How to Decorate Pumpkins with Rope and Twine

It’s pumpkin time. Tired of ordinary pumpkins in your home decor? Transform plain pumpkins into stunning fall centerpieces with this simple yet sophisticated technique. Learn how to decorate pumpkins with rope and twine. This DIY project gives you endless creative possibilities—from rustic charm to coastal-inspired designs. 

This budget-friendly approach requires minimal supplies but delivers maximum impact. Whether you’re wrapping thick jute rope around a carved pumpkin to hide imperfections, creating intricate geometric patterns with baker’s twine, or adding texture with nautical knots, this project offers a variety of options. 

I have painted pumpkins. I have gilded pumpkins. I have decoupaged pumpkins.

For the first time, I am decorating pumpkins with rope and making pumpkins with twine. They are very easy to make and even more fun to use in your fall decorating.

If you like to embellish pumpkins for your home decor, these pumpkin decorating ideas should give you a little inspiration. They are really cute and can be adapted to any color and any size pumpkin.

I love DIY projects with a simple supply list and easy construction. Rope and twine are easy supplies to find at your local craft store or online. This project is easy to make while watching TV.

Best of all, rope and twine decorations are reusable year after year, and they offer a refreshing alternative to traditional paint or markers that can be messy and permanent. 

Ready to elevate your autumn decor with this tactile, versatile decorating method?

Let’s begin to decorate pumpkins with rope and twine.

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Supplies to Decorate Your Pumpkins with Rope

You only need a few supplies to decorate a pumpkin with rope:

• a faux pumpkin, either papier-mâché, styrofoam, or plastic – I have had this papier-mâché pumpkin for a year. It doesn’t matter. Use what you have on hand or find cheap at the dollar store. This is a great project to cover up those ugly, bright orange faux pumpkins.
• rope of chosen color and thickness – I found this rope in the macrame aisle at Joann. I like the look of the unbleached rope best for pumpkins.

• glue gun and glue sticks – I had to order a new package of glue sticks.

• sharp scissors – these sharp craft scissors from Fiskars are my favorite
• finger protectors – I finally starated using these after burning the tips of my fingers too often.

Steps to Decorate Your Pumpkins with Rope

• Step 1 – Remove the stem from your pumpkin. Set aside.

• Step 2 – Unwind your rope for several feet so you have plenty to work with.
• Step 3 – Starting at either the top or the bottom of the pumpkin in the indentations, run a bead of glue at least halfway down.

• Step 4 – Add the rope, then gently press it down to adhere to the pumpkin. Then continue with glue and rope all the way to the bottom or top of the pumpkin. When I started, I thought I would wrap and glue the rope around the pumpkin. I found it was much better to glue from top to bottom and then cut the rope.

• Step 5 – Cut the rope and press down with glue.
• Step 6 – Repeat all around the pumpkin until it is covered with rope.

• NOTE: For variety, I looped some lengths of rope over a straight length.
• NOTE: You will notice the places where you have to cut shorter lengths of rope. I actually liked how the frayed rope gave the pumpkin a bit of a rustic look.

• Step 7 – After gluing all the rope around your pumpkin, glue the stem back on the top of the pumpkin.
• You may notice that some of the papier-mache pumpkin showed through, but I liked that look.

Embellishing Your Rope Pumpkin

After I finished adding all the rope, I wanted to add some “garnishes” to the pumpkin.

In my craft stash, I found a few 6 – 8-inch pieces of wired twine. I wrapped a short section around a pencil four times.

I used wire snips to cut the wired twine. Then I repeated with a second piece.

I used my hot glue gun to attach the wired twine pieces to the top of the pumpkin at the base of the stem.

To finish off the area around the stem, I glued and wrapped a thin piece of twine (another leftover) around it.

As the final touch to my pumpkin decorated with rope, I tied a bow with more thin jute twine.

