Free Halloween Tutorial: Pumpkin Cross-Stitch Skull

I love Halloween! It is my absolute favorite holiday, which leads to many, many Halloween craft/DIY projects. This fun, pumpkin cross-stitch skull is definitely one…

by 

I love Halloween! It is my absolute favorite holiday, which leads to many, many Halloween craft/DIY projects. This fun, pumpkin cross-stitch skull is definitely one of my favorite Halloween crafts that I have done.

A few years ago, I found this super cool cross-stitch pumpkin tutorial online. It is a really great step-by-step tutorial on how to make a cross-stitch pumpkin.

How I Made My Skull Pumpkin

First, I had to choose the pattern I wanted to cross-stitch. I chose a skull, obviously, but it would be fun to cross-stitch a ghost, cat, witch. . .

This website is where I got my skull pattern. They also have other patterns to choose, as well. I did have to enlarge the pattern a bit with my printer to get it to fit on my pumpkin, but once I got the size right it was smooth sailing.

I taped the pattern onto my pumpkin and then, with a knitting needle, poked the holes into the pumpkin. The knitting needle worked great, and since I don’t knit I didn’t worry about damaging it. If you don’t want your needle to get damaged or you don’t have a knitting needle laying around, just choose something that is sharp and that can poke through the foam in the pumpkin. A kabob skewer would do the trick.

Once all of the holes were poked, I took some Red Heart Yarn in black and fed it through the holes, following the cross-stitch pattern. If you don’t know how to cross-stitch or need a refresher, check out this beginner’s cross-stitch guide. There are a few YouTube videos included.

Cross-stitch is a very easy craft to learn. Once you get the hang of it, you’ll be cross-stitching on everything!

Want To Make Your Own Pumpkin Cross-Stitch Skull?

Here is what I used:
free skull pattern
9″ Cream Craft Pumpkin by Ashland
Red Heart Super Saver Yarn, Black
Knitting Needle
Kabob Skewers (alternative to knitting needle)
Yarn Needle

*Affiliate links used.

Go into this project with patience. It can take some time figuring out the correct holes to thread your yarn through. If you make a few mistakes a long the way, like I did, don’t fret. Just pull out the yarn and try again. It is definitely worth the time. It really is a cute Halloween craft.

Crafting with Cat Hair tip

Cost

Skull pattern – $0.00
Craft pumpkin – $9.99 (Wait until it goes on sale or use a coupon to save)
Black yarn – $3.50
Knitting needle $4.00 / Kabob skewer $5.00
Yarn Needle – $4.00 (Use a coupon to save)
Total: $21.50

Not as cheap as I thought it was, but it is still under $25.00. And if you use coupons it will definitely be cheaper. I had most of these items in my craft room, so I only had to pay for the pumpkin. See if you have some of these items too, or use what you have. If you don’t have black yarn, just use whatever color yarn you have laying around your house.


As much as I love fiber art, I love music even more. Below is a mini mixtape of inspired songs for this project. Maybe one of these songs will help to inspire your project too! You can follow along with all of the crafty mini mixtapes, here.