This little Halloween decoration was given to me as a gift. I thought it would be easy to make, but my first attempt wasn’t nearly this charming – its apparent simplicity is deceptive. So I decided to de-construct it, which turned out to be interesting and I thought I’d share it here.
The paper pumpkin is made of six identical strips of orange construction paper, all die-cut alike with floral patterns. Each piece is lined with a layer of orange tissue paper, which lets light shine through. The double-layer of paper and the glue that holds them together gives each strip some structure.
![](https://i0.wp.com/thereformschool.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/IMG_2754.jpg?resize=768%2C1024&ssl=1)
![](https://i0.wp.com/thereformschool.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/IMG_2753.jpg?resize=768%2C1024&ssl=1)
![](https://i0.wp.com/thereformschool.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/IMG_2744.jpg?resize=1020%2C765&ssl=1)
Each of the six orange sections is hole-punched and reinforced at the center top and bottom. The sections are held together with brads, topped with green paper to simulate the top and bottom of a pumpkin. Each piece of paper moves independently so it’s easy to separate them and pop a battery-powered tea light inside.
And voilá, a quick, bright, cheerful bit of fall decor!
![](https://i0.wp.com/thereformschool.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/IMG_2742.jpg?resize=1020%2C765&ssl=1)
![](https://i0.wp.com/thereformschool.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/IMG_2740.jpg?resize=768%2C1024&ssl=1)
My attempt to make something similar has so far not been successful – more to come on that!