How to Make Scrappy Quilted Pumpkin Name Tags

by Wendy Chow September 11, 2025

Looking for a fun, festive, and functional way to use up your fabric and batting scraps this fall? These Scrappy Quilted Pumpkin Name Tags are the perfect little project to whip up! Whether you're getting ready for trick-or-treating, fall gatherings, or Thanksgiving dinner, these charming tags add a personal touch to any celebration. Use them as labels for Halloween treat buckets, gift tags, or even napkin ties as placeholders at your autumn table. In this tutorial, I’ll show you how to make each tag using the quilt-as-you-go method—a great way to combine piecing and quilting in one step for a quick and satisfying finish. I’ve used the Brother Skitch PP1 embroidery machine and the Artspira app to stitch names onto each tag, but don’t worry if you don’t have an embroidery machine—hand stitching works just as beautifully and adds a sweet, handmade charm. You can even add extra personality with hand-stitched pumpkin details or cute little smiley faces like I did!

WHAT YOU'LL NEED

Basic sewing machine – Brother Innovis BQ3100, Quilt Club Series* sewing machine was featured in this blog post.
Basic embroidery machine – Brother Skitch PP1 embroidery machine* was featured in this blog post.
Smartphone or tablet with Artspira app installed and logged into an Artspira account. Note: Some designs and/or features in the Brother Artspira library requires an Artspira+ subscription. This tutorial does not utilize any of the premium features.
Download PDF pumpkin templates here**.
Printer to print PDF pumpkin templates
Printer paper
Rotary cutter
Cutting mat
Quilting ruler(s)
Coordinating thread(s) – 50 weight for piecing, general construction, quilting, embroidery, and 40 weight (optional) for hand quilting
Scissors for fabric
Scissors for paper
Fabric pen or pencil
Pins
Seam ripper
Snips (optional)
Iron
Point turner or similar tool
Light-weight fusible interfacing – 4½in x 5½in rectangle for Pumpkin A and 4½in x 5½in rectangle for Pumpkin B. If machine embroidering, for each Pumpkin A and B, use light-weight fusible interfacing 6in square in order to fit the project in the Brother Skitch PP1 embroidery machine* 4in square embroidery hoop on the
Batting – 4½in x 5½in rectangle for Pumpkin A and 4½in x 5½in rectangle for Pumpkin B
Fabric, quilting cotton – it is encouraged to use scraps for this project
- For Pumpkin A, cut:
  - Front: Ten (10), 1in x 4in to 6in rectangles (strips can be in varying lengths but must be at least 4in long)
  - Back: One (1), 4½in x 5½in rectangle
- For Pumpkin B, cut:
  - Front: Nine (9), 1in x 5in to 7in rectangles (strips can be in varying lengths but must be at least 5in long)
  - Back: One (1), 4½in x 5½in rectangle
- For both Pumpkins, each cut:
  - Loop: one (1), 2in square
  - Tie: one (1) 2in x 8in rectangle (if using it to tie on gift bucket or basket) or one (1) 2in x 15in rectangle (if using it to tie around napkins)
Hand-sewing needle
Point turner (optional)

*This blog post contains affiliate links. If you use these links to buy something the author and designer may earn a commission.

DIRECTIONS

Printing and Preparing Pumpkin Templates

Step 1: Download and print paper pumpkin templates here**. The paper pumpkin templates are a PDF document.

Step 2: With a pair of paper scissors, cut on the solid line of the pumpkin templates. The ¼in seam allowance is included in these templates. There are two different pumpkin shapes to work with.

Set Pumpkin Templates aside for Piecing and Quilting Pumpkin Fronts, Step 4 and Embroidering Name or Initials, Step 2.

Piecing and Quilting Pumpkin Fronts

The steps performed throughout this section applies to both Pumpkins. Pumpkin A was used as an example throughout this section.

Step 1: Take a fabric strip and place it on top of a batting rectangle, right side facing up and on the left of the batting rectangle. Pin in place.

Step 2: Lay second fabric scrap strip on top of the previously sewn strip of fabric – right sides facing each other; align the long, raw edges of both strips; pin and sew ¼" away from the matched raw edge. Press to one side.

Step 3: Repeat steps 1 and 2 until the batting rectangle is covered with fabric scrap strips to create Pumpkin Front.

Step 4: Centre and pin the corresponding pumpkin paper template on top of the Pumpkin Front from the previous step.

Then with a fabric pen or pencil, trace the outline of the pumpkin on to the front side of the Pumpkin Front.

This is how Pumpkin B front and template looks like:

Step 5: Edge sew within the drawn line. This stitching is an additional enforcement to hold the fabrics and batting in place when you go ahead with cutting on the drawn guide at the end of this section.

Step 6: This step is optional. Using the drawn outline from the previous step and coordinating 50 weight cotton thread, stitch out pumpkin crease details. This does not need to be perfect. It’s just something to give your pumpkin some dimension and character.

If you wanted to add some more ‘character’ or personality to the pumpkin, you can add hand stitched details or a cute face to the pumpkin with 40 weight cotton thread.

Step 7: With a pair of fabric scissors, cut on the drawn pumpkin outline made in Piecing and Quilting Pumpkin Fronts, Step 4.

Set both Pumpkin Front aside for Loop and Tie, Step 4.

Embroidering Name or Initials

For this section, you can either embroider the name or initial on the back of the pumpkin, or you can skip the embroidery all together and leave the back as is. If you choose the latter option, be sure to follow the first two steps in this section before you jump to Loop and Tie,, Step 1.

