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Celebrate season with DIY pumpkins

September 27, 2012
Julia Nagy/The State News
Julia Nagy/The State News

Autumn has arrived once again, and decorating by the season can be a bit of a challenge for some students. With tight dorm space and even tighter budgets, it’s a miracle when the job gets done.

Holiday decorations are changing constantly and often cost a bundle — so why not make your own?

When it comes to decorating, pumpkins have become the ultimate symbol of fall festivities.They can be made out of just about anything. Here’s how to make a pumpkin out of books that will be fitting for any desk or dorm room.

What you’ll need:
-Old paperback book
-X-Acto knife
-Cardboard
-Glue stick or rubber cement
-Twig for the stem
-Paper clips

Step 1: Cut your cardboard into the shape of half a pumpkin. This shape will be your template for cutting the pages. The piece of cardboard should be about four inches long and three-and-a-half inches wide after cutting. Don’t make the edges too round.

Step 2: Split the paperback in half using your X-Acto knife.

Step 3: Lay the cardboard template down on the pages of the book and cut around it with your X-Acto knife. If possible, try to cut only three or four pages at a time so the edges are smooth.

Step 4: Trim any rough edges around the pumpkin shape with your knife.

Step 5: Stretch the spine of the book to loosen the pages from the binding.

Step 6: Apply glue to the binding to attach the twig you’ll use as the stem of the pumpkin.

Step 7: Apply glue to one side of the book. Clamp the pages together using a paper clip and wait a few minutes for the glue to dry.

Step 8: After they have dried, completely fan out the pages of the book to create the final product — a paper pumpkin.

Source: craftster.org.

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