Making fall fabric frames is the perfect idea for a group craft night or something fun just to do on your own! It’s a simple fall craft idea that’s budget-friendly, beginner-friendly, and a fun way to make your own fall home decor!
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Fall Framed Sketches
I love doing cozy girls nights during the fall where you can come together, craft, and chat with some cozy snacks and drinks! In the past we’ve done things like making sweater pumpkins, cozy sweatshirts, and even mug candles!
This year I wanted to do a girls night craft that would be easy enough that even my non-crafty friends could do, and these fall frames are so perfect for that! They’re also super budget-friendly, especially if you just have people bring extra craft supplies they have laying around at home!
One of my favorite things about this craft is that they’re super customizable as well so people can choose the fabrics they want, the sketches they want, and how to decorate! So while everyone is going home with a framed fabric sketch, they are all going to look a little different and be perfect for your own home!
Supplies
Supply Notes
- Fabric Scissors – I love these Ginghers so much. They’re the gold standard in fabric scissors and if you only use them on fabric, they’ll last forever. I just checked and I bought mine in 2013 and they’re still going strong.
- Frames – we grabbed old frames at a thrift store but you can use any frames you want!
- Fabric – choose any fall fabrics that you want. The amount of fabric you’ll need will depend on the size of frame and sketches that you’re using. You’ll want enough to cover the picture in the center and fold over about a 1/2 inch on all sides. So if the frame size is an 8×11 picture, you’ll want fabric that is at least 9×12 (1/2 inch extra on all sides). When you’re choosing fabric, I recommend doing fall designs that have small patterns that are just going to complement and not take away from the sketch itself.
- Card stock paper – I would do something that goes along with your fabric colors. I purchased this pack of fall card stock so people had choices!
- Sketches – I personally used Canva to create the printed out sketches that we wanted to use. You can get the Canva templates we used here, but you’ll likely want to customize those on your own, and I’ve included details on doing that later in this email.
- Bedazzling supplies – this pack of bedazzling supplies is perfect for adding some bling and dazzle to your frames. It comes with a bunch of fall colors. If you’re doing this as a girls night, I recommend grabbing an extra set of these wax pencils and trays too so people don’t have to share!
- Thread – we used embroidery thread that matched the color of the sweaters. You could also just use sewing thread, but I personally think the thicker thread does a better job of pulling in the pumpkin sections and won’t break as easily! You can either have people bring thread that matches their sweater or buy an affordable pack like this with a million colors – they’re likely to find something that matches!
- Needles – if you’re planning to embroider your pictures, you’ll also need some embroidery needles!
Optional Additional Supplies
Depending on the frame that you choose and how you want to decorate your sketch, you may also need to grab some thin cardboard as well. It can be tricky to embroider through the cardboar
- Cardboard or foam board – if you want to embroider your design, you’ll likely want to grab either a piece of cardboard or light foam board to use instead of the standard piece of wood that comes in the picture frame. It’s hard to embroider through the thicker frame backings. If you’re going to bedazzle, no need to grab this.
- Other decorating supplies – I’ve included supplies for embroidery and bedazzling, but you can absolutely use anything else you want too. You could even just have people bring random craft supplies to use to decorate.
How to Make Fall Fabric Frames
Here’s everything you need to know about making these sweater pumpkins. If you get lost, feel free to look at the video example at the bottom of this post or the pictures to help you figure it out. I promise they are really beginner friendly! Let’s get started.
1 – Choose and Create Your Sketches
The first thing you need to do is choose, create, and print your sketches. I’ve created a file full of a bunch of fall sketch templates that I’ve put together in Canva you can start with or you can find and create your own!
I did not create a downloadable PDF template because you’ll want to customize the size of the sketch to your frame. I recommend having at least 1/2 inch to 1 inch (depending on your frame size) between your sketch and the circle outline. And then make sure to keep the circle itself small enough that you have at least 1-2 inches of fabric around the design since the fabric adds the color and texture to the frame.
As an example, if you have a standard 8×11 frame, I did a 6″x8″ oval with a 3.5″x5.5″ sketch in the middle of it.
How to Add your own sketches
If you don’t want to use our sketches, there is a page at the end of the Canva template that has a blank oval you can use to add your own sketches and resize the ovals.
To find other sketches that work well with these, I recommend searching under elements for fall sketches or something specific like coffee cup sketch or mushroom sketch. Add them, resize the image, and resize the sketch itself.
2 – Add the Fabric
Before you can decorate the sketches, you have to put them in the frames!
Start by taking off the back carefully using a screw driver. Remove the cardboard part and any extra things in the frame.