This section is broken down into two sections, depending on how you plan on embroider the name or initials – (1) Hand sewn or (2) Machine embroidered.

This section primarily focuses on machine embroidering the name or initial with Brother Skitch PP1 embroidery machine and continues to use Pumpkin A as the example. All steps in this section are also applied to Pumpkin B.

Step 1: Take one (1), 4½in x 5½in rectangle for the back of the pumpkin. Place it on your work surface, wrong side facing up and then place light-weight fusible interfacing on top, adhesive side touching the wrong side of the fabric. With an iron, press and fuse in place to create Pumpkin Back.

Step 2: Flip the Pumpkin Back so fabric side facing up. With a fabric pen or pencil and corresponding paper template from Printing and Preparing Pumpkin Templates, Step 2, center and trace pumpkin outline.

If you’re not embroidering name or initial, do not cut on the drawn pumpkin outline yet. This will be done in Pumpkin Assembly, Step 2. Set Pumpkin Back aside and skip ahead to Loop & Tie, Step 1.

If hand sewing name or initial…

Step 3: With a fabric pen or pencil, carefully write name or initial on the Pumpkin Back. Keep in mind the design stays in within the ¼in seam allowance.

Step 4: Hand sew on marked lines from the previous step using a hand-sewing needle and 40 weight cotton thread.

Do not cut on the drawn pumpkin outline yet. This will be done in Pumpkin Assembly, Step 2. Set Pumpkin Back aside and skip ahead to Loop & Tie, Step 1.

If machine embroidering name or initial…

Step 3: Download, open and log into the Artspria app on smartphone or tablet.

Step 4: Press the ‘+ New’ option located at the center, bottom of the app. Then select ‘Embroidery’ > ‘Design Editor’ which is located on in the center, left of the app.

Step 5: A blank canvas will appear. At the bottom of the app, select ‘Text’ and type in name or initial in text box. Then hit ‘Done’ to preview text.

Step 6: Touch the text and use the taskbar at the bottom of the screen to adjust size of the text and font by clicking on the ‘Font’ option. As you’re making slight tweaks to the font style and size, it will also show you in the blue bounding on the canvas how big the text is.

Adjust accordingly, keeping in mind that the finished size of Pumpkin A is 2½in x 3½in and Pumpkin B is 3in x 4in, and seam allowance for each of these pumpkins are ¼in.

Step 7: When you’re happy with the size of the text, hit ‘OK’ and ‘Save’ located on the top right of the app. Type in the name of the project in the text box and hit ‘Save’ to confirm.

Step 8: Hit ‘Done’ located on the top right corner of the app. Connect and pair embroidery machine with app.

Step 9: Follow the prompts and transfer the design to the embroidery machine and stitch out the design on to the Pumpkin Back.

Then remove Pumpkin Back from the embroidery frame and do not cut on the drawn pumpkin outline yet. This will be done in Pumpkin Assembly, Step 2.

Loop and Tie

Step 1: Take rectangle for Tie, with the wrong side facing up, fold both raw, shorter edges towards the center of the rectangle (approx. ¼in) to enclose the raw edges. Press and top stitch both folded edges.

Step 2: Take square for Loop and rectangle for Tie. Fold each of them in half lengthwise and finger press to create a crease. Unfold the strip. Using the center crease as a guide, fold the raw edges of the binding strip towards the center and press, Then, using the center crease as a guide again, fold the loop in half again. Therefore, there should be four layers stacked on top of each other.

Loop:

Tie:

Step 3: Sew approx. ⅛" from the edge to secure the four layers of fabric for each Loop and Tie. Set Tie aside for Pumpkin Assembly, Step 6.

Step 4: Take the Loop, fold it in half so the raw edges meet. Pin the folded Loop on the top and center of the Pumpkin Front. Edge stitch in place and remove pin.

Pumpkin Assembly

Step 1: Take Pumpkin Front, with right sides together, match it with outline drawn on Pumpkin Back. Pin in place. Then stitch ¼in away from the raw edge, leave approx. 2in opening. Don’t forget to reverse stitch and the start and end for additional enforcement.

Step 2: With a pair of fabric scissors and using Pumpkin front as a guide, cut excess fabric on Pumpkin Back, and then carefully (avoiding the sewn seam from the previous step) cut notches. This is going to allow the fabric to lie flat when turned right side out.

Step 3: Carefully turn the pumpkin right side out, tucking the raw edges inside and with an iron press the seams in place.

Step 4: Edge sew around the whole pumpkin to permanently hold the layers together and enclose the opening.

Step 5: Trim and loose threads on the pumpkin and Tie from Loop and Tie, Step 3.

Step 6: Take Tie and thread it through the Loop of the pumpkin, and tie it to your Halloween treat bucket, around the napkin or wherever you had planned to use it for.

Repeat all the steps above with Pumpkin

These Scrappy Quilted Pumpkin Name Tags are such a satisfying make—quick, adorable, and endlessly versatile. The quilt-as-you-go method makes it easy to piece and quilt in one go, and it's a perfect scrap-busting technique for small projects like this. Whether you’re decorating for Halloween, putting together a thoughtful hostess gift, or simply looking for a creative way to use your stash, these tags add a warm, handmade touch to any autumn moment. I hope this tutorial inspires you to dig into your scraps, get creative with the details, and enjoy the cozy process of stitching something small but meaningful. Happy making, and happy fall!

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