Pumpkins and a Heat Index of 105

 I Love Fall!

I have been trying to hold out until the 21st to decorate around the house but I just could not do it.  So although the temp outside is probably in the low 90's...translation:  RIDICULOUSLY HOT...I had to make a seasonal change INSIDE the house.

And since we still have the title "Jobless in Florida" I need to get creative with fall decorations.  My answer?

Paper mache.

Oh, how this is a lost art.  But I believe it is making a comeback and it should since every school project I ever did had something to do with this flour and water concoction. So I decided that the girls and I needed to get in the Autumn spirit while I quarantined them into the house for fear they would melt.

So we made paper mache pumpkins!

This was the cutest little project and I would not be me if I did not take 5 trillion pictures and then post it here on the blog.  If you are interested in doing this with your little one, all you need is newspaper, flour and water.  I did 2 parts flour to one part water because I like mine a little goopy.  The goopier the better.  I first tried white glue and water but I could not figure out the right consistency so I just bagged the idea and went old school.

 First I just took newspaper and wadded it up into a ball. It was very complicated so go slow. :) OK, I ma not really trying to insult your intelligence but I did do it so that the paper kind of covered the top and the open, crumpled part was at the bottom.

 Then, I took rubber bands and wrapped them around my ball to keep it in a ball shape.  I also did this to create the shape of a pumpkin but it did not work out so well.  I will have to fine tune this.

 I made a stem out of newspaper and kind of tucked it under the rubber band.

Then I tore 465 pieces of newspaper into strips.  

OK.  That is a lie.  

But I tore a BUNCH of them.

 The girls then got messy and started putting strips all over their pumpkins

 They need to dry overnight so they can get really hard.  You can even sand them which is a step I forgot but I am kind of glad I did because they ended up all bumpy like a real pumpkin!

 

Time to PAINT! 

I only had the color Terra Cotta but I figured it will do. It's kind of orangey.

 Look at that concentration!

  My girls make me smile...just love that they like to get crafty!

 Looky there!  Our little pumpkins around the fireplace hearth.  I think they turned out great!

 The one on the left is Cati's.  Mine is in the middle and the one on the right is Ella's.  I put their names on the bottom with the date so we can put them out each year and remember this adorable and fun project. We even tied rafia on the stems for a little something extra. I just forgot to take a picture of it.

I can almost guarantee this will not be the last pumpkin craft you see here.

Are any of you already into the swing of Fall?  Have you decorated?  Am I crazy to do it this early? But seriously...it is like 85 degrees on Christmas morning here.  If I wait too long I will miss it!

Once again, I try to close a post and I just keep going and going...

Hugs to you all!