Halloween Yarn Crafts

Use inexpensive yarn and empty oatmeal or coffee canisters to create cute pumpkin or witch Halloween decorations. You can also create a hanging Halloween pumpkin with the same yarn.

Materials:

• RED HEART® “Super Saver®”:

Pumpkin Canisters and Hoop: 1 Skein No. 254 Pumpkin CC for each canister or hoop.
Witch Canister: 1 Skein No. 672 Spring Green CA, 2 skeins No. 530 Orchid CB.

• White craft glue
• small brush
• hot glue gun and sticks
• scissors
• optional paint to match face color.

Pumpkin Canister

• 18 or 42 Ounce oatmeal canister with lid – empty and clean
• black and green felt.

Pumpkin Hoop

• 12” Yellow Susan Bates® “Hoop-La™”hoop
• orange jumbo rick rack
• black and green felt.

Witch Canister

• 3 Pound coffee can with plastic lid – empty and clean
• Susan Bates® Pom Pom Maker
• 1/3 yard of black felt
• scraps of yellow felt
• two purchased ½” black pom poms

Instructions:

Pumpkin Canisters (A)

1. Paint label of canister if desired and let dry. Brush on glue along lower 1” of canister. Coil CC along edge and around canister, having each round of yarn touching the previous round but not overlapping. Continue to brush on glue and coil yarn to within ¼” of top edge, leaving top ¼” free to allow lid to fit. Cut yarn.
    
2. Cut facial features from black felt and glue in place as pictured.

Top: Trace circumference of canister lid onto center of green felt. Mark 1¼” for small canister or 1½” for large canister all around the outside of this circle and cut out the larger circle. Cut out triangular shapes to within ¼” of center circle to form jagged edge. Glue to lid top and side edges. Cut a few more triangles from remaining felt for “leaves” and glue to center of lid top.

Pumpkin Hoop (B)

1. Separate hoop sections; set outer hoop aside. Glue CC yarn end to outer edge of inner hoop. Wind yarn firmly across hoop, criss-crossing as pictured until all yarn from skein is used. Wind firmly enough to prevent sagging or loops but not tight enough to distort hoop shape. Glue yarn end to edge of hoop. Spread glue all along outer edge of yarn-covered hoop. Put outer hoop in place over inner hoop and tighten screw. Glue rick rack over edge of hoop.
    
2. Cut facial features from black felt. Glue in place noting that the hoop screw is at the top of the face. Cut a few triangular leaf shapes from the green felt and glue in place at top.

Witch Canister (C)

1. Paint label of can if desired and let dry. Brush on glue along lower 1” of can. Coil CA along edge and around can, having each round of yarn touching the previous round but not overlapping. Continue to brush on glue and coil yarn to within ¼” of top edge, leaving top ¼” free to allow lid to fit. Cut yarn.
    
2. Cut out felt facial features and glue to can over yarn as pictured. Make 2” pom pom from CA for nose. Glue nose pom pom and black eye pom poms in place.

Hair: Cut 60 28” lengths of CB; tie together at center with a separate length of yarn. Cut 60 20” lengths of CB; tie together 5” from one end with a separate length of yarn. Glue tied area of first bundle to center of can lid, spread strands to cover opposite quarters of lid and glue in place. Repeat with second bundle, gluing tied area to first tied area and spreading strands to cover remaining 2 quarters of lid; glue. The short strands become the front bangs of the witch’s hair. Trim.

Hat: Cut a 12” diameter full circle and an 18” diameter half circle from black felt. Glue circle over hair on lid. Over lap straight edges of half circle several inches to form a cone for top of hat. Trim excess felt; glue over lapped edges. Center open edge of cone over top of hat and glue.