AUTUMN: Faux Tree Bark Pumpkin

One of my lovely long-time readers messaged me recently,

asking if I am planning to share any specifically Halloween decor ideas this fall.

I replied privately, but will share with all of you that no, I am not.

I'm just not into Halloween anymore, even the 'cute' side of it.

Back in January 2024, I decided to focus on creating for seasons not holidays

and my content has reflected that. Yes, I DO create for Christmas!

(The 'Holidays' are the fifth season and there's no escaping it!)

My fall content focuses mostly on pumpkins (IYKYK) and leaves, 

and on bringing the beauty of the season indoors

 to enjoy from September through November.

Today's project is a new way to replicate nature: faux tree bark.

I've had fun experimenting and coming up with techniques

that you can do to re-create my project... continue reading for my tutorial!

Here's a closer look at what we're creating:

a styrofoam pumpkin covered in strips of paper bags,

some painted to look more 'bark'-like!

Materials:

a styrofoam pumpkin
(mine's from dollar tree and was painted brown already)

lunch-size brown paper bags . scissors . clear glue
dark brown paint + small soft paintbrush

Method:

From Left:
1. cut three paper bags open, remove the bottom, and lay flat.
2. accordion-fold the bags lengthwise, then give them a twist.
3. unfold the bags and you'll have the texture you need for the 'bark' look.
4. cut the bags into long strips, along the lines created by the folds.

(no paint yet - that's later!)

5. make sure your styro pumpkin has a @1" hole on the top AND the bottom.
6. lay paper strips around the top of the pumpkin - start with four strips in an 'x' shape, tuck the ends into the hole, and glue to the top of the pumpkin.
Let the rest of the strip hang loose off of the sides of the pumpkin.
7. add four more strips in-between the first ones, and glue them into place.
8. keep adding strips until the top of the pumpkin is covered.

9. the hole in the bottom of the pumpkin, same size as the top.
10. flip the pumpkin over so the glued-on paper strips are beneath it.
11. pull each strip up the side of the pumpkin, glue the paper to the pumpkin bottom,  then push the end of the strip into the hole.
12. work around the pumpkin until all strips are glued in place
and the entire pumpkin is covered.

Let sit for 15 minutes to let the glue dry.

13. there will be a few places where the paper strips gap open...
14. use more strips and glue them to the pumpkin top where they will cover the gaps.
15. flip the pumpkin over and glue the strips to the pumpkin bottom.
16. when finished, the whole pumpkin is covered.

Let sit for 15 minutes to let the glue dry.

Our next step will bring the 'bark' effect to life...

Here are some images that inspired me
(along with the elm tree that lives outside of my studio window)

Let's prepare the faux 'bark':

1. take another paper bag and this time TEAR long strips from it lengthwise.
(Go SLOW!)
2. lay the strips on a dropcloth (or poster board like I do)

and use the soft paintbrush to dry-brush some dark brown paint onto the paper.

Dry-brushing is having a small amount of thick paint on your brush,
and dragging it lightly across the surface. 
It will deposit paint unevenly, which is exactly what you want.

Let dry for 15 minutes.

3. starting at the bottom of the pumpkin, glue the painted strips on in the same way as the first ones - glue the top, tuck ends into the hole. Use the same 'X' pattern as before.
4. turn the pumpkin over and pull the strips up toward the pumpkin top...
5. but this time, glue the strip just below the top of the pumpkin,

leaving some of the paper strip loose on top. 

6. + 7. take a few painted strips and tear them into smaller pieces - 
I tore some of mine in half, and some into thirds.

8. begin gluing these torn strips around the pumpkin sides -
I began with the longer ones, and glued them low on the sides,

then pulled them up and glued just below the top of the strip.
This left the very top of each strip loose, looking more like peeling bark.

9. add in the shorter strips between the longer ones, 
letting the top and or bottom of each strip stay unglued and loose.

10. keep gluing on strips until the surface is covered -

you want the loose ends to stick out on the top, sides, 

and near the base of the pumpkin.

11. take a few strip ends and roll the paper around the paintbrush handle,
to give them a curl like real bark. This effect really sells the faux look!

To finish the pumpkin, we need a stem...

1. I used one lunch bag, cut it open and removed the end, 

then rolled it up lengthwise so one end was a bit thicker.
then I bent it into a curve.

2. push the larger end of the stem into the hole on the pumpkin top.
you can bend the stem a bit more once it is inserted if you wish.

3. I dry-brushed some dark brown paint onto the stem, too.

You can see how the bent and curled painted paper strips
take on the look of tree bark - even up close!

The dark/light contrast and the texture of paper strips
reflects the way real tree bark looks...

Combining it with moss, wood-look pumpkins, and faux leaves
on real branches brings the autumn woods indoors.

Bonus: This pumpkin also pairs up perfectly
with the wood, bamboo, and woven grass pumpkins
that I use each fall in our tropical home!

Related Content:

faux leaves made from ribbon

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