Three Jack-o’-Lanterns from One Bandana: An Easy No-Sew Halloween Craft

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Make 3 Easy Halloween Decorations

Looking for easy Halloween crafts that can double as handmade seasonal décor? These bandana jack-o’-lanterns start as a trio of soft fabric pumpkins made from just one bandana. Add simple felt faces, and the same fall pumpkins become playful DIY Halloween decorations.

The Bandana Pumpkin Trio makes three coordinating pumpkins: one large, one medium, and one small. You can give all three jack-o’-lantern faces, decorate just one, or mix plain pumpkins with spooky ones in the same Halloween display.

Best of all, this is a no-sew Halloween craft. The pumpkins are assembled with fabric glue and shaped with cord, so no sewing machine or hand stitching is required.

First, Make Your Bandana Pumpkins

This article focuses on turning finished bandana pumpkins into jack-o’-lanterns.

If you haven’t made the pumpkins yet, start with our complete step-by-step tutorial:

The full tutorial shows how to turn one bandana into three fabric pumpkins by cutting and reinforcing the fabric, gluing and stuffing the pumpkin shells, making felt stems, and shaping each pumpkin with cord.

You can also watch the entire project from beginning to end in our video tutorial:

Want the patterns and supplies ready to go?

The kit includes the materials and printed patterns for making all three pumpkins, plus optional jack-o’-lantern face patterns.

From Fall Pumpkins to DIY Halloween Decorations

One of our favorite things about this project is that you don’t have to decide between making fall décor and making Halloween crafts.

Leave the pumpkins plain and you have a coordinating autumn display. Add felt faces and they become jack-o’-lanterns. Or decorate only part of the trio and display plain and spooky pumpkins together.

That makes this an especially flexible seasonal project: you can put the pumpkins out for fall and add the Halloween faces when you’re ready for something a little spookier.

What You’ll Need to Make the Jack-o’-Lantern Faces

If you are using the Bandana Pumpkin Trio DIY Kit, the felt and printed face patterns are included.

For the Halloween faces you’ll need:

• Finished Bandana Pumpkin Trio

• Jack-o’-lantern face patterns

• Felt

• Fabric glue

• Sewing clips

• Scissors

The kit includes two face options for each pumpkin size, but those patterns are only a starting point. You can use the faces exactly as designed, mix and match the eyes and mouths, or make your own expression.

Step 1: Choose Your Jack-o’-Lantern Faces

Start by deciding how you want your three pumpkins to look. 

You could make three different jack-o’-lanterns, repeat your favorite face, or decorate just one pumpkin and leave the others plain.

Try mixing different eyes and mouths to create your own expressions. A small change can make a pumpkin look happy, surprised, mischievous, or spooky.

This is one reason the project works well as a Halloween craft idea for adults and kids: everyone can start with the same pumpkin but create a different finished character.

Step 2: Cut the Felt Face Pieces

Choose the jack-o’-lantern pattern that matches your pumpkin size.

Clip each pattern piece to the felt and carefully cut around the edge.

Repeat for the eyes, nose, mouth, and any other pieces in your chosen design.

You don’t have to follow the included pattern exactly. Try combining pieces from different faces or draw your own shapes directly onto the felt.

Step 3: Arrange the Face Before Gluing

Before reaching for the glue, arrange all of the felt pieces on the pumpkin.

Move the eyes, nose, and mouth around until you like the expression.

Changing the spacing can make a surprisingly big difference. Moving the eyes closer together, tilting them, or shifting the mouth slightly can give your jack-o’-lantern an entirely different personality.

Once you are happy with the placement, you’re ready to attach the pieces.

Step 4: Glue the Felt Face in Place

Apply a small amount of fabric glue to the back of each felt piece.

Place each piece back onto the pumpkin, glue side down, and gently press it into place.

Use the glue sparingly. Too much can soak through the felt or bandana fabric.

Continue until the entire face is attached, then let the glue dry.

Repeat with the other pumpkins—or leave some plain for a mixed fall and Halloween display.

Three Pumpkins, Lots of Halloween Craft Ideas

Because the project makes three different pumpkin sizes, there are plenty of ways to arrange your finished DIY Halloween decorations.

Try grouping the three jack-o’-lanterns together on a mantel or entryway table. Line them up on a shelf or windowsill. Place the trio inside a basket with other autumn decorations. Or mix one jack-o’-lantern with two plain pumpkins for a display that works throughout the fall season.

You can also give each pumpkin a completely different expression and arrange them as a little jack-o’-lantern family.

An Easy No-Sew Halloween Craft

Not every Halloween project needs complicated sewing or specialized equipment.

This project uses approachable craft techniques including cutting felt, fabric gluing, stuffing, and shaping with cord. That makes it a fun option if you’re looking for DIY Halloween crafts without a sewing machine.

It can also work well for family crafting, older children with adult supervision, adults looking for a seasonal project, and Halloween crafts for adults or older adults who enjoy hands-on activities.

An adult is required for the ironing portion used when making the original pumpkin shells.

Make Them Cute, Spooky, or Completely Your Own

Traditional jack-o’-lanterns don’t all have to look the same—and neither do these.

Use the included patterns for an easy starting point, or experiment with your own Halloween craft ideas. Try different eye shapes, change the mouth, mix pieces from two designs, or make every pumpkin different.

And if Halloween isn’t your style, simply leave the faces off. Underneath, they’re still a trio of decorative bandana pumpkins ready for fall.

Make the Complete Bandana Pumpkin Trio

Want to make your own?

The Bandana Pumpkin Trio DIY Kit gives you the materials and printed patterns for turning one bandana into three coordinating pumpkins, including the optional felt jack-o’-lantern faces.

Whether you keep them simple for fall or turn them into spooky little jack-o’-lanterns, one bandana can become a whole seasonal display.

One bandana. Three pumpkins. Fall décor or Halloween fun. You choose!