Shiplap wood pumpkin

Pumpkins are the classic way to decorate for fall! Rustic wood pumpkins are easy to make and can so much to your decor without a lot of money. You can DIY your own shiplap wood pumpkins for yourself, or make them to sell at a fall market if you are a crafter like me.

I made mine with some short pine 1×4 pieces and the stencils I used are different sizes. You can find lots of pumpkin svgs or outlines for free online.

The first step is to lay out your boards and put the faces down so that it’s back side up. I placed my stencil on top to make sure the size is correct. I cut this stencil out Mylar on my Silhouette so I can reuse it. Mylar is a thin but durable plastic type of material that is commonly used for reusable stencils.

Trace your stencil out with a pencil or marker. I used a sharpie here so you can easily see the outline.

Measure and cut for your back attaching pieces. Make sure that they are long enough so that it will connect EVERY board, but not too long so they stay hidden from front view. The ones used on this pumpkin are 2 inches wide.

Cut out each board’s lines on a scroll saw or band saw, or a jig saw. Don’t have any of those? Try making my scrap wood pumpkin instead that only requires a miter saw.

Time to attach the boards together. Staple the back pieces on from the back. I am using 1 1/4″ staples and the wood is 3/4″ thick for both pieces. Just don’t use too long of a staple so that they go all the way through the pieces and poke out on the other side.

Sand the top with an orbital sander. I use 120 grit but any grit will be ok for this project.

Turn the sander on its side and sand the sides and edges. This is where I get to even out any crazy spots.

Time to paint! I am using a pure white latex paint. If you plan to put these on your porch I would use latex instead of craft paint.

One coat is all it takes!

After the paint is well dry (at least a couple hours) take your sander and distress it. You can distress a lot or a little, it’s up to you!

Place your finished product on your porch, around your mantel or wherever you want!

This is an easy fall woodworking project to sell too. You can add wording if you’d like or leave it plain. This shiplap pumpkin example is distressed white but you can try orange, or blue or even black!