10.03.2011

Old Lady Fun with Mod Podge and a Pumpkin

Our house is in no way ready to be accessorized, but this year, I thought I’d have some fun with a few fall crafts. (Okay, I thought I’d have fun with one fall craft. I won’t get ahead of myself.) Inspired by these pumpkin projects in Country Living’s October issue, I broke out the Mod Podge, some old books, and a fake pumpkin that I bought after Halloween last year for 90% off, and spent the next two hours of my life wondering when this “easy craft project” would be finished.

mod podge a fake pumpkin
Turns out that decoupaging a pumpkin is neither speedy nor brainless, two qualities of craft projects that I tend to enjoy. Oh well.

mod podge a fake pumpkin (2)
It’s covered in bits of paper from two art books that the art teacher was throwing away at the end of last school year. The pages are definitely a heavier weight than a normal book, which may be why my images refused to cling perfectly to the pumpkin’s contours. Live and learn.

mod podge a pumpkin
My imperfect pumpkin definitely whispers “This was handmade by someone who has only a partial clue about how to decoupage.” Someone with more patience and skill and/or the name Martha and/or a career at Country Living could probably make these look absolutely stunning.

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This poor reindeer missed the memo that Christmas is still three months away. Someday it will wonder why it is plastered to a pumpkin.

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Rick says my pumpkin looks like something a granny would put in her house. I tend to agree a little bit. I can totally picture it snuggled up with some knitting needles and a tube of Poligrip.

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Yep, it totally works.

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However, when something takes me two hours to complete, I can overlook these things. Sort of like when someone brings muffins to a department meeting. I can overlook a lot for a muffin.

Here’s my pumpkin before it aged:

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And after a tumultuous but exhilarating life in which it learned all sorts of fascinating things like what it feels like to be called insubordinate and stubborn by an ignorant Mod Podge-wielding youngster:

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So that’s my First Official Cheap Fall Craft Project and my First Official Granny Pumpkin. (No joke: the folder with the pictures of it is labeled Granny Pumpkin, so as not to be confused with Hip, Cool Pumpkin and Mid-Life Crisis Pumpkin.) And speaking of grannies, one year for Halloween, Rick participated in pharmacy school festivities and dressed up like a stereotypical granny, complete with wig, slouchy knee highs, and saggy boobs.

rick2
That’s the kind of outfit I’d wear if I became a cat lady.

The best part, though, is that he then proceeded to lock his keys in his car and AAA had to come rescue him. No, he didn’t have a change of clothes. I’m not sure he learned his lesson, because the next year, he went as a nun.

Boys these days.

What fall crafts have you been up to? Do you have any tips for decoupaging a non-flat object, in the event that someone feeds me muffins and I become submissive to their every crafting whim? What are you willing to overlook for a muffin?

I'm linking this up to the fall crafts party at Centsational Girl!

17 comments :

  1. Great post! I love this idea! I tried to crackle a pumpkin the other day and there is absolutely nothing crackly about it, so I think I can join you in the frustration of trying to achieve a revived pumpkin. However, yours looks really good! I like the idea of mod podge--might have to try that and maybe I'll have better luck than I did with the paint and crackle.

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  2. Your pumpkin looks soooo good! I know how hard it can be to mod podge with thick paper and am impressed at your crafty handiwork ma'am. And those granny pics...too funny! I've done zero fall decorating...probably won't this year, unless my fall-scented candles count.

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  3. Fancy pumpkin!

    I'm posting about my granny self later this week. No wonder we're blog buddies. :)

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  4. Anonymous10/03/2011

    It's not THAT granny.

    Our house isn't anywhere near the holiday accessorizing stage either, but since I volunteered to host Thanksgiving, it's probably going to get it anyway (thus the felt wreath I posted on Friday).

    Oh, and I could overlook almost anything for a muffin and definitely anything for a Krispy Kreme powdered sugar jelly donut.

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  5. Sorry I have no tips. I'd say if you ended it without getting your hair glued to the pumpkin too then you did good! I did lol quite hard at the story about grannyman though!

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  6. You are too funny. I'm so glad you went into teaching because your students need funny energetic teachers like you that make learning fun! I'm sure they love you! Your pumpkin is pretty cute too. Have a great week.

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  7. As awkward as this may sound.....we make a couple of cute grannies!

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  8. Love the lonely little reindeer on your pumpkin. (You could always "bling" his nose with a ruby crystal & leave him out for Christmas...)

    Actually, Martha, you've made a good thing. When it's displayed in context, all it's goodness will reveal itself.

    If you need a companion for your pumpkin -- I pinterested a "punk"in that was covered in leather & pierced with safety pins... totally not a granny pumpkin!

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  9. I heart your little granny pumpkin. And admire your patience. Number of fall craft projects I've attempted this year: zero.

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  10. I don't think your pumpkin is granny at all. I love the black & white and although I swore off fall crafts because I'm moving I may just have to sneak off to Michael's and buy a couple of pumpkins I can decoupage.

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  11. Your little pumpkin is adorable! I love that it is Halloweeny without screaming "HALLOWEEN!".

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  12. OMG you crack me up! That granny pic is hilarious. I don't think it's a granny pumpkin at all! It's very chic and modern way to update a pumpkin! ;)

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  13. Okay. I just got caught up on the posts I haven't read yet and I laughed out loud at my desk here at work when you wrote about Rick having to call AAA in his granny costume. Hilarious. That should be in a movie. Too funny.

    Oh and I love your old lady pumpkin. Good to know it took so long. I've been contemplating mod podging one of those things...Wish we lived closer to do old lady things together!

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  14. Hahaha! Love the project - and the pics :D

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  15. Anonymous10/10/2012

    Love the pumpkin, love the comments. Very cool and will also go with Thanksgiving decor. I'm inspired!

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  16. I love your granny pumpkin! I love the black & white images you used too - very chic & un-granny like! And I should know because I am a granny. Next time you use thicker paper you might try scrunching it up first to make it more pliable or maybe cut the paper in smaller pieces. I think your pumpkin turned out great! I would love to see it in a little vignette with the knitting needles, your pumpkin and the tube of Poligrip! Too funny! :D

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  17. I think your pumpkin is pretty "classy" looking. I'm one of those "wannabe" crafters but I'm really not that talented in the field. I admire you for sticking with it for a couple hours. I have a short attention span, I guess you could say, and I want instant gratification. Maybe that's why I'm not a crafter, huh??

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