Jack O Lantern Gift Container Tutorial

Do you need a little gift for a teacher, a neighbor, a grandchild? 

This little Jack O Lantern  is quickly and easily made and can be filled with any small gifts or candy.

1. You need a plastic container. Mine held 7 oz. of marshmallow creme.

2. Punch holes in the bottom around the edge.

3. Wrap polyester batting around the middle, using narrower and narrower strips so that the middle will be thicker than the ends. You are building up a "pumpkin" shape.

4. Cut a strip of orange fabric 2" longer than the HEIGHT of the container, and long enough to wrap around it, leaving enough to sew a seam. Sew it into a tube by sewing the ends together.

5. Put the tube over the batting covered container. Leave an inch at the top and an inch at the bottom.

6. Gather the top and bottom edges. (Do not cover the holds at the bottom. If they will be covered, wait and gather the bottom later.)

7. Run a line of glue at the top of the inside of the container. Turn the gathered edge over the rim and clip it in place over the glue. Let it dry. I used a "tacky" glue. When dry, remove the clothespins.

8. Using a strong thread or yarn, make a few anchoring stitches into the fabric and through the batting, then go through the hole, grab the needle inside the container, and pull it up and over the top, around the outside and into the hole again. repeat this a couple of times in the same place and pull tightly to leave an indention on the outside. This forms the "pumpkin ridges". If your thread is long enough, you can move on to the next hole. When your thread is too short to go around again, anchor it at the bottom. Do this all the way around.

9. Here is a view of the thread coming through the holes and up the sides of the inside of the container.

10. Cut a circle of felt to fit the bottom of your container and large enough to hide the raw edges of the gathered tube. Sew the felt in place by hand.

11. Line the inside with felt. (I cut a strip to go around the edge and a separate circle to fit in the bottom. Use the tacky glue to glue in place.

12. Cut little black felt Jack O Lantern features and glue in place. (You could sew them if you wanted.)

Fill with goodies and present your gift! You could add a little handle if you wanted to. You could also place another plastic container just like the one you used inside the top of this one and fill it with flowers. 

Use your imagination, but have fun!