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We recently shared our Macrame Plant Hanger Tutorial and we loved it so much we decided to create a pattern for Halloween or Thanksgiving! It can work for either occasion. This easy macrame pattern is guaranteed to get you hooked on this classic art form.

This project is very simple and totally fun. The best part is you can get all the materials at your local dollar store. You can use a foam pumpkin or real – then all you need is some strong cotton yarn or thin cord.  A glue gun and scissors are also needed. This craft does take some time to finish but once you get a good flow going, your knots will be done in no time.

What do you need to make a Macrame Pumpkin Cover?

• Cotton yarn or cord
• Foam or real pumpkin
• Hot glue gun with glue sticks
• Scissors

How to Make a Macrame Pumpkin Cover – Macrame Pumpkin Wrap

Firstly, cut a long single piece of string – the length will depend on the size of your pumpkin.  You basically need it to go around the top of your pumpkin stump. This will act as the centre “loop”.

Secondly, cut several long lengths of string. Be sure to cut them long, making the knots will take up some of the length. We cut ours to about 36 inches long. Double each strand.

Attach the long lengths of string to the original length of string (the one that will become the centre loop). A simple loop around is all that is needed to being the macrame.

Once all of the strings are looped around, tie the original length together to form the loop.  

Lay your circle on the table and begin making your square knots. We will use this simple knot for the whole cover.  You may find it easier to work on the table or maybe directly on the pumpkin – do whatever feels best for you.

Begin by taking two of the looped strings and splitting them into four equal parts, two strings per group. Cross the far left strings over the middle two and under the far right. Then, bring the far right up under the middle two strings and through the hole created by the first step. Gently pull the strings together to form a knot. See the picture for a visual step by step.

Repeat this step across the entire loop, then again until there are about three layers of knots.

You’re Almost Finished Your New Macrame Pumpkin Cover!

This craft looks best if the knots cover at least half of the pumpkin and the tassels reach the table top.

When there are enough macrame knots tie the ends off using a simple knot.

Cut the extra string off.

Finally, separate the tassels to make them ‘puff’.

Crafters Tip: You can use your hot glue gun to attach the macrame pattern to the top of your foam/real pumpkin. This will keep it secure to the pumpkin, so it won’t slide around.

We hope you liked this How to Make a Macrame Pumpkin Cover – Macrame Beginner Knot tutorial.

The post How to Make a Macrame Pumpkin Cover appeared first on Champagne and Sugarplums.

This blog post may contain affiliate links. What does that mean? We may get a small commission if you make a purchase using our links, which helps us to keep posting new holiday content every week.

What You’ll Need:

• 25 Corks
• Orange paint
• Green Paint
• Floral Wire
• Felt or Silk Leaves
• Paint Brush
• Glue

We’ll start with 24 of the corks. Start by pouring some orange paint onto a plate or dish and then dip the end of each cork into the paint. Dab excess paint onto a paper towel. Repeat for all 24 corks and then let dry. Repeat the same again on the opposite sides of the corks.

Paint the remaining cork green to make the stem.

Glue the orange painted corks together in rows, which should make five rows. The first and fifth row and have four corks, the second and forth rows have five corks and the middle row has six corks.

Attach all the rows together to form a pumpkin.

Add a stem to the top of the pumpkin, curling the floral wire around a thick paint brush or dowel to create a curly Q vine. Attach the vine, stem and then leaves to the pumpkin.

To make the pumpkin into a jack-o-lantern, use some black paint to make eyes and then a mouth.

We hope you had fun making a jack-o-lantern cork pumpkin, Happy Crafting!

The post How to Make a Simple Jack-O-Lantern Cork Pumpkin appeared first on Champagne and Sugarplums.

This blog post may contain affiliate links. What does that mean? We may get a small commission if you make a purchase using our links, which helps us to keep posting new holiday content every week.

What you’ll need:

• Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes
• Chocolate icing
• Chocolate sprinkles
• Buttercream icing – medium consistency (we’ve included our recipe at the bottom of the post)
• Gel food coloring – orange and green
• Piping bags (2)
• Leaf piping tip
• Large circle piping tip (size 2A)
• Pretzel sticks

Let’s Decorate Pumpkin Patch Cupcakes!

