Pumpkin Organizers

Pumpkin season is upon us here in the USA. It's undeniable. It also happens to be the start of the school year. In honor of these things, I designate this mathematical formula to be true. Pumpkin season+ the start of school= the Pumpkin Organizer!

We choose to paint our pumpkin organizers in the pointillist inspired style of Yayoi Kusama.

You can read more about Kusma here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yayoi_Kusama

Let's get on with it, shall we?

See my daughter's pink one?

Gather:

*Air Dry Clay

*Parchment paper

*Rolling pin

*Measuring tape (optional)

*Acrylic Paint

*Straw or hollow object to place hole in organizer

*Paper

*Knife

*Small Bowl

*Sharpie

Procedure:

1. Create and cut a pumpkin shape out of paper.

2. Grab a large handful of clay. You want about 15 oz or so per pumpkin.

3. Work the clay on the parchment paper by kneading and rolling it until it becomes pliable. You are also attempting to remove air holes in the clay.

5. Roll the clay to 1/4 inch thick.

6. Lay the paper pumpkin template onto the clay and cut around it with a knife.

(This was our apple organizer. We then changed to pumpkins.)

6. Use the scrap clay to create the top and bottom rectangular pieces of the organizer. Cut a rectangular piece that is about 1 inch wider than the width of your pumpkin for the top.

7. Cut the bottom portion to the width of the bottom of your pumpkin. This piece will need to be at least an inch in depth. This will provide an adequate ledge for the pencils and items placed into the organizer.

8. Create a slip of clay using about a teaspoon of clay and 1/4 cup of water. Put both the water and the clay into a small bowl and stir until mostly combined.

9. Find the middle of the pumpkin. About 1 inch from the top, use a straw to create a hole. This is how you will hang the organizer.

10. Score the ends by making and X in the rectangular piece for the top and on the pumpkin where you plan to place the rectangular piece.

11. Place slip on the scored areas of the pumpkin. Place the ends of the rectangular piece on the pumpkin. Place it in an area that hides the nail hole. Be sure the rectangular piece is not flat on the pumpkin. You need to leave a gap for pens and other items to slide into.

12. The second rectangular piece should be about an inch thick. This will be the piece for pens, etc. to rest on. Repeat steps 10 and 11 for the bottom piece however do not leave a gap between the rectangular piece and the pumpkin.

13. Let the pumpkin dry according to clay manufacturer's specifications. A safe bet is two days.

AND NOW>>>PAINT!

Go Nuts!

Kusama(ize) Them!

Add some lines and...

DOTS!

Draw some lines on the pumpkin with the sharpie. Don't try for perfection. They will be overlapped by the quintessential Kusama element-The DOT.

Find items that have a flat bottom to create dots on your pumpkin. We used a hot glue stick for our larger dots and a skewer for our smaller dots. Get creative here!