TROPI-fall woven palm leaf pumpkins

this project is a bit different than my usual...
i'm not making something from scratch or giving a total makeover. 
this time, i'm simply adding one new detail to an existing item
and making it MUCH better than i found it!

i was at my local Habitat for Humanity ReStore looking for something else
when i came across a pile of fake fruit on a shelf...

...continue reading to see what these looked like when i found them
and what i did to them!
D
sitting on that shelf were apples and pears in a rather acidic shade of green,
made of resin covered in woven palm leaf strips with stick stems:
 
i looked at those apples and thought 'nah. those are PUMPKIN shapes!'
and promptly paid $1 each for the three apples.
my mind was already whirling with ideas for new stems - PUMPKIN stems.

what i came up with is so easy:
twist some brown paper bags to form new more realistic pumpkin stems.
here's how i did that:

i cut three pieces of paper from the bag (@ 2" X 4").
for two of the stems, i created short stems by rolling the paper up from short edge to short edge.
for the third one, i rolled it from one long side to the other
so it would be a long, curving stem.

after they were rolled up, i took one end and opened it a bit wider
(so the stem base would be more realistically larger)
and at the other end i twisted the paper tightly, to look more like real woody stems.

and then i simply slid the paper stems onto the existing branch stems,
pushing them down so the paper kind of squishes onto the palm frond 'pumpkin'.
a drop of glue holds the paper in place at the bottom of the stem so it won't un-twist.

within minutes, the transformation was complete!

close-up details of the twisted paper bag stems

okay, to be honest, i was GOING to paint these pumpkins orange
to fit our home's decor. but i changed my mind...
this sharp green is growing on me!

now you know me, i just had to prop my photos with some tropical accents:

a handcarved teak wood bowl and some palm frond greenery
give these woven pumpkins an island vibe...

but that's not the only way to accessorize them!

i pulled out some fall leaves with mostly green and gold tones
and added them to the arrangement,
perfect for more farmhouse + primitive style decor themes.

i tucked a few tiny leaves next to one stem for a final detail.

i hope this post shows you that you can take something you find at a store
and then add easy embellishments to make it look the way you want
without spending a lot of time or money!

_______________________________________
 
i found my 'apples - turned - pumpkins' at a thrift store - 
there used to be companies that sold imported items like this at gift shows,
but i wasn't able to locate any of them online.
i did find sets of four similar palm leaf woven apples
for sale via this ebay account.
i know nothing at all about that account, so i am sharing it with the caveat
that you order from them at your own risk.

related content:

palm leaf plate pumpkins with paper bag stems

shared online:

funky junk interiors | new upcycle ideas #690

creatively beth | team creative crafts linky party #160
.

thank you for including my project in your feature, Miss Beth!

modern on monticello | home matters linky party #440

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