Tips for Decorating Your Pumpkin with Rope

Here are some tips that I discovered as I decorated my pumpkin:

• You may see rope packages described as “cord”. Use it the same way described above.
• Cut your rope on the diagonal.
• As you fill in the pumpkin with rope, your pieces will get shorter. Some of mine were only about 4 inches long.
• The ends of the rope may fray a bit. You can leave them as is for a more rustic look. Or you can “shave” them with sharp scissors for a smoother look. I did both.
• On the bottom of the pumpkin, you don’t have to go all the way to the middle of the bottom, just enough to cover the pumpkin.

Now, that I’ve shown you how to decorate a pumpkin with rope, let me show you a way to use twine to make a pumpkin.

Supplies to Make a Pumpkin with Twine

This process for this pumpkin project is very different. I have seen several variations of this process on YouTube. After watching the videos, I decided to make my own.

For this pumpkin project, you will need:

• jute twine in the thickness of choice; I had thick and medium versions in my craft stash.

• thin jute twine, pipe cleaners or string to tie pumpkin rolls. I used this thin jute twine since I already had it. You can cut several 6-inch pieces ahead, if you like.

• a rolling pin, cardboard or plastic tube – to help you form the pumpkins.

• sharp scissors –
• glue gun and glue sticks for stems
• items to use as stems: corks, wood sticks, real or faux pumpkin stems, wood dowels, wired grapevine

Steps to Make a Pumpkin with Twine

• Step 1 – Wrap the twine around the rolling pin, starting about 1/3 of the way on the pin. I chose to wrap it 15 times. You want it fairly taut. Make sure that the loops are flat – don’t overlap.

• Step 2 – Push the wrapped twine to the end of the rolling pin, keeping the loops tight. It helps to put your fingers around the end that is coming off the rolling pin first.

• Step 3 – Hold the looped twine tightly so it doesn’t unwind. I put my thump inside the loops.

• Step 4 – Use a 6-inch piece of thin twine or string. Push it through the twine bundle and tie the two ends together and pull tightly. Make a double knot and cut off the excess.

• Step 5 – Repeat this step 2 more times, for a total of 3 twine bundles.

• Step 6 – Hold all 3 bundles together as one.
• Step 7 -Push a 8-inch piece of thin twine through all 3 bundles.
• Step 8 – Tie the thin twine in a knot.

• Step 9 – Decide what you want to use for the stem. I decided to use a twig I found in our front yard for my first twine pumpkin.
• Step 10 – Heat up your glue gun. Add a dollop of glue to one end of the stem and push it down into the center of the pumpkin. Hold for a few seconds until set.
• Step 11 – Pull the thin twine tightly, knot again, and cut off the excess.

For my second pumpkin with twine, I decided to try making a stem with a 4-inch piece of wired grapevine and the white rope.

First, I glued the rope tightly around the wired grapevine. Cut off the rope and add more glue at the top.

Then I glued the stem into the center of the twine pumpkin and tightened the thin twine, double-knotting it, and cut the excess. I really like the contrast in color and texture.

Making a Pumpkin with Rope

For a third version of the twine pumpkin, I decided to use more of the white rope that I used for my first pumpkin. I used the exact same process. The only change I made was to use the white cardboard tube. I also only made 10 loops around it for a smaller pumpkin.

Notice the frayed end of the white rope?

I used the frayed end as my stem. Pretty cute, uh?

Using My Rope and Twine Pumpkins in a Vignette

I had a total of 4 pumpkins: one large pumpkin decorated with white yarn and three pumpkins made with twine (two with jute twine and one with white rope).

I decided to use all 4 pumpkins on our coffee table. My round woven tray would be the right size and shape to feature the pumpkins.

First, I used raffia to fill the bottom of the tray. Then all I had to do was place the decorated pumpkins in the tray.

I love the finished look of our new fall mantel.

Can you decorate these pumpkins with rope and twine? Of course, you can! Both versions are easy. I will say that the pumpkin with rope does take longer – it’s a good project to do while watching your favorite movie.

Want more fall pumpkin DIY projects?

Will you PIN these new fall pumpkin decorating projects? Check out and follow these Pinterest Boards for more inspiration: Pumpkin DIY Projects, Fall DIY Projects, and Fall Home Decor.