{Spooky} 2x4 Pumpkins

On October 8th I guest posted at Pocket Full of Pinks' Monster Craft Bash and showed how to make these 2x4 pumpkins.  They're also part of my new Fall 'Mantel'.   Notice the shelf is black in this photo and white in the charger photo?  More on that coming up. :)  Here's the post in case you missed it. 

Two years ago I was inspired by some pumpkins at It's A Daisy Day (a private blog now) and made the 2x4 pumpkins pictured below.  I've set them out for two Fall seasons now, so this year I made just a couple of small changes to make them feel new to me again. 

Before I get into the changes, this is how you make the 2x4 pumpkins...

Start with a 2x4 cut to 3 1/2", 6", and 8 1/2" tall. 

Directions:
1. Paint the 2x4 blocks. (I used Pumpkin Orange, a darker orange would look nice.)

2. Sand all edges.
3. Apply a brown wash with a rag or sponge brush by brushing it on and then wiping the excess off with a dry rag or paper towel.  (To make a brown wash add a squirt of dark brown paint to about 1/2 cup of water.)
4. Cut off 3 pieces of a dry branch for the stems. (Large pruners work great for this.)
5. Put a very large dab of hot glue right where you want the stem and then push the stem down into it.
6. Cut a piece of wire then curl the ends by wrapping the wire around a screwdriver or pencil. Wrap it around the stem to hold it in place.
7. Glue moss around the base of the stem.  Tie a raffia and ribbon bow then glue them on.

...so simple...now onto the changes...

The first thing I did was to darken the pumpkins by rubbing on some Valspar Antiquing Glaze (in the color Asphaltum) with a rag...a little change that made a huge difference! 

Then I remembered an idea (from a wedding photo) where a 1 1/2" to 2" slice from a log was used to group the items used for a table centerpiece.  I instantly loved the idea and thought, "wouldn't it be so fun to cut a slice from a log for my pumpkins?"  How hard could it be, right?  Well...I hurried out to the wood stack to find the perfect log to cut for my project.  When I got there I realized that they were all previously split for burning, drats.   I wasn't willing to give up the idea though, so I chose a larger (split) log with interesting bark, grabbed my hand saw (with a small, dull blade) and eagerly got to work.  I have to tell you, it was more work than I anticipated, as you can imagine cutting through this by hand.  As I cut, the log basically fell apart into pieces, ugh.  I was pretty sure that it could be put back together with wood glue, so I kept at it until I finally made it all of the way through the log.   My advice for you...cut the log with a power saw, or use a good hand saw!

In the end, it was well worth the effort. :)  A slice from a log is a fun way to bring the outdoors in and now that my sore muscles have fully recovered, I can honestly say that I didn't pay a thing for it. ;) 

Now...lets say that you want to temporarily change the pumpkins up a bit for Halloween.  Just add a little creepy crawler spider and some artificial webbing and you've got yourself a spooky little pumpkin patch.

Check out Karen's Monster Craft Bash, all through October, for some fun Halloween craft ideas and giveaways!

Today's Fabulous Find...Spooky 2x4 Pumpkins

I'm entering the CSI Projects Halloween Challenge.