Introduction: Gena Rumple's Steampunk Pumpkins

About: I'm a wife, mother & Domestic Goddess. My hobbies are photography, crafts, and cooking. I'm self taught. Most of my projects are experiments at trying to lower costuming costs. Comments are welcomed. Than…

Here is an affordable way to turn your Halloween Trick-or-Treat plastic pumpkin bucket into a Steampunk Pumpkin. All you need is a few things lying around your own home and a bit of imagination. You don't have to use the same things I used, you are more than welcome to experiment. Hopefully this tutorial will inspire you to create your very own design. I would love to see pictures of your completed Steampunk Pumpkins!

Have a Happy Halloween!

<3,

Gena Rumple

Step 1: Craft Materials for Monocle Steampunk Pumpkin

Here are the items I chose to use for this particular pumpkin.
  • Plastic pumpkin
  • Hot glue gun
  • Hot glue
  • Flat black spray paint
  • Gold and copper metallic spray paint
  • Autumn Gold and Gold Leaf Rub ‘n Buff
  • Red nail polish
  • Metallic ribbon
  • Thick wire
  • Duct tape
  • 1/4 inch red convoluted tubing
  • Q-tips
  • Scissors
  • Needle-nose pliers
  • X-Acto knife
  • LED balloon lights
  • Stainless steel tea ball and tea strainer
  • 7/16 inch round spots
  • Metal screw brads
  • 1 inch sprocket gears

Step 2: Pumpkin Base

1. Spray paint the outside of the plastic pumpkin bucket with the flat black spray paint. Let the paint completely dry. Important: Please use spray paint in a well ventilated area (outside is best). Tip: If you don’t like paint on your hands, I recommend wearing rubber gloves or Goo Gone. Goo Gone is how I get stubborn paint off my hands.

2. Take the X-Acto knife and *carefully* cut out the eyes, nose, and mouth. You have the option to either cut out the teeth or leave them in. Next, take the hot glue gun and start gluing the outlines of the pumpkins body, eyes, nose, and mouth. Let the hot glue cool completely before removing any spiderwebs from your pumpkin (I call the left over glue spiderwebs).

3. Take the Rub n Buff, add a little to your finger tip, and finger paint the pumpkin. Tip: This is really potent stuff, so a little goes a long way.

Step 3: The Eyes

1. Start by cutting an 8 point star shape pattern in your pumpkin with your X-Acto knife.

2. Carefully cut around the pattern to help make a eye hole in your pumpkin.

3. Make sure only the tip of the light sticks out of the pumpkin.

4. Spray paint the metallic ribbon with gold spray paint.

5. Glue the metallic plastic ribbon and the led lights in place. You have the option to put the glue on the inside or the outside of the pumpkin.

6. Paint the led lights with nail polish. Paint the hot glue with Rub N Buff the same color as your ribbon.

Step 4: The Hardware

1. Separate your tea strainer, spray paint one of the halves with copper or the color or your choice.

2. Place the round spots in the area you desire around the tea strainer and bend them into place with a pair of needle-nose pliers.

3. Glue the tea strainer over the eye of the pumpkin. Make a hole in the side of the pumpkin with the X-Acto knife. Make sure the hole is large enough for the brad. Hook the chain to the brad and insert into the pumpkin.

4. Glue your gear onto the nose backing.

Step 5: The Handle

1. Use wire, needle-nose pliers, and duct tape to create a handle for your pumpkin. Twist the wire a little bit before adding the duct tape.

2. Take the red convoluted tubing and place it over the wire and trim to fit.

Step 6: More Variations - Gas Mask Steampunk Pumpkin

Step 7: More Variations - Rivet Steampunk Pumpkin

1. Made with thick wire and stealth airline tubing. The rivets are made exactly like my Steampunk Helmet. https://www.instructables.com/id/Project-How-To-Make-An-Affordable-Steampunk-Helme/ .

2. These are plastic tea strainers. I used these for the eyes and decorated them with metal tree spikes.

Step 8: Steampunk Costumes

Here is the final product.

Have a Happy Steampunk Halloween!!!

<3, Gena Rumple & Co.

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