Then place the piece of cardboard on top of the back of the fabric and cut around it so there’s about an inch around each edge.
Add mod podge to the back of the cardboard, add the fabric on top of the mod podge, and press it down to smooth out the fabric onto the cardboard. Then flip it over, add a little mod podge around the outside edge of the cardboard, and fold over the remaining fabric and press it down.
Tip!
If you’re planning to use embroidery, I recommend using either a light piece of foam board or cardboard instead of the wood that comes in the picture frame. That wood is often too thick to embroider through without a lot of effort and that makes this way less fun!
3 – Cut and add the sketch
Once you’ve printed out your sketch, cut around the oval. Then use mod podge to attach it to your fabric backed cardboard.
4 – Decorate
Now’s the fun part! Decide how you want to decorate and spend the rest of your time decorating! You can bedazzle, embroider, or really do anything else you want.
Once it’s completely decorated, put it back into the frame and put the back on and display your pretty frame!
Expert Tips
Make sure to leave enough space around your sketches to show off your fabric. The combination of the fabric and the decorated sketches is what makes these so fun!
Feel free to use a combination of different craft materials to decorate. Some of our favorite designs combined an embroidered border with beaded and bedazzled sketches!
Stick with fabrics that have small patterns so they don’t conflict with the sketches. Small patterns will complement nicely without taking away from the overall design.
More Easy Fall Crafts
If you like fall crafts, you have to try out these fun ideas next!
- Rope pumpkins – cute pumpkins made out of dollar store materials!
- Apple craft – simple apple craft using popsicle sticks and paper!
- Scarecrow craft – another simple craft using popsicle sticks and glue!
- Pumpkin patch craft – a fun one for the entire family!
- Turkey crafts – tons of turkey craft ideas for all ages!
Sweater Pumpkins
Ingredients
Instructions
Sew the Pumpkins
- If you are using a sleeve or cuff of the sweater, lay the sweater sleeve horizontally across a flat surface. Then make one straight vertical cut from the seam of the sleeve to the top. This will detach the sleeve from the sweater completely.sweater
- Now that the sleeve is detached, you need to make another vertical cut from the seam to the top. This cut needs to be a minimum of four inches away from the first cut.
- Begin by threading your needle and tying the two ends of your thread together so you have double the thread. You will want enough thread to go around the circumference of your sleeve opening one and a half times.embroidery thread
- Next, turn your sleeve fabric inside out so the seam is on the outside.
- Start your running stitch, roughly a quarter inch from the edge of your opening.
- Continue your running stitch all the way around the edge of the of the circle until you get back to where you began your stitch. Don’t sew through both sides of the sleeve at one time!
- Once you get to where you began your stitch, take your two ends and pull them tightly until you close up the circle. Tie off the two ends, making them as tight as possible so that the circle is closed.
- Thread the needle just like you did before and again do a running stitch around the outside of the final opening.
- Once you make it back to where you began sewing gently let the needle and other end of the thread lay to the side while you add the stuffing.
- Stuff the pumpkin with the fluff until it is completely full. You will want it to be as stuffed as you can without having troubles, closing it.pillow stuffing or batting
- Once you have as much fluff as you want in your pumpkin, you will take the thread in your in one hand and gently push the fabric opening closed with the other hand until it is as tight as possible.
- Then you will tie off the end of the fabric again, keeping it as tight as possible.Any loose fabric can be tucked in to the inside of the pumpkin by gently pushing with your fingers or using a pen as needed.
- Cut any loose strings off and flip your fabric inside out so that the rough edges are inside of the pumpkin.
Shape the Pumpkin
- Start by adjusting the stuffing with your hands in your pumpkin as needed so that it is as round as possible.
- Double thread your needle again. You will need enough thread to wrap around your pumpkin three times. The amount will very depending on the size of your pumpkin. You will also need to make an extra large, knot at the end of your thread so that it does not easily go through the bottom of your pumpkin.
- Once your needle and thread are ready to go, start by placing the needle through the top of your pumpkin. Push the needle until you see it come out the center of the bottom of your pumpkin then pull the thread all the way through. Make sure to watch out for your fingers during this step!
- Now take the thread and needle, and go back to the top of the pumpkin and repeat this step, pushing the needle through the top of the pumpkin bottom of the pumpkin. You are basically creating a loop around your pumpkin then pulling it tight to create the pumpkin indent.
- You will continue to do this six times, making sure to place the thread where you want the pumpkin ridges to go as you go along.
- Once you have all of the ridges completed, go back through and tighten them one by one to get the pumpkin look you want. Once the thread is tightened tie it off at the bottom.
