Favorite Fall Primitives

Hey, all. I thought since I haven't posted in awhile I would put together a post to highlight a collection of my favorite Primitive Fall projects from the past. This will be a way to share projects with my longtime readers, and new readers, that I have really loved creating since I started the Tattered Sisters blog. And hopefully it will get you inspired to make some new Fall projects, since Fall is finally upon us!

So let's begin with one of my favorite creations, and one of my most read posts on the blog. And that is, for my Ginger Citrus Simmering Spices.

If you've made these, you know already how wonderfully delicious they smell, and how they really make your home smell like Fall! If you haven't made them yet, what are you waiting for? And if you need the recipe, just click on the image and it will take you to the blog post where you can find it.

Next up are my grungy Boo Bags. 

These were so easy and fun to make. You know I LOVE Grungy Goods anyway! But these were great because I made them as little treat bags just for Fall or Halloween. If you'd like to make some too, just click on the image and it will take you to the Boo Bags post.

Let's also remember the Primitive Putkas in a Jar that I made. I love finding new ways to use Mason Jars, especially for gift-giving. So when Fall is at hand, these are a really quick, easy, and very fun gift to give your primitive friends, especially if they like scented items.

Just scent your putkas, put them in a rusty frog jar lid, add some homespun, and it's a gift! A really good smelling gift too.

Here's another fun craft I made awhile back, my Grungy Primitive Pumpkin Ornie.

Any of you who have read my blog for awhile know that sewing is NOT my favorite thing. But on occasion, I do like to make ornies, because they're just cute and they require minimal sewing. I loved making this little guy, and I see his face show up in my Pinterest feed a lot, so I know other folks like him too. :)

Oh, I also loved making this Primitive Pumpkin Jack Dough Ornies.

 

And their mini Pumpkin Jack Dough ornies friends. 

I love dough ornies! They are so fun, and pretty easy to make too. And they make great gifts. I make all my Dough Ornies with the same basic recipe, which you can find here:

Primitive Dough Recipe

And let's not forget, this Pumpkin Muslin Bag was a super easy Fall primitive craft.

They are also perfect little treat bags for Halloween. Click on the image to view the full blog post on how I made them. And you know, you could make a pumpkin face stencil to make the faces on these bags and use rubber stamp ink or paint to make a whole bunch of these bags in relatively short order. You could even get the kiddos to help!

And one last item as I travel down my Primitive Fall memory lane, this was one of my favorite primitive freebies that I created to share with you.  My Fall Pumpkin Tags.

That pumpkin tag freebie is still available for FREE download. Just lick on the tag image and it will take you to the PDF file that you can download and print, in case you missed that original post. 

I hope you enjoyed this little treasury of my favorite Fall Primitives. Which one was your favorite? I also hope you have an absolutely fabulous Fall this year as well!

Happy Fall, Y'all!

Primitive Fall Decor

Well gang, I haven't been in the studio much recently, since I've been kind of obsessed with working on genealogy of late. I'm sure I'll get back in there at some point soon, but until I do I didn't want you to think I'd forgotten about you. ;) So I snapped a few pics of some of my Primitive Fall Decor to share with you.

This is a Primitive Sheep that I have sitting on my hutch. 

I didn't make it, mind you. It was a gift and I love it.

I put it out every Fall.

This is a centerpiece I have on my dining table. 

Now I DID make this centerpiece myself, quite a few years ago.

It's not really primitive, so I occasionally some prim things around it.

Can you spot the little prim goody in there?

In case you can't quite see it...it's this cute little Primitive Mouse

sitting on a Primitive Pumpkin!

I don't decorate for Fall as much as I used to, but I do enjoy the few things I do put out around the house.  I have a feeling that once we move to the Farm (hopefully next year) I'll feel like decorating more. But for now I'm content with what I put out each year.  And the less I put out makes it easier to put away, especially with Christmas right around the corner--and I like to decorate right after Thanksgiving whenever possible!  How about you?

Pumpkin Pickins

I bought some little faux pumpkins at Wally World during the week, so I thought I'd play with them in the studio a bit over the weekend and see what I could do with them. My intention was to grungy them both up to be primitive. But I decided to do different things to each one in the end and came up with two very different pumpkins.

