumpkin made from pipe hanger strapping. It was too cute not to share! Besides it’s classy design, it only costs about $5 to make and you can finish it in less than 30 minutes. It having been a while since my last blog tutorial, I completely forgot to take step-by-step pictures, but this project is fairly foolproof. Believe me, it is a piece of cake! All you’ll need are the supplies listed below:
** Note: Pipe hanger strapping also comes in copper, which makes for a nice shiny orange pumpkin.
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Cut the strapping into pieces at your desired length using snips (or anything you have that will cut metal). I cut mine by measuring out 10 of the big holes, then cut as close to the small hole making a straight edge.
2. Once you’ve cut all your straps, bend each one into a horseshoe shape so that both ends of the straps will stack flat on top of each other. (refer to images below for a better look). Since the corners of the straps are sharp, I’d recommend using a pair of gloves for this part or a pair of needle nose pliers.
3. Now, screw 1 nut onto the very end of the threaded rod, then follow it with a washer. Then begin to layer the straps onto the rod and arrange them evenly around it. I used 7 straps, but you may use as many as you’d like.
4. Once you’ve added all your straps, place another washer followed by a nut on top of the layered straps. Twist tight to secure the straps in place.
5. Next, thread another nut about 1.25″ – 1.5″ down from the top of the rod, followed by a washer. This makes a stopping point for your straps. Then thread the straps onto the top part of the rod.
6. After all the straps are threaded onto the rod, clinch them down with the last washer and nut. You may want to use a crescent wrench to make sure all the nuts are tight. At this point I played with the shape of the straps a bit more to get that perfect pumpkin shape.
You should now have something that resembles a pumpkin! You can now spray paint it, or simply leave it the way it is. I chose to spray paint mine using a Ivory Satin spray paint to better match the rest of my home’s decor. Then I added some curly twine to the stem of the pumpkin. To do this, I dipped pieces of twine in a mixture of Elmers glue and water, then wrapped in around a No.2 pencil to dry. Once dry, I glued the pieces of curled twine onto the the stem. You could also use wire, fabric, or leaves to decorate the top.
Foolproof right? It may seem a bit confusing at times on paper, but once you get into the process of making it, it all comes together quite easily. Just keep bending and twisting until it is the way you like it… you really can’t mess it up. There is no right or wrong way with these types of things. However, please feel free to leave a comment or email us if you have any questions or if something in the instructions seem unclear.
Happy Fall!!
