How to make 2x4 wooden pumpkins

This 2x4 wooden pumpkin craft is super easy and inexpensive to make for Halloween. Grab the free plans and make it yourself!

I love Halloween and I love scrap wood projects. This is one that combines them both!

I've seen a lot of varieties of 2x4 wood pumpkins before, but not one like this, with stacked boards to look like the pumpkin as it normally is shaped. I also think that this is about as easy of a fall craft as you can do.

So if you have some scrap wood 2x4s laying around, grab them, your saw, and some paint and let's get building!

DIY 2x4 wood pumpkins

You can easily make these DIY 2x4 pumpkins bigger or smaller if you'd like, depending on what you need. You can also make as many of these as you want. Paint some orange, some yellow, or even some purple!

Below I'll break down exactly what you need to make these DIY 2x4 pumpkins and how to do it!

Check out these wooden jack-o-lanterns that are fun and spooky!

Materials needed:

Here's everything you need to make these 2x4 pumpkins for your fall decor!

• One new 2x4x8' board or scrap cutoffs
• Wood glue
• Orange spray paint
• Brown spray paint
• Long clamp

Check out some other great DIY Halloween crafts here!

Step one: make cuts

Start by making all the cuts for this build. Normally I put these in printable woodworking plans, but how about we just list them off here:

• (2) 12"
• (2) 10"
• (2) 8"
• (1) 1"

Cut everything down with a miter saw, circular saw or whatever saw you have. Then sand them smooth. It's ok to have knots and imperfections showing, because there's lots of imperfections on pumpkins!

Step two: glue base together

Now the fun begins! Lay the pieces down in order of 8"-10"-12"-12"-10"-8". Apply wood glue to one side of the 8" piece and then stack the 10" piece on top with a 1" overhang on each side.

Repeat the process, stacking each board on top of each other with wood glue and a 1" overhang on each side. When they are all in place, clamp them together and let dry for 24 hours.

Step three: spray paint

Once the glue is dry, remove the clamp and take the pumpkin base and the 1" stem piece and lay them out on a tarp. Using orange spray paint, coat all sides and undersides of the pumpkin base. Then use the brown spray paint to paint the stem piece.

Let them dry for a couple of hours.

Step four: attach stem

Once the paint is dry, apply wood glue to one long side of the 1" stem piece and press it down centered on the top board of the pumpkin. Again, clamp that to the base until dry in about 24 hours.

Step five: display

Showcase your 2x4 pumpkin on the porch, mantle or shelf! These go great as a set with other colors or smaller dimensions.

You can easily make additional smaller or bigger pumpkins by scaling the lengths of the boards evenly.

2x4 wood pumpkin craft

These 2x4 pumpkins are a great way to use scrap 2x4s and make custom decor for fall or Halloween. Make several of these for your front porch in different sizes and enjoy!