Use a spatula to ice the tops of the cupcakes with chocolate icing. We used a store bought pre-made icing, but if you have time, you could make your own. We like this recipe from Lyne at Ottawa Mommy Club.

Pour a generous amount of dirt (otherwise known as chocolate sprinkles!) to cover the chocolate icing.

Add the pumpkins. Use a large circle icing tip for this. Apply consistent pressure to the piping bag. As the icing begins to build up, move the tip up, never losing contact with the icing. Stop squeezing when you are happy with the size of the pumpkin, and then lift the tip up and away from the ball.

Add one or two smaller pumpkins to the patch.

Break some pretzel stick stems and then add them to the pumpkins.

Use green icing to pipe leaves onto the pumpkins. To make the leaves squeeze the piping bag tightly at the base of the leaf, and thereleasing the pressure as you pull up and away. Stop squeezing completely and then pull the tip away.

TIP: If your leaves are cracking and don’t want to stick to the pumpkins, your icing may be too stiff, try adding 1tsp of water or milk at a time until you have a medium consistency icing. If your leaves fall flat, your icing may be too soft and you may want to add a bit of icing sugar so it will stiffen a little.

Finally, add more leaves at the base of the pumpkins to fill out the patch.

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Buttercream Icing Recipe

A deliciously creamy buttercream recipe, perfect for cakes, cupcakes, cookies and more. Use it for decorating festive desserts or as a filler.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword buttercream, creamy, dessert, icing

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 0 minutes

0 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

Servings 1 dozen (cupcakes)

Calories 295kcal

Author Champagne and Sugarplums

Equipment

• Electric mixer

Ingredients

• 1 cup Butter
• 2 tbsp Vanilla extract
• 4 cups Icing Sugar
• 3 tbsps Milk

Instructions

• Use an electric mixer to beat the butter until light and fluffy, 1-2 minutes.
• Add the vanilla flavour and mix well.
• Add the icing sugar, one cup at a time.
• Add milk and mix until thoroughly combined. Creamy and delicious!

We hope you had as much fun decorating these cupcakes as we did! If you need some pumpkin decor to match your dessert – certainly try making our Wine Cork Pumpkin – it’s easy elegance wrapped in DIY.

The post How to Decorate Pumpkin Patch Cupcakes appeared first on Champagne and Sugarplums.

This blog post may contain affiliate links. What does that mean? We may get a small commission if you make a purchase using our links, which helps us to keep posting new holiday content every week.

These bars will taste great after a delicious Thanksgiving dinner, but you don’t have to wait until then…it’s a must have during pumpkin spice season! While this recipe takes three steps – each one is easy peasy. Let’s see how to make perfect pumpkin Nanaimo bars!

What ingredients do you need to make Pumpkin Nanaimo Bars?

• Top layer
  • 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
  • 4 tbsp butter
• Middle layer
  • 2 cups icing sugar
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 2 tbsp custard powder
  • 1/4 cup pumpkin puree
  • 2 tsp pumpkin spice
  • pinch of salt
• Bottom layer
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1/3 cup cocoa powder
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 egg (beaten)
  • 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
  • 3/4 cup shredded coconut (sweetened)
  • 1/4 cup walnuts (optional)

How to make Pumpkin Nanaimo Bars?

• Bottom Layer
  • Melt butter in the microwave, then add cocoa powder and sugar until smooth. Add the beaten egg, stir until thickened.
  • Add the coconut, graham cracker crumbs, coconut and (optional) walnuts.
  • Press into an ungreased 9″ x 9″ pan.

• Middle Layer
  • In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients together and mix until smooth.
  • Spread over bottom layer. Place the pan into the freezer for 10-15 minutes to chill before adding the top layer.

• Top Layer
  • Melt the butter and chocolate chips in the microwave. Heat in 25 second increments, stirring after each run until smooth and completely melted.
  • Spread over the bottom and middle layer (that has chilled in the freezer) and refrigerate until set, about an hour.

We hope you liked this Easy Pumpkin Nanaimo Bar Recipe as much as we do! These are a great dessert for kids too – try adding some candy corn pumpkins to the top for fun. If you’re looking for more delicious pumpkin recipes, check out these Pumpkin Patch Cupcakes or this fabulous Roasted Pumpkin and Beetroot Salad by Mango and Maple.

