Crochet Pumpkin Pattern: 3 Sizes, No Magic Ring, One Evening

The pattern

Choose your size, then follow the same steps. The first number is small, then medium, then large: S / M / L.

Pumpkin body

1. Row 1: Ch 13 / 21 / 31. Sc in the 2nd ch from the hook and in each ch across. Ch 1, turn. (12 / 20 / 30)
2. Rows 2–30 / 46 / 66: Sc in the back loop only of each st across. Ch 1, turn. (12 / 20 / 30)
3. Seam: Fold so the first and last rows meet. Sl st them together through both layers. Leave a long tail before you cut.

The back-loop rows make deep ridges; those ridges are what turns into the pumpkin's ribs.

Gather and stuff

1. Step 1: Thread the tail onto a needle and weave it in and out along one open edge of the tube, about one stitch in from the edge. Pull tight and knot.
2. Step 2: Stuff firmly. Pumpkins look best squat, so push the filling outward rather than up.
3. Step 3: Weave a new length of yarn around the other edge, pull tight and knot.
4. Step 4: Pass the needle straight down through the centre and out the bottom. Take the yarn up the outside, back down through the centre, and repeat 5 times, spacing the wraps evenly. Pull each wrap snug to dimple the segments.

Stem (brown)

1. Rnd 1: 6 sc in a magic ring (or ch 2 and work 6 sc in the 2nd ch from the hook). (6)
2. Rnds 2–4: Sc in each st around. (6)
3. Finish: Fasten off with a long tail and sew the stem into the dip at the top.

Leaf (green, optional)

1. Row 1: Ch 8. Sl st in the 2nd ch from the hook, sc, hdc, dc, hdc, sc, sl st in the last ch. Fasten off and sew beside the stem.
2. Curly vine: Ch 20, then work 2 sc in each ch back along the chain. It twists into a spiral on its own.

Make it your own

• Velvet pumpkins: use chenille or velvet yarn with a 6 mm hook — the ribs disappear and it looks like the store-bought velvet kind.
• White and sage: cream, sage and dusty pink pumpkins read as farmhouse decor that lasts from September to Thanksgiving.
• Jack-o'-lantern: embroider triangle eyes and a zigzag mouth in black before you stuff.
• Pair it: our little ghost and a pumpkin make a table display in an evening.

Common questions

What is the easiest way to crochet a pumpkin?

The ribbed rectangle method on this page. You only need chains and single crochet in back loops, then a needle to gather the ends — there is no shaping and no working in the round.

How much yarn do I need for a crochet pumpkin?

About 40 yd for a 3-inch pumpkin, 70 yd for a 4-inch one and 120 yd for a 5½-inch one, plus a few yards of brown and green.

Why does my pumpkin look like a ball instead of a pumpkin?

It needs wider ribs or tighter wraps. Use back loops only on every row, stuff outward so it sits squat, and pull each wrap snug before moving to the next.

Can I make a bigger pumpkin?

Yes. Add 10 chains and about 20 rows for every extra 1½ in across, or hold two strands of yarn together with a 6.5 mm hook.

Can I sell pumpkins made from this pattern?

Yes — you're welcome to sell finished pumpkins you made. Please don't sell or republish the written pattern; link to this page instead.

How many are you making — one for the doorstep or a whole patch? 🎃