Pumpkin Stem
- For the stem, grab your cork, twine, and hot glue. Place a small dab of hot glue at the top edge of the cork, followed with the end of your twine.butcher’s twine, corks
- Once the end is secure, begin to wrap the twine tightly around cork until you reach the bottom where you will hot glue it again to secure the twine in place.
- Finally add hot glue to the bottom of your cork and place it firmly onto the top of your pumpkin.
Tips & Notes:
Fall Fabric Sketches Craft
Ingredients
- fall card stock
- sketch
- fall fabric
- bedazzling supplies
- embroidery thread
- frames
- mod podge
Instructions
- Choose, size, and print your sketch from Canva (or elsewhere on colored card stock.fall card stock, sketch
- Take off the back of your frame and remove the back and the cardboard center.frames
- Add mod podge to the back of the cardboard, add the fabric on top of the mod podge, and press it down to smooth out the fabric onto the cardboard.mod podge, fall fabric
- Once you’ve printed out your sketch, cut around the oval. Then use mod podge to attach it to your fabric backed cardboard.
- Decide how you want to decorate and spend the rest of your time decorating! You can bedazzle, embroider, or really do anything else you want.bedazzling supplies, embroidery thread
- Once it’s completely decorated, put it back into the frame and put the back on and display your pretty frame!
Tips & Notes:
Sweater Pumpkins
Ingredients
Instructions
Sew the Pumpkins
- If you are using a sleeve or cuff of the sweater, lay the sweater sleeve horizontally across a flat surface. Then make one straight vertical cut from the seam of the sleeve to the top. This will detach the sleeve from the sweater completely.sweater
- Now that the sleeve is detached, you need to make another vertical cut from the seam to the top. This cut needs to be a minimum of four inches away from the first cut.
- Begin by threading your needle and tying the two ends of your thread together so you have double the thread. You will want enough thread to go around the circumference of your sleeve opening one and a half times.embroidery thread
- Next, turn your sleeve fabric inside out so the seam is on the outside.
- Start your running stitch, roughly a quarter inch from the edge of your opening.
- Continue your running stitch all the way around the edge of the of the circle until you get back to where you began your stitch. Don’t sew through both sides of the sleeve at one time!
- Once you get to where you began your stitch, take your two ends and pull them tightly until you close up the circle. Tie off the two ends, making them as tight as possible so that the circle is closed.
- Thread the needle just like you did before and again do a running stitch around the outside of the final opening.
- Once you make it back to where you began sewing gently let the needle and other end of the thread lay to the side while you add the stuffing.
- Stuff the pumpkin with the fluff until it is completely full. You will want it to be as stuffed as you can without having troubles, closing it.pillow stuffing or batting
- Once you have as much fluff as you want in your pumpkin, you will take the thread in your in one hand and gently push the fabric opening closed with the other hand until it is as tight as possible.
- Then you will tie off the end of the fabric again, keeping it as tight as possible.Any loose fabric can be tucked in to the inside of the pumpkin by gently pushing with your fingers or using a pen as needed.
- Cut any loose strings off and flip your fabric inside out so that the rough edges are inside of the pumpkin.
Shape the Pumpkin
- Start by adjusting the stuffing with your hands in your pumpkin as needed so that it is as round as possible.
- Double thread your needle again. You will need enough thread to wrap around your pumpkin three times. The amount will very depending on the size of your pumpkin. You will also need to make an extra large, knot at the end of your thread so that it does not easily go through the bottom of your pumpkin.
- Once your needle and thread are ready to go, start by placing the needle through the top of your pumpkin. Push the needle until you see it come out the center of the bottom of your pumpkin then pull the thread all the way through. Make sure to watch out for your fingers during this step!
- Now take the thread and needle, and go back to the top of the pumpkin and repeat this step, pushing the needle through the top of the pumpkin bottom of the pumpkin. You are basically creating a loop around your pumpkin then pulling it tight to create the pumpkin indent.
- You will continue to do this six times, making sure to place the thread where you want the pumpkin ridges to go as you go along.
- Once you have all of the ridges completed, go back through and tighten them one by one to get the pumpkin look you want. Once the thread is tightened tie it off at the bottom.
Pumpkin Stem
- For the stem, grab your cork, twine, and hot glue. Place a small dab of hot glue at the top edge of the cork, followed with the end of your twine.butcher’s twine, corks
- Once the end is secure, begin to wrap the twine tightly around cork until you reach the bottom where you will hot glue it again to secure the twine in place.
- Finally add hot glue to the bottom of your cork and place it firmly onto the top of your pumpkin.
Tips & Notes:
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