It’s time for this months Pinterest challenge and I’m joining in the fun my Fall Cloche With Raffia Pumpkins. Do you use cloches in your decor? There are tons of ways to use them for seasonal decorating, and I can’t wait to see what everyone comes up with for fall decorating.
Pinterest Challenge
Just in case you’re new here…every month our amazing host Cindy of County Road 407, selects an inspiration photo for us to recreate. Each participant puts their own spin on the photo according to our individual style of decorating. The best part is seeing how everyone interprets the image, and we always have an interesting variety.
If you’re visiting from Barb’s French Ethereal, welcome to Thistle Key Lane. To see last months PC, click on my post Summer Lemon Tablescape And A Free Printable.
This months challenge photo comes from Beth of Home Stories A to Z. Beth’s cloche centerpiece from a fall home tour is our inspiration. Be sure to click through to see the complete tablescape, and her beautiful surrounding room.
Here’s a list of elements I’m pulling from the inspirational photo.
- glass cloche
- wood base
- pumpkins
- acorns
- pinecones
- hydrangeas
- pressed glass
Fall Cloche With Raffia Pumpkins
Part of my personal challenge is using what I already have around the house as much as possible. The exceptions are fresh flowers, and occasionally supplies for crafts.
You may find this hard to believe, but I don’t have any faux pumpkins, not one. With no real baby boo pumpkins in sight for at least a month, I using raffia to make a pumpkins to fit inside a glass cloche.
I have a step by step guide if you want to make some too. First you’ll need a two ounce package of raffia, which is enough to make three small pumpkins. If you want to make really dense ones, then I suggest buying two packages.
My pumpkins are kind of wispy looking, so it’s a good thing they’re in protective cloche.
Start by tying the raffia strings together at one end (figure 1), then make small loops holding them tightly in one hand. You can tie each loop, or just hold tightly in your hand and tie them all at once (figure 2 & 3).
To create a stem, I left some of untrimmed raffia sticking up on top of the pumpkin. You can trim off the raffia (figure 4) for a flat surface or add a short stick for a stem. However if you’re going to stack the raffia pumpkins as I have, then you may not want a stem.
To keep your pumpkin tower straight, insert a short bamboo skewer down the center.
Pinterest Challenge Cloche
The wood base for my cloche is not a good color for this vignette, so I’m using a cutting board instead. Using a cutting board gives me a little more room to add acorns and a pinecone. For a bit more elevation, I’m using one of my favorite decorating books City Farmhouse Style, which I highly recommend. It’s a great resource for styling vintage finds.
If you click through the inspiration link, you will notice a line of pressed glass vases and hydrangeas down the center of the table. That’s where I got the idea to use a glass bowl to display pinecones. This is one of the reasons why I love the monthly PC, because I’m inspired to try new things.
As for the hydrangeas, I’m grouping them together in a vase that I recently updated with chalked paint. I got the idea from my own post, How To Create Vases With Chalk Paint. Who knew a green glass vase could look like ceramic! 😉
The violet colored hydrangeas were not what I was hoping to find, however the unusual deep color turned out really pretty.
Be sure to follow Thistle Key Lane on Pinterest, where the boards are up to date with seasonal inspiration you’re going to love!
Next on our Pinterest challenge is Katie of Let’s Add Sprinkles sharing a cute wire cloche. Please enjoy clicking through all the links in our list below.
Cheers!
HI Michelle, I love the raffia pumpkins! Love them and the hydrangeas next to the cloche! Love it! Great job! I want to make those pumpkins! laura
Thanks Laura! I’m loving the contrast of the hydrangeas with all the brown tones. Totally unexpected!
Well, if there’s anything I have loads of, it’s raffia and these are darling. I think I might see raffia pumpkins in my future!
Thank you Jeanie! I’m pretty sure I have more raffia packed away somewhere. It seems to multiply.
Michelle,
I love those cute pumpkins! Such a creative idea and they look gorgeous under the Cloche! Pinned!
So happy to be joining you this month.
Rachel.
Thank you Rachel, so excited that you joined us! I’m looking forward to reading your post this afternoon.
Your arrangement brought a smile to my heart! I absolutely adore your raffia pumpkins. Thank you for the fun tutorial.
I’m so happy to hear that Laura. Thank you!
Those pumpkins are just adorable. Such a great idea. The hydrangeas are gorgeous in your clever vase.
Thank you so much Katie. I’m glad you like my clever vase too! 🙂
Girl… you always amaze me with your simple tutorials and classic decor! Those raffia pumpkins are perfect, and I love the way you stacked them… kind of like a topiary! Great and easy idea for decor with a cloche!
Thanks Julie, I wasn’t sure if anyone else would think they look like a topiary, but you totally read my mind!
Oh my golly I need to try and make those raffia pumpkins! I love them. Also loved how your cloche and vignette turned out! I should pick up some of those gazillion acorns in our yard too! Thanks for joining us each month. I adore your posts. Pinned!
Thank you so much Cindy! You know we don’t have any oak trees in our yard, so I had to hunt for those on my morning walks. I’m sure the neighborhood squirrels were watching me. LOL
Lol. The hubby hates the squirrels around our house. They’ve chewed through the trim and have gotten in the attic a couple of times. We have about 10 oaks in our yard so I’ll be happy to send you as many acorns as you can handle!
LOL My hubby is right there with your hubby after patching our trim last year. Instead of oaks we have pecan trees so our yard is a very popular hang out. 🙂
What a genius idea to make raffia pumpkins! They look so perfect in your cloche. Your crafts always turn out looking so classy, Michelle. Pinned!
When I started, I no idea if the raffia would work. So glad they turned out. Thanks for pinning Crissy!
I like these rustic whimsical pumpkins!
They are definitely whimsical! Thank you so much for stopping by today!
These are really cute. I have a large bag of raffia, so I think all have a go at making them!
Pinned 🙂
Have fun making them and thank you for pinning Rachelle!
Michelle, I love how you’ve created your own pumpkins here for this Pinterest Challenge! They look lovely stacked underneath your pretty cloche!! I made some velvet pumpkins a couple of years ago (using Julie’s tutorial; also on today’s tour) and have a few out. It’s nice to bring fall out in stages. So pretty…
Enjoy your beautiful vignette,
Barb 🙂
Thank you so much Barb. You are so right, decorating in stages is the best way to enjoy the changing seasons. I need to make some of Julie’s pumpkins too. 🙂
You are so creative to come up with a way to make your own pumpkins using raffia. I also like how you used a bread board under your cloche to give you more display space. You created a lovely vignette and the purple Hydrangea, though not the color that you had in mind, give your vignette a beautiful pop of color.
Thanks Paula, I wasn’t sure about the purple hydrangea but it looks surprising well with the wood tones.
Michelle, I absolutely love this project. So clever and so pretty under a cloche or any where for fall. Love the natural rustic look of it.
Thank you Carol! This was a good challenge for me to find a way to make pumpkins and fun too!
This is just the cutest idea Michelle. Pinned. I am definitely going to try this!
Thanks Kim, you’ll have no problem making these!
I’ve had a craft drawer filled with raffia for years…decades. Now I know what to do with it – love your pumpkins! So cute under glass too.
Thank you Marie, sounds like you cornered the market on raffia!
I am so in love with this idea!! I can’t wait to try it!!
Thank you Kristin, I hope you will make some too.
What a fabulous idea Michelle! Love how these raffia pumpkins came out. They look great stacked! Pinned!
Thank you! This was such a fun project!