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Easy Pumpkin Nanaimo Bars

These Pumpkin Nanaimo Bars put a twist on the traditional by adding some pumpkin to the recipe. But don’t worry, you still get the creamy nanaimo bar taste, just with added flair!

Course Dessert

Cuisine Canadian

Keyword bars, Chocolate, dessert, pumpkin

Prep Time 15 minutes

Chill Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Servings 24 people

Calories 252kcal

Author Champagne and Sugarplums

Ingredients

Top layer

• 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 4 tbsp butter

Middle layer

• 2 cups icing sugar
• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 tbsp custard powder
• 1/4 cup pumpkin puree
• 2 tsp pumpkin spice
• pinch of salt

Bottom layer

• 1/2 cup butter melted
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg beaten
• 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 3/4 cup shredded coconut sweetened
• 1/2 cup walnuts crushed, optional

Instructions

Bottom Layer

• Melt butter in the microwave then add the cocoa powder and sugar until smooth.
• Add the beaten egg, stir until thickened.
• Add the coconut, graham cracker crumbs, coconut and (optional) walnuts. Press into an ungreased 9″ x 9″ pan.

Middle Layer

• In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients together and mix until smooth. Spread over bottom layer.
• Place the pan into the freezer for 10-15 minutes to chill before adding the top layer

Top Layer

• Melt the butter and chocolate chips in the microwave. Microwave in 25 second increments, stirring after each increment until smooth and completely melted
• Spread over the bottom and middle layer (that has chilled in the freezer) and refrigerate until set, about an hour.

The post Easy Pumpkin Nanaimo Bar Recipe appeared first on Champagne and Sugarplums.

This blog post may contain affiliate links. What does that mean? We may get a small commission if you make a purchase using our links, which helps us to keep posting new holiday content every week.

Ever wonder what gives pumpkin flavour that spicy taste? Surprisingly, it’s really just a simple blend of a few grocery spices:

• cinnamon
• ginger
• cloves
• nutmeg
• allspice

Let’s Bake – Sweet and Spicy Pumpkin Cupcakes

What you’ll need:

• Cupcake ingredients
• Cupcake liners
• Muffin tin
• Icing
• Mixing bowls
• Mixer

Whisk together dry ingredients. Flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and then spices in a medium bowl and then set aside.

Mix together melted butter, eggs, brown sugar, pumpkin puree and vanilla until combined.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until combined. Try to avoid over-mixing the batter as this can lead to denser cupcakes.

Scoop batter into liners. Fill to 3/4 of the way full and then bake for 18-21 minutes. We like to check them at 18 minutes with a toothpick to see if they’re done. If there’s still a little batter on the toothpick, let them go another 1 to 2 minutes and then check again.

For frosting we used a ready made cram cheese icing and then piped it on with a 1A tip.

We hope you had fun fall baking with us today! If you’re ready for more pumpkin spice recipes, check out our Pumpkin Spiced Pumpkin Seeds – a double hit of pumpkin flavour.

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Sweet and Spicy Pumpkin Cupcakes

Delicious and fluffy sweet and spicy pumpkin cupcake recipe! Top with buttercream frosting or decorate with a fun Halloween theme!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword cupcake, easy, pumpkin, sweet, sweet and spicy

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

0 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 1 dozen

Calories 187kcal

Author Champagne and Sugarplums

Ingredients

• 1 cup Flour
• 1 tsp Baking Powder
• 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp Ground Nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp Ground Allspice
• 1/4 tsp Ground Ginger
• 1/4 tsp Ground Cloves
• 1/2 cup Butter melted
• 2 Eggs
• 1 cup Brown Sugar
• 1 cup Pumpkin Puree
• 1 tsp Vanilla

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350.
• Line a muffin tin with liners
• Whisk together dry ingredients – flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices in a medium bowl and then set aside.
• Mix together melted butter, eggs, brown sugar, pumpkin puree and vanilla until combined.
• Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until combined.
• Scoop batter into liners, filling to 3/4 of the way full.
• Bake for 18-21 minutes.

Video

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