DIY: At Home Baby in a Pumpkin Fall Photos

I’m sure you’ve seen all the adorable photos of babies inside of pumpkins. If you haven’t but found this post then now you have, and you might be here to learn how to do it yourself.

When I was browsing “Baby Fall Photos” there were so many cute and unique ideas but the pumpkin really stood out to me because let’s face it…a baby inside of a pumpkin, does it get any cuter than that?

So I quickly read a few different blog posts about how to do this DIY. I’m not here to claim the idea was my own but I do want to share how we did this DIY to maybe help or inspire you.

I’ll be honest and admit that at first I thought this may be a little overwhelming and a project I couldn’t get my husband on board with but he was quick to jump on the idea with me and help.

The first step, and I think this is the hardest part about it, is picking the perfect pumpkin that your little babe will fit into just right but after doing this I realized pumpkins are pretty easy to “mold out” so you probably can’t go wrong.

We picked one that was wider than it was tall and fairly round. The back side of it was a bit flatter which I thought would be perfect to help with sitting support. I also wanted one that had a stem still on it so I’m really happy that with all my pickyness we actually found one! However, pumpkin imperfections always look so cool so that would have been really neat too!

Disclaimer: I didn’t think of writing a blog post about this until after we started so there is a lack of step by step photos but I’ll do my best to explain it clearly.

First you of course want to wash the pumpkin. Your little will have their hands all over the outside of it and then inevitably in their mouth. I made sure to wash the stem as well because I knew I wanted it in the photos somehow.

Once I washed it my husband and I took to carving… he didn’t want the responsibility of making sure it was carved right so I marked where and he did the cutting to get the top off. I didn’t want to make it too low because I didn’t want Baby S to be able to lean too far forward but also didn’t want it too high so his arms couldn’t go down. I figured though it’s possible to carve more off if needed but not to put any back on.

You could get as technical as measuring it all out… how tall is baby when sitting, how high up you want the pumpkin, etc but I just eyeballed it, marked it, and my hubby went to carving!

Once he had the top carved off I pulled out all the seeds and insides of the pumpkin. We don’t eat pumpkin seeds but if you do you could make your own or use the insides of the pumpkin in other holiday recipes like bread, pies, etc. Happy baking!!

To really get the inside cleaned out and smooth I used a spoon to scrape everything out and get it as smooth as possible. You don’t want your little to be able to grab anything if they do discover how to get their hands inside of the pumpkin.

Next I widened the top without cutting any more off by shaving down the inside “wall” or inside rind of the pumpkin. It’s actually fairly soft so using a sharp kitchen knife works just fine for that but my husband would like to add having the correct tools is important. We used knives from our kitchen block but maybe something a little more saw like would be better.

We let the pumpkin sit overnight to dry out a bit after this, honestly though I’m not sure if this makes a difference or helps at all but that’s also how it fit into our schedule for that day.

The next day we cut out the holes for the legs. This time I did do some measuring because my little chunk has thunder thighs like his Mama so I wanted to make sure he wasn’t going to get stuck. I marked the circles on the pumpkin and started carving.

We decided to take the photos right away when we were done so my husband finished carving the leg holes while I setup our photo area.

Once done I shaved down the rind around the leg holes just like for the top and made sure there were no sharp edges and then it was photo time!

It’s also important to make sure your little one is in a good mood for these photos. You know your babe best so whatever that means to you is important to keep in mind. For us it was awake from a nap and after feeding.

If you’re taking photos inside be sure to find a good spot in front of an open window where plenty of sunlight can come through without being too harsh. I draped a blanket for the background from his play pen and setup inside so he would be facing our patio french doors.

I would have loved to take the photos outside but I just couldn’t imagine the photos coming out as cute if he was bundled in a sweater and pants and socks. But if your weather allows for it I would definitely recommend doing the photos outdoors, especially if you have a pretty tree and leaves background, or even a wooden fence would be very cute!

Another tip to getting your babe inside the pumpkin as comfortable as possible is laying in a kitchen towel, or piece of fabric so he/she doesn’t slide around or is rubbed by the pumpkin too much. I’m sure it’s not exactly silky smooth and comfortable…. oh, the things our babes endure for us to get cute photos!

Definitely enlist the help of someone else, preferably someone who your babe is comfortable with and will laugh with.

Getting them in and out of the pumpkin is also a two person job, unless your little is a bit older and can move their legs on demand and with more control.

A few other things we learned is keep props far enough away so your baby’s isn’t grabbing at them all. Baby S is in that stage where he wants to grab and touch everything, so much of the shoot involved us taking the fake leaf vines out of his hands.

There’s also nothing wrong with including babes favorite toy or lovey to help with their comfort if they’re getting fussy or too interested in everything around them.

I’ll also be honest and say do not expect the photos to come out exactly how you pictured them in your mind because chances are props will be moved, angles will be altered and you won’t get that picture perfect smile babe likes to flash any other time.

Overall, have fun with the experience, make it unique to you and enjoy the memories the photos will bring. I plan to frame one and put the rest in a scrapbook (you know the one all of us moms always say they’re going to do *sigh*)

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Have you taken photos like this or do you plan to? Any tips you learned or ideas you have for yours? I’d love to hear about them in the comments!

If you post your photos I’d love to see them if you tag me with the handle @lifeinthezoolane on IG and Facebook or #lifeinthezoolane