Embroider a Pumpkin Picture with Upcycled Denim and Plaid!

With a little creativity and a few simple embroidery stitches, your old clothing can turn over a new leaf!  Transform an old pair of jeans and a worn-out flannel shirt into a cute pumpkin picture that imbues your home with warmth and pumpkin spice latte energy all fall!

To do this project, you’ll need:

• A pair of pre-loved jeans
• An old flannel shirt
• Pins
• A 5” diameter embroidery hoop
• A few skeins of DMC embroidery floss in your favorite colors
• An embroidery needle
• A disappearing ink marking pen
• Vintage buttons
• An orange piece of felt
• A 6” X 6” wooden clipboard stand

1. Cut a 5” X 8” piece of denim from the jeans.
2. Cut a pumpkin-shaped scrap of flannel that is about 2.5” wide X 2” long.
3. Pin the scrap of flannel to the center of the piece of denim.
4. Using 3 stands of embroidery floss, secure the flannel to the denim with blanket stitch.

5. Insert the denim into a 5” diameter embroidery hoop with the pumpkin in the center.  Use a disappearing ink marking pen to sketch lines to segment the pumpkin.
6. Using 3 strands of embroidery floss, sew the lines to segment the pumpkin with split stitch.

7. Use a disappearing ink marking pen to sketch the stem and vines.
8. Using 3 strands of embroidery floss, fill in the stem with long and short stitch.

9. Using 3 strands of variegated embroidery floss, sew the vines with split stitch.

10. Iron the pieces of denim and felt if need be.
11. Trim the denim around the pumpkin to a 4.5” X 4.5” square.
12. Cut a 4.5” X 4.5” square of orange felt for the backing.
13. Embellish the denim with a few vintage buttons.
14. Using 6 strands of embroidery floss, stitch the denim and felt layers together with blanket stitch.

15. Insert the pumpkin picture in the wooden clipboard stand.

Your project is ready to display. 

If you don’t have a wooden clipboard stand on hand, you can create a twine hanger or use a hot glue gun to attach magnets to the back of your pumpkin picture to display it.

​Have a cozy, creative fall!

With Love,
​Christine