We made these easy beaded pumpkin Jack O’ Lantern ornaments to add to our Halloween decorations.

My children love to bead and it is great fine motor skill practice.

Materials

  • orange and black beads
  • chenille stems (2 orange, 1 green)
  • fishing wire

Directions

1. First, I put them to work sorting out all the orange beads.

2. Then they strung the orange beads onto a chenille stem.

3. Twist the ends of the stem together and shape into a pumpkin.

4. Then, cut the green stem in half. Wrap the middle of the green stem around the top of the orange circle of beads. Take one end of the stem and twist around a pencil to create a curvy vine.

5. Take the second orange stem and twist to attach it to one side of the beaded pumpkin shape near the top. Bead two black beads on (these are the eyes). Bring the stem across to the other side of the beaded pumpkin shape and twist. My daughter decided she wanted hers to have blue eyes.

6. Add another black bead for the nose. Bring the stem across the pumpkin diagonally and connect on the other side. My daughter went for yellow, “like candlelight shining through”.

7. Thread five more black beads and shape into a smile or frown and connect to the other end. Twist the rest of the stem to hide the end. My daughter opted for a red smile.

8. Use fishing wire to hang the ornaments,

(If you have been joining me here for a while, you know we love to hang our ornaments from our chandelier.  You may have even noticed this is a lovely, new chandelier. This was my Granny’s and so it is special to us. My Granny kept several of my crafts displayed around her house, decades after I made them. So, I like to think she would appreciate this use of her chandelier.)

Educational Connections

  • Preschool Skills: Beading on chenille stems is a fun, low-frustration way to build fine-motor skills.
  • Mathematics: If you have different shades of orange, you can create patterns.
  • History: Examine how immigrants bring cultural traditions with them to their new homelands and how those traditions sometimes change.  Research the origin of the “jack-o-lantern”. Why was the original one a turnip?

Check out more of our pumpkin crafts and activities.

Related Posts

20 thoughts on “Beaded Pumpkin Jack O’ Lantern Ornaments

  1. Ahhh what a great October kid craft! I love it! THe kids look like they are having fun! I’m going to file this for when my son is old enough to do this kind of craft!

  2. Thank you so much for this wonderful activity. I incorporated it in our class party this past week. The kids loved it! Super October fun!

  3. I don’t write many remarks, however after reading through a few of the comments on this
    page Beaded Pumpkin Jack O Lantern Ornaments | Naturally Educational.
    I do have a few questions for you if you tend not to mind.

    Could it be just me or does it look like some
    of these responses come across like they are written by brain dead folks?
    😛 And, if you are writing at additional online social sites,
    I would like to keep up with you. Could you list of
    every one of your social networking sites like your linkedin profile,
    Facebook page or twitter feed?

    Here is my web blog … photobooth hire in london

Comments are closed.