Magnetic Mini Pumpkins

Posted on by Kayla

I tried to resist all the beautiful fall projects popping up on Instagram but I only lasted 10 days before I started making pumpkins. Now, I am not all about the pumpkin spice craze. I like pumpkin donuts (seriously, try them!), but I don’t need shampoo and candles and hand sanitizer and tea all flavored pumpkin spice. So when all the knit and crochet pumpkins started showing up August 1st, which must be an unofficial start to autumnal preparations, I thought they were cute but unnecessary. Then I remembered I had a bunch of little magnets, and I could make my own army of magnetic mini pumpkins.

Three magnetic mini pumpkins, two yellow with brown stems and one orange with green stem, hang suspended from a hook with blue sky and trees in the background.
Magnetic mini pumpkins can hang suspended from anywhere magnetic!

That was the end of my fall crafting holdout. These little pumpkins are basically potato chip crocheting; you can’t stop at one! Plus with magnets it is fun to hide them all over the house in unsuspecting places.

Check out my tutorial below for a step by step guide on how I make my magnetic mini pumpkins. If you want a nice, printer friendly version of the pattern head on over to my Etsy and Ravelry pages to download a copy! If you don’t crochet, you can check my Etsy shop for seasonal listings of already made and ready to ship pumpkins.

Crochet Magnetic Mini Pumpkin Tutorial

Materials needed for the pumpkins shown: orange yarn, green yarn, white poly fiber filling, crochet hook, yarn needle, and mini magnets.
Materials needed for mini pumpkin creation.


To make these pumpkins you will need the following materials:

  • 10 yards of main color yarn, any weight will work but I use worsted weight. Yardage may need to be adjusted for thicker or thinner yarn
  • Scrap of stem color yarn, same weight as main color
  • Crochet hook size to obtain a dense fabric that stuffing will not show through. For worsted weight yarn I used a size G6 hook
  • Stuffing, I use scrap yarn and poly fiber filling
  • Yarn needle
  • Scissors
  • Optional: mini magnets

Abbreviations:

  • sc – single crochet
  • sc 2 tog – single crochet two together
  • sl – slip stitch
  • st – stitch(es)
  • ch – chain

Starting the Pumpkin Body

To begin, with the main color use the Magic Loop method to sc 6 into a circle. If you have never used the Magic Loop technique, don’t be afraid! It’s pretty simple and eliminates large gaps that can come from crocheting several stitches into a beginning chain. Here is a good resource for learning how to start a project like this.

Magic Loop method of starting a circle.
sc 6 st into Magic Loop.

Next, sc twice in each st around (12 st total).

2 sc in each st around for a total of 12 st.

(sc 1, 2 sc in next st) around (18 st total).

(sc, 2 sc in next st) around for total of 18 st

At this point I like to make sure my Magic Loop is snug and I tie a knot in my yarn tail on the backside of the fabric. This ensures the beginning round stays nice and tightly closed off.

1 sc in each st for 3 rounds. This starts forming a nice sphere shape that isn’t too tall or too squat for making mini pumpkins.

Three rounds gives the pumpkin the right amount of height.

Now begging to shape the top of the sphere to close off the pumpkin.

(1 sc, sc 2 tog) around (12 st total).

(1 sc, sc 2 tog) around for total of 12 st.

(sc 2 tog) around (6 st total). Fasten off the yarn, leaving a long tail 15 inches in length. This tail will be used to make the different sections of the pumpkins stand out.

(sc 2 tog) around for total of 6 st. Leave a long tail for sewing.

Stem Detail

I like to add the stem next. Add in the contrast color by joining the yarn in one of the stitches of the final round of the pumpkin body.

Insert the hook into one of the stitches in the final round of the body.
Loop the stem color and pull through, joining the stem to the body.

ch 4 st.

ch 4 st for the stem.

sl in each chain and secure contrast color back into pumpkin body, going through the same place where the color was originally joined. Fasten off and leave a short tail to stuff down into the pumpkin body.

Secure the stem back into the body at the same stitch where it was joined.
Fasten off the stem.

Shaping the Sections

All the crocheting is done! Now for the final touches. If you are adding a magnet insert one through the opening at the top of the pumpkin body. I find that using 2 of my magnets holds the pumpkins in place better. I place another magnet on the outside of the pumpkin to hold the internal magnets in place. This also makes it easy to keep track of where the magnets are once the pumpkin is closed up.

Insert a magnet if wanted through the top of the body.
I use a second magnet on the outside to hold the internal magnet in place and to keep track of where it goes.

Stuff the pumpkin loosely. The pumpkin should be full enough to hold a rounded shape, but still flexible enough to squish down in order to form the pumpkin sections.

Don’t overstuff the pumpkin. It should be filled enough to keep its shape but still be able to squish down to create the different sections.

Take the tail end of the main color and thread it through the yarn needle. Thread the yarn needle through the front loop of the last row of the pumpkin body, going around the backside of the stem. Pull tightly to gather the top of the body closed.

Thread the tail through the front loop of the top stitch and gather to close the body of the pumpkin.

Instead the needle through the center of the pumpkin going from the top to the bottom of the body. Draw tightly to squish the pumpkin down. Bring the needle back through the body from top to bottom to create sections of pumpkin. I like to start by defining the section with the magnet so it doesn’t get lost.

Insert the threaded needle through the center of the body from top to bottom.
Section off the pumpkin by drawing the tail tightly through the center of the pumpkin.

I prefer the look of 5 sections, but get creative with your pumpkins! The sections don’t need to be equal in size. Once all sections have been defined, with the yarn coming out the bottom of the pumpkin thread the needle under one body stitch to secure the yarn end.

Secure the tail to one of the bottom body stitches and fasten of.

Tie a knot to keep the pumpkin firmly squished down. Weave in the end, trimming the yarn tail if needed. The most important step: have fun sticking pumpkins all over the house!

Top view of finished pumpkin.
Side view of finished pumpkin.
Stick the mini magnetic pumpkins to everything possible!