A rustic fall pumpkin book page garland made with painted scrap drop cloth, old book pages and twine, plus a free pumpkin printable so you can make your own.
Alt text: Fall pumpkin book page garland with painted drop cloth pumpkins, twig stems and twine bows hanging on twine
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Ok, crafty friends! I always keep scrap drop cloth and burlap in my craft stash, and this time those little leftover pieces turned into the cutest fall pumpkin book page garland. Painted drop cloth pumpkins, old book pages, a twig stem and a teeny twine bow. That’s it.
It’s a rustic craft, so nothing has to be perfect, and it cost me practically nothing since almost everything came out of my stash.
I also made you a free pumpkin printable with more than one pumpkin on the page (you’ll see why in Step 4). Let’s get making!
Alt text: Fall pumpkin book page garland pin with painted drop cloth pumpkins on book page pennants
Video Tutorial: Fall Pumpkin Book Page Garland
Watch me make it start to finish, from painting the drop cloth to stringing up the banner. Seeing the pennant fold-and-cut in action makes it click so fast.
Why I Love This Easy Fall Book Page Garland
I wanted the texture and dimension of drop cloth fabric, so instead of cutting pumpkins out of plain paper, I painted the fabric pumpkin orange and mixed in a little cream. It gives each pumpkin that rustic, slightly uneven look I love love love.
And because it’s scraps, old book pages and twine, this is a true stash-buster fall craft. If you’ve got a little drop cloth, a book you don’t mind cutting up, and a hot glue gun, you can absolutely make this.
Supplies You’ll Need
- Scrap drop cloth (or burlap from your stash)
- Orange acrylic paint
- A little cream acrylic paint (to mix in for texture)
- Old book pages (mine were about 6 x 9 inches)
- Free pumpkin printable (grab it below) or any pumpkin image
- Carbon transfer paper
- Foam mounting squares
- Small twigs
- Faux greenery
- Jute twine
- Mini hot glue sticks
- Painter’s tape or masking tape
- Pouncer brush
- A piece of cardboard (to protect your work surface)
- Scissors
- Transfer tool or stylus
- Hot glue gun
- Ruler
- Marker
- Mini hole punch or Crop-A-Dile
Pro tip: skip the foam tape and grab foam mounting squares instead. I got a roll of foam tape at Michaels for this, and oh my gosh. Never again. It was SO messy, even with my nonstick scissors. I’ve never experienced anything like it.
You can find a bunch of my go-to crafting tools in my Amazon storefront.
Grab the Free Pumpkin Printable
I put several pumpkins on one sheet so you can switch to a fresh one when your first pumpkin wears out from all that tracing. It’s a direct download, no email needed.
How to Make a Fall Pumpkin Book Page Garland (Step by Step)
Step 1: Paint the drop cloth
Alt text: Painting a scrap of drop cloth pumpkin orange with a pouncer brush
Lay a piece of cardboard under your drop cloth so the paint doesn’t soak through onto your work surface. Then grab a pouncer brush and paint the whole piece orange. I mixed in a little bit of cream to add texture and dimension.
Go for as even a finish or as much (or as little) coverage as you like. There’s no real wrong way. Let it dry completely.
Step 2: Cut your first book page pennant
Alt text: Cutting a book page into a pennant shape for a fall garland
My book pages were about 6 x 9 inches, which was a great size next to the pumpkins. Trim off the margins on the left and right sides so you keep most of the text.
Fold the page in half lengthwise at the bottom and cut at roughly a 45-degree angle (maybe a little more) to get that pennant triangle point. I stacked two pages and cut them at the same time.
Step 3: Use it as a template for the rest
Alt text: Using a finished book page pennant as a template to mark the next one
Use your first pennant as a guide. Lay it on the next page, mark the two points at the bottom, then fold in half and trim again.
Rinse and repeat until you have as many pennants as you want for your garland.
Step 4: Trace the pumpkins with carbon transfer paper
Alt text: Tracing a pumpkin onto painted drop cloth with carbon transfer paper
Set carbon transfer paper on top of your dried painted drop cloth, then your pumpkin printout on top. I just searched pumpkins on Canva for mine. Trace only the body of the pumpkin, not the stem.
Press pretty hard. The harder you press with your transfer tool, the darker the line will be. My pumpkin eventually wore out and I ripped right through the paper, which is exactly why the printable has more than one pumpkin on it.
Step 5: Cut out the pumpkins
Alt text: Cutting out painted drop cloth pumpkins for a book page garland
Cut out all of your pumpkins along the faint transfer line. They don’t have to be perfect or exactly the same shape. The whole point is a rustic look.
Step 6: Attach the pumpkins to the book pages
Alt text: Attaching a drop cloth pumpkin to the center of a book page pennant with foam squares
I wanted the pumpkins to stick up just a little off the book page for extra dimension, so I used foam to attach each one in the center of the page.
Learn from my mistake here: the foam tape I bought was a sticky, gummy mess. Foam mounting squares will save you a lot of frustration.
Step 7: Add a twig stem and greenery
Alt text: Hot gluing a small twig stem and faux greenery to a drop cloth pumpkin
Cut a little piece of twig for the stem and hot glue it to the top of the pumpkin. Then hot glue a little piece of faux greenery next to it.