This first one is kind of grungy. I had intended to put cinnamon on it, but then I changed my mind and decided to play with ink instead. I used a dark brown color first because the pumpkin was a very bright orange color. Once I'd gotten that on I took an orange-ish color of Distress Ink and added some highlights back in where needed to contrast with the darker brown. I also used just a wee bit of orange acrylic paint in the pumpkin seams to brighten them back up a little. The result is below--and it does have a bit of a grungy appearance, just not as grungy as I'd  normally do.

 This next photo shows the two inks I used to create my grungy effect on my pumpkin.

This next pumpkin isn't really grungy--and not really even prim. LOL. But I had fun making it anyway. I used some mat medium as my adhesive, and then I sprinkled on some bronzed mica flakes for a shimmery effect. It's definitely got some sparkle going on! Kind of looks like a Fall fairy came along and sprinkled on some fairy dust. :)

These were fun little pumpkins to make. I love Fall, so it's always fun to make more Fall crafts.

Grungy Primitive Pumpkin

I saw a post on Facebook recently that showed how to make a small pumpkin using a roll of toilet paper that had been cut in half width-wise, then wrapped with fabric strips. I wanted to try it out for myself, but I really didn't want to waste an entire roll of toilet paper to do it. What can I can say--to me, toilet paper is a valuable commodity. ;) But I knew I had some Styrofoam balls tucked away in my studio, so I decided to give one of those a try. And this was the result. 

I cut a small slice off the top and bottom of the Styrofoam ball to help it sit flat, and look more like a pumpkin. Then I used a fat marker to hollow out a column down the center of the ball, so that I could wrap the fabric strip. I just shoved it down the center of the ball and pushed out the foam.

I used one very long strip of torn fabric--it wasn't muslin, but I'm not even sure what kind of fabric it was. It's just what I had on hand (it's what you see under the pumpkin in the photo as well). I tucked the end of the fabric into the center of the ball and then started wrapping the strip of fabric around and around, overlapping each strip a bit as I went all the way around. Once I got the ball all wrapped with fabric, I tucked the remaining end in the center of the ball too. I somehow managed to tear a strip of fabric that covered the entire ball. I don't think I could have planned that--it was just luck. :)

After that, I picked two colors of spray I had in the studio--one was Glimmer Mist by Tattered Angels in Copper; the other was a dark brown color--I believe it was by Mr. Huey's. I used the Copper color first, since it results in a nice dark orange color on the fabric. I sprayed it all over the pumpkin. Then I just added some of the brown spray here and there to give the color some variation. I dried it all with my heat gun, then went out into the yard and found a stick that could be my pumpkin stem and I stuck it in. 

Voila. Grungy Primitive Pumpkin! You could really make several of these fairly quick and they'd make great table decor for the Fall. You could do more to embellish it, of course. Add some rusty wire, or a leaf, or pip berries, or any number of things really. But I was going to for simplified here. Primitive and rustic. Sometimes that's really all we need.

Primitive Harvest Pumpkin Magnet

Well, I finally made it back into my studio over the weekend. It felt good to get back in there. :) I wanted to make something for Fall but I wasn't sure what to make. Something led me to some blank wood shapes I had sitting around, so I decided to create this Primitive Harvest Pumpkin Magnet.

I painted it an orange color first and then grungy'd up the edges of the wood with some distress ink. Then I stamped on the pumpkin and the word, Harvest. Then I added some leaf rub-ons that I happened to have tucked away. I added a few paint highlights to the pumpkin too, though you can't really see them in this photo. And I added a magnet on the back so I can hang it on my refrigerator. :) It was just a simple little Primitive Fall magnet, but it was fun to make.

Fall Pumpkins Tags Freebies

I haven't been crafting as much lately--just can't seem to get motivated for some reason. But I didn't want you to think I'd abandoned you all together! So I created something to add to my collection of Primitive Freebies here on the blog. So here are some Fall Pumpkin Tags that I've made for you. This is what they look like.

These could be used as gift tags, bag toppers, or even as place cards for your Thanksgiving table. The free download has 6 of these on one full sized sheet, in PDF format. No watermark appears on the downloadable tags. Just click on the text link below and you'll be taken directly to the download.

FALL PUMPKINS TAGS FREEBIES

As always, please remember that these tags are for your personal, non-commercial use. They are not to be listed for sale (anywhere), nor claimed as your own.

