A pumpkin with a smile

Make a plump orange pumpkin with rounded shoulders, a broad smiling centre and raised paper lobes on a square backing.

45 minutes · Ages 8+ with adult help · 13 pages · 14 steps

An 18 x 18 cm backed relief with a 14 x 11 cm pumpkin body, a shallow top notch and five orange layers. The front lobe is 7.6 x 10 cm, with room for the black paper eyes and smile. Eight Z spacers form four 1 cm gaps, about 4 cm of depth. The 14 colour steps give centre alignment, individual tab coordinates and face placement. Suggested ages 8+ with adult help; allow about 45 minutes plus drying.

Preview shop. No payment is collected by this demonstration.

Materials

• 2 A4 or US Letter sheets of ORANGE paper (about 120-160 gsm); 1 sheet of WHITE card for an 18 x 18 cm backing; BROWN paper 3 x 4 cm; GREEN paper 5 x 4 cm; BLACK paper 5 x 5 cm.
• Child-safe scissors, ruler, pencil, eraser, black felt-tip pen and paper craft glue. Use a thin coat of glue on the small tabs; let each pair set before adding the next layer.
• Cut the backing with a ruler: it is not a printed pattern. Cut solid outlines. Fold dashed lines only on S1. Keep glue off the middle bridge of each spacer.
• Orange parts, width x height: O1 14 x 11 cm; O2 12 x 10.8 cm; O3 10 x 10.6 cm; O4 8.8 x 10.4 cm; O5 7.6 x 10 cm. Cut eight 3 x 1.2 cm spacers and fold at 1 and 2 cm.
• Print only pages 10-13 at Actual size / 100%. Check each 5 cm bar. Read the colour steps on screen; a colour printer is not needed.

Inside your PDF

• 13-page English PDF with preparation, 14 numbered colour steps and 4 full-size pattern pages
• 19 paper pieces with named colours, cut quantities and an 18 x 18 cm ruler-cut backing
• A plump 14 x 11 cm pumpkin outline and four measured inner lobes
• Eight Z spacers, fold directions, two-tab glue positions, centre alignment and measured face placement
• A 5 cm calibration bar on every pattern page; A4 and US Letter supported at 100%