I have mentioned before how hard t is to get real pumpkins here in Sardinia, so we just try our best to make alternative jack-o’-lanterns to maintain the Halloween spirit. Our fishbowl this year or the detergent container of last year are good examples, but I am especially proud of this pumpkin cushion we have made recently. It is truly satisfying to transform something old into something different and new.

We made this pumpkin cushion with a warned pillow case, some string, fabric dye and pillow stuffing material. The only material we actually bought was the dye.

The fabric dying was the most time consuming and fun part as we chose a traditional hot water dye to eliminate the use of the fixing additive.

When you dye fabric make sure you use gloves and an apron because the dye stains permanently.

Materials: fabric dye, salt, water, an old saucepan, a wooden stick (or something to stir the fabric on the stove), an old plastic basin, old newspapers, gloves, protective coat or apron.

Lay the newspapers on the floor to protect the area you’ll be working from, wear your gloves and mix the dye with cold water, fill a saucepan with water and add the dye and the salt.

The quantities of colour and salt depend on the weight of the fabric you need to dye and on the product brand so dyes usually come with instructions.  Bring to the boil and put the fabric you want to colour in the pan; make sure the fabric is cover by the water and stir frequently. Let it boil for 10-20 minutes depending on how deep an effect you would like to reach.  Turn the gas off and let it sit in the pan for five or ten minutes, then transfer the cloth to a different container and rinse with plenty of cold water until the water is clean.

Put the fabric to dry.

My son is old enough for this full on fabric dye, but if you are trying this with young children is probably best to go for a cold water dye.

The second part of our transformation was very easy: we made three oval shaped bundles and stuffed the pillow case half way up; we then tied the top with a piece of long string, which we run all over to shape it like a pumpkin.