Mini Pumpkin Jack Dough Ornies

As soon as it's September, I start think about Fall, don't you? I look forward to the crisp, cool air, the changing colors of all the leaves, and the return of baking season! And what's more perfect for fall than Primitive Pumpkins? So here are some cute little Mini Pumpkin Jack Dough Ornies.

Throw these into a bowl of putka pods or scented rosehips, and you've got some cute decor for either Fall or Halloween. They are fairly small, only around 1" tall, so they are really cute and prim. As always, I use my Primitive Dough Recipe to make these. And I used in a silicone mold to make the pumpkins, in case you are wondering. I put the dough in, then pop them out and bake them on a cookie sheet. Easy peasy.

I bet you've got something fun cooking up for Fall too, don't you?!

Pumpkin Apple Rusty Tin Bucket

Well it's August, so naturally I'm think about Fall. LOL. I can't help myself. I love Fall, so when back-to-school time gets closer I really start thinking about a Primitive Fall and Fall crafts, and cooler weather, of course. So while I was in my studio over the weekend working on some paintings and such, I decided to create this Pumpkin Apple Rusty Tin Bucket decor.

I took a Rusty Tin bucket and added a homespun tie to it. Then I filled with some pumpkin-scented putka pods (mini pumpkins). I stuck in some long cinnamon sticks here and there, and then I added just a few craft apples too.

This would make a nice centerpiece on a table. It would make a nice gift too.

Primitive Pumpkins

What is it about July that makes me start thinking about Fall? That's kind of weird, don't you think? LOL. But for some reason, once mid-summer is here my head goes to Primitive Pumpkins and everything Autumn. So I just thought I'd share some Primitive Fall inspiration, in case you're like me and thinking about cooler weather and falling leaves--while the air conditioning is still on.

Putka Pods are perfect for Fall because they look just like miniature pumpkins. I love them because they are so easy to add scent to, since they are much more porous than rosehips. They hold the scent really well and a little fragrance oil goes a really long way with these little guys. There are also lots of ways to package putka pods: in a jar, in little pouches with creative labels, in a clear cello bag, or how about a burlap bag with a pumpkin image stamped onto it--or maybe with a vintage pumpkin seed label? I think the ideas are pretty much endless.

So there's some pumpkin and fall inspiration for you. We now return you to your regularly scheduled summer. :)

Grungy Jar

I decided to try some of my grungy addiction out on a Mason Jar. I just wanted to see how it would look to use some of the textured spray paint I use so often on the jar. So I used some of the spray and got the Mason Jar good and grungy.

First thing to note is that the textured spray paint I used is NOT meant to be used on glass. 

It is an indoor/outdoor paint, but it doesn't say on the can that it can be used on glass. So I just figured I should err on the side of caution and not expect it to hold up...unless I primed it first. So I used an indoor/outdoor spray paint primer on the Mason Jar first, one that clearly states it can be used on glass. Krylon was my primer of choice. So I primed the jar first with a Ruddy Brown color, let it dry, then used my textured spray paint to grungy up the jar. It probably won't last forever, but I'm sure it'll last awhile.

I created a label for the jar with some of my favorite fall Primitive Pumpkin graphics and stuck that to the jar--I added Mod Podge to help it stick. Then I topped it off with a homespun tie. Obviously you can do this to candles in a jar, but you can do it to plain jars too. Put something fun inside--like scented putka pods (mini pumpkins) and use it as a hostess gift or what not. Put some candy corns inside, or some M & M's. It makes a perfect Primitive Gift!

Fall Pip Berries in a Basket

Awhile back I created a basket for my guest bathroom filled with pip berries and rusty tin stars. I decided to redo that basket so that it would help me dress that bathroom for fall. The result is my Fall Pip Berries in a Basket.

I love how this turned out. I added in some picks of fall-colored pip berries, and some that also have leaves and mini pumpkins too. The result is a warm and primitive mixture of burgundy, orange, yellow and green that is just perfect for this time of year...even though it still feels a bit like summer where I am. 

I love Fall and can't wait for the cool, crisp air and falling leaves, and pumpkins, and everything else that goes with this season.

Pumpkin Crow Primitive Hangtag

Wow, it's been awhile since I've done any Primitive Freebies, hasn't it? Well let's just rectify that, shall we?