Step 8: Tie a teeny twine bow
Alt text: Tying a tiny jute twine bow for a pumpkin stem
I tied a tiny twine bow using the bunny ears method: one loop, two loops, tie the two loops in a knot. Pull your tail ends so they point down and tighten your loops.
Hot glue the bow right at the base of the pumpkin stem. How cute is that? Repeat Steps 6 through 8 on all of your book pages.
Step 9: Mark and punch the holes
Alt text: Punching holes in the top of a book page pennant with a Crop-A-Dile
Use a ruler and marker to mark two holes in the top margin of each page: about ½ inch down from the top, and 1 inch in from the left and right edges. That keeps them looking fairly uniform.
I used my Crop-A-Dile because that’s what I have, but a mini hole punch works great too. Skip the standard three-hole-punch size. Bigger holes let your pages slide around on the twine, and they won’t stay evenly spaced.
Step 10: String up your garland
Alt text: Stringing book page pennants onto jute twine to finish a fall garland
Wrap a piece of painter’s tape or masking tape around the end of your twine, then cut it at an angle so it’s nice and pointy.
Now you can easily weave the twine in and out through the holes at the top of each pennant without the end fraying. Easy peasy!
Alt text: Process collage showing how to make a fall pumpkin book page garland
Ways to Make Your Book Page Garland Your Own
You could do any shape and color for any season. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Red, white and blue stars for the Fourth of July
- Pastel Easter egg shapes for spring
- Colorful scrapbook paper cutouts instead of painted drop cloth (quicker, just less texture)
- Other pumpkin colors, like cream, sage or a mix of shades
Tips + FAQs
Can I use scrapbook paper instead of drop cloth?
Yes! Cut your pumpkins from colorful scrapbook paper and skip the painting step. I went with painted drop cloth because I wanted the texture and dimension of the fabric.
Why can I barely see my transfer lines?
Carbon transfer lines on drop cloth are faint. Press harder with your transfer tool for a darker line, and swap to a fresh pumpkin on the printable when yours starts to wear out.
What size hole punch works best for a book page garland?
A mini hole punch or a single craft punch. Standard three-hole-punch holes are big enough that the pages slide around on the twine and won’t stay evenly spaced.
What should I use to attach the pumpkins?
Foam mounting squares. They lift the pumpkins slightly off the page for dimension. I tried foam tape and it was so messy I’d never use it again.
Rustic Fall Pumpkin Book Page Garland with Drop Cloth Pumpkins
Make a rustic fall pumpkin book page garland with painted scrap drop cloth pumpkins, old book page pennants, twig stems, faux greenery and tiny twine bows.
Materials
- Scrap drop cloth
- Orange acrylic paint
- Cream acrylic paint
- Old book pages, about 6 x 9 inches
- Free pumpkin printable
- Carbon transfer paper
- Foam mounting squares
- Small twigs
- Faux greenery
- Jute twine
- Mini hot glue sticks
- Painter's tape or masking tape
Tools
- Pouncer brush
- Cardboard (to protect your work surface)
- Scissors
- Transfer tool or stylus
- Hot glue gun
- Ruler
- Marker
- Mini hole punch or Crop-A-Dile
Instructions
- Watch the video. Watch the video tutorial above for the full walkthrough.
- Paint the drop cloth. Over a piece of cardboard, pounce orange paint mixed with a little cream onto scrap drop cloth. Let dry.
- Cut the pennants. Trim the side margins off 6 x 9 inch book pages, fold in half at the bottom and cut at about a 45-degree angle for a pennant point.
- Repeat with a template. Use the first pennant as a guide to mark, fold and trim the rest.
- Trace the pumpkins. Transfer the pumpkin body (no stem) onto the painted drop cloth with carbon transfer paper, pressing hard.
- Cut out the pumpkins. They don't need to match exactly.
- Attach. Stick each pumpkin to the center of a pennant with foam mounting squares.
- Add stems. Hot glue a small twig stem, a bit of faux greenery and a tiny twine bow to each pumpkin.
- Punch holes. Mark two holes about 1/2 inch from the top and 1 inch from each side, then punch with a mini hole punch or Crop-A-Dile.
- String it up. Tape the twine end, cut it at an angle and weave it through the holes.
Notes
Crazy Craft Lady Tip: Use foam mounting squares instead of foam tape (it is a sticky mess), and a mini hole punch so the pages don't slide around on the twine.
Safety: Hot glue gets very hot. Watch your fingers when gluing the tiny twine bows.
The Finished Fall Pumpkin Book Page Garland
Alt text: Finished fall pumpkin book page garland hanging with jute twine
I just think this is such a simple, easy fall craft, and it cost me practically nothing. The little twig stems and twine bows get me every time.
Which shape would you make for your next season, pumpkins, stars or Easter eggs? Tell me in the comments below!
Pin This Fall Pumpkin Book Page Garland for Later
Alt text: Pin for a fall pumpkin book page garland made from scrap drop cloth and old book pages
Alt text: Free pumpkin printable pin for a fall book page garland
More Fall Garland and Pumpkin Crafts You’ll Love
- DIY Paper Napkin Pumpkin Garland
- Wood Bead Pumpkin Garland
- Fall Book Stack Craft
- Dollar Tree Rustic Painted Plastic Pumpkin Stack
- Fall Upcycled Crafts
- 59 Dollar Store Fall Crafts + DIY Decor Projects
Raisin (my crafty pup) and I thank you for stopping by. Happy making, friends!