This is what happens when you tear down a fence and have tons of old fence pickets that can either go to the dump or be recycled. This is also what happens when you save them and the hubby gives you that exasperated face and says, “What are you up to now?” Of course, I relay my plan and get “that look”, you all know what I mean. It’s a cross between you’re crazy and this is what I’ve had to put up with for thirty years. Yup, my most favorite expression on my hubby’s face.
So anyhow…I had a ton of old, perfectly weathered I might add, fence pickets that needed to be dealt with, which is where I started my search online getting all kinds of ideas of what these could become. Since it’s fall, and since I was seriously lacking in the fall decor area for the front porch, I decided to go for some pumpkins because they could take me all the way through Thanksgiving. I’d seen lots of ideas using pallets, but something about these cedar fence pickets with all their texture told me this was the right choice. And the bonus part? The pickets already had an orange stain on them!
Don’t worry, that orange stain was on the neighbor’s side of the fence not mine for the last 22 years. Whew!
To begin with, I created my pumpkin templates by taping 4 sheets of 8.5×11 paper together. I then drew pumpkins and cut out the shapes. The pumpkin sizes are 13″, 16″ and 19″ from the stem to the base.
This first batch of pumpkins and their stems needed some improvements, which as you can see below I fixed.
The first go around I made the smaller pumpkins with the boards in the vertical position and the large one horizontal. I later decided I liked them all better with the vertical positioning best because it gave the most “realistic” appeal. I also found that if I cut the fence pickets down before tracing the pattern it made my life easier when it came to cutting the pumpkin shape.
I used 4 fence pickets for each pumpkin and could get a total of three pumpkins out of the four pickets. I made my picket cuts at 16″, 18″ and 20″. This gave me plenty of room to trace around them.
*Important note here, be sure to trace the pumpkin on the back of the material. This will make it easier not only to cut but also to add your support and ensure everything lines up properly.
I used the scrap pieces from the fence pickets to add the support. I glued them in place and then used 2 1/2″ staples to secure it together.
I then found it best to use my jigsaw to make the cuts. You see this picture here? This was the first one I did and traced it on the front…much harder this way. And, FYI, this is my grandfather’s jigsaw that was passed down to me. Somehow I think he’d be proud to know I use it as much as I do.
This is what the backside of your pumpkin will look like once you’re done.
Another important note, I used two support brackets on the larger pumpkin to give it some stability. I also didn’t make a base for these pumpkins as I wanted them to lean against something, but you could create a base quite easily if you wanted.
Now here comes the fun part, you can either leave them as they are, or you can paint them and stencil on them like I did.
A little bright I know, but I then whitewashed them and they turned out so cute!
Add a stencil and it changes even more.
Then post your finished project on Facebook and see what happens…your friends will go crazy for them! Seriously! On a whim, I threw out a post saying I’d sell some to my local friends–my local friends totally blew me out of the water with a number of orders that came pouring int! Seriously, (yes I said it twice and just a few sentences apart!) I had to stop them at 15!! And you know what? I’m still getting messages asking if I’ve opened up orders again!
I was starting my own wooden pumpkin patch in the garage! Which of course the hubby made reference to that he couldn’t walk through it.
I clearly see a path though, don’t you?
They’re like bunnies and multiply!
Makes you want to start your own wooden pumpkin patch, doesn’t it?
Toodles!