Once September arrives, I automatically start thinking Fall...even if Mother Nature is still thinking Summer. LOL So I created this Primitive Hangtag printable that speaks to me of crisp air, Autumn pumpkins, and even Primitive Crows! Just click on the image to make it appear full size, then right-click it and save it to your computer. Hopefully you can use this while you're creating some wonderful primitive crafts for the coming Fall season. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Jack Tag Freebie

I love Primitive Freebies, don't you? That's why I like to make some freebie hantags and Primitive Graphics to give away here at Tattered Sisters from time to time. And since it's still Fall, I'm sticking with pumpkins. So I've created this Pumpkin Jack Tag freebie for you.

Click on the image to open it full size. Then right-click on the image to save it to your computer. Remember that my freebies are free for your personal use only. They cannot be used for commercial purposes/resale for profit. Hope you like it. Enjoy!

Grungy Primitive Pumpkin Ornie

OK, so I guess I really must have pumpkins on the brain! But hey, it's Fall, right? If it were February, then I would be worried about this old brain of mine. I decided to make this Grungy Primitive Pumpkin Ornie out of felt. 

I drew a pumpkin shape and traced it onto cardstock to create my Primitive Pumpkin pattern. I used that to cut two pieces of felt into my pumpkin shape. Then I sprayed my felt shapes with Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist, in Coffee Shop color. It's a great, quick way to add a grungy effect if I don't feel like messing with my usual Grungy Sauce mixture. And it's great for small projects like this one, which is only about 3-3/4" long. You know how much I love Grungy Goods by now, so making stuff grungy is always fun for me. And it's perfectly primitive too!

After drying the felt it was time to add the face. I used buttons for the eyes, and a scrap of gingham homespun for the nose. Then I just sewed on a crooked little smile. To the back half of the pumpkin shape I sewed on a piece of cinnamon stick to be the stem. Next I started sewing the pumpkin body together, until I got 3/4 of the way done. And then I stuffed the body with fiberfill and sewed it closed.

Another cute and fun project to add to my collection of Primitive Ornies.

Pumpkin Jack Dough Ornies

Amazingly, this is going to be my 100th Post! Hard to believe I've posted that much already. But hey, yay! Some people post a lot more than I do, and some a lot less. So I'm not sure if 100 posts in 10 months is really any sort of accomplishment. But it's a milestone, so I'll take it. :)

I am going to be in Primitive Fall mode until after Thanksgiving, I'm sure. That's about how I roll anymore. So I'm doing as much Fall crafting as I can (though sometimes, that's not as much as I'd really like!). This time I'm serving up some Pumpkin Jack Dough Ornies. Dough Ornies have always been a favorite of mine, so it's fun to make them for every season, don't you think?

These Pumpkin Jacks are about 2-1/2" to 3" around. These could easily work well thrown in a bowl of Prim Fixins. They are great as actual hanging ornies too; you can even add them to the top of a gift box. I use silicone candle molds to make them (and in case you're wondering, I don't remember where I got the molds). And these are just made with my Primitive Dough Recipe. You could also paint them. Or you could save yourself some work and add powdered orange tempera paint to your dough before baking and then the pumpkin jacks will already be orange when they are baked. That's a real time saver! Then all you'd have to paint really are the features. But heck, they're primitive, so you don't have to really paint anything!

Fall Pumpkin Tag

I haven't been too super crafty the last week or so, but wanted to add something to the blog. So I decided to create a couple of Primitive Hangtags to add to my Primitive Freebies category. This first one is just in time for any Primitive Fall gifts you might want to give. Click on the image to view the full sized version of the tag. Then right-click and Save the image to your computer.

Also just a reminder...my freebie graphics are NOT for commercial use. They are free for your own personal use, but they are not intended to be reproduced for sale or profit in any way. I am creating these as a kindness. It takes time a good deal of time and care to create them, and I am happy to do so. But only if you are taking them for personal use. If I start to see my custom tags appear for sale on any websites, I'll have to stop making them, and I would hate for that to happen. So please respect my wishes where these freebie graphics are concerned, so that everyone can continue to enjoy them.

Primitive Pumpkin Bucket

Now this was just totally for fun, because I was determined to find another way to use my putka pods AND create another Primitive Fall project. The result is my little Primitive Pumpkin Bucket, accented with the cutest of Primitive Crows.

I started with a plain mini black bucket, approximately 2" or so in diameter at the top. I added some fiberfill to the bottom and covered that with a piece of cardboard that I cut to fit very snug inside the bucket, just below the ridges on the bucket. I shoved in the cardboard and the ridges basically hold it in place. I did this because I knew I'd be hot gluing the putka pod "pumpkins" in, and I didn't want to have to do more than necessary. Those little suckers are small, and that takes a lot of time! So the fiberfill and cardboard barrier gave me a way to use less putkas. 

Next I took my primitive crow pick that I bought at Blossom Bucket (probably 3 or 4 years ago!) and cut the wire to the length I needed, so that the crow would sit a bit above the top of the bucket. I poked it through the cardboard and fiberfill where I wanted it to be. Then I started hot gluing in putka pods, one at a time. I just kept going until I created a nice little mound, and made it look like the crow was perched on the pumpkins.

To finish it off I just shoved in some Spanish moss here and there, to make it look like hay or something dried. And I tied a piece of jute around the bucket to help offset the black of the bucket and give it a bit of a rustic touch. I just love how this turned out.

Primitive Pumpkin Pouch

OK, so I'm feeling all about the Primitive Pumpkins right now. :) I thought I'd share with you an alternative to my Primitive Putkas in a Jar that I posted about yesterday. You can put your putkas in a pouch too!

You can use the same recipe to scent your little pumpkin pods, but instead of putting them in a jar, you can put them in a muslin pouch instead (after they are dry, of course, which doesn't take too long after scenting since they are so porous). To decorate your pouch, just create a cute graphic label in your favorite printing or graphics program. Print it (in reverse if you are adding text!) onto iron-on transfer paper. Then just iron it onto your muslin pouch.

These pouches of Prim Fixins are great for Primitive Gifts. And they're so easy to make, you can whip up quite a few of them in a relatively short amount of time. If you're having a Primitive Fall or Halloween-themed party, these would be perfect party favors too.

Primitive Putkas in a Jar

It's the middle of August, and for me, that means it is time to start thinking about Fall, and Primitive Fall crafting! And one of my favorite things to make (and to give as Primitive Gifts) are my Primitive Putkas in a Jar.

Now you're probably going to want the Primitive Recipe for how to scent these cute little Prim Fixins, right? It is so super easy! Here's all you need.

• 2 Cups or so of Putka Pods (will vary depending on the size of your jar)
• A bowl for mixing (glass is best, to make sure the fragrance oil doesn't stain or ruin the bowl!)
• 1-2 TBSP of Fragrance Oil (I love Pumpkin Pie scent, but any Fall scent will do)
• A Mason jar with a rusty frog lid
• A spoon
• A piece of plastic wrap, just big enough to cover the top of the jar
• A strip of homespun

Now all you do is add your Putka Pods to the bowl. And before you add your fragrance oil, know this: Putkas are very porous, so they will absorb a lot of oil; AND, it doesn't take a lot of oil to scent these pumpkin-like pods--a little goes a long way, so don't overdo it! Add in a little fragrance oil and stir. You will be surprised at how little it takes to scent these pods, and the scent will last quite awhile because they're so porous. You don't want your pods to be oily and slimy though, just scented. So add a little oil at a time and stir well. Then pour them into your jar. Cover the top of the jar with the plastic wrap and then put the lid on. You can then time your homespun to the rim of the lid, or the jar neck, your choice. And that's it!

One more side note...the plastic on the top of the jar is only added if you're giving the putka jar as a gift. It'll prevent any small pods from falling out. But if you're making this for yourself, the plastic is not necessary. Just set the jar with the frog lid wherever you want it and enjoy.

ETA: I order these pods online...I've never seen them in any local craft stores. Below are some sources for these Putka Pods online.

Rachel's Potpourri

Factory Direct Craft

You can also usually find them on Etsy, Ebay, and Amazon. You can also find the rusty frog lids on Ebay, Etsy, Amazon, and RustyTin.com. And if you do a Google search for Rusty Frog Lid, you'll get lots of results.

Frost on the Pumpkin Bowl Filler Pattern

I found this great Primitive Pattern while surfing for primitives today. It's called Frost on the Pumpkin Bowl Fillers and it's created by Deb at Paxton Valley Folk Art.

This is the perfect pattern to get your creative juices flowing for a Primitive Fall! What's better than Primitive Pumpkins! It's available for FREE download via Crafty Avenue. Just click on the link below to go to Crafty Avenue--it's an instant download.

Frost on the Pumpkin Bowl Fillers Pattern