Butternut Squash Minions Tutorial

I shared this photo on my Facebook page the other day and it's been one of my most popular posts so far. I guess I'm not alone in my love for these adorable inions.

I enjoyed making them, with the eager help of my 8 year old. Here are the supplies you will need:

• Butternut squash that are the right shape and make sure the outside is clean and completely dry.
• Yellow and Blue Paint (I used DecoArt Traditions Acryllic paints). You can also use spray paint and other types, but I have no experience with them to recommend them.
• Silver Paint (I used DecoArt Metallic Lustre Silver Spark)
• Glazing Medium
• Glossy Varnish
• Thick cardstock or Paper Coasters (I got mine here)
• 1-3/8" and 1-1/8" (3.75mm and 3mm) wide Circle dies (I used Spellbinders Classic Circles) or punches (1-1/8" and 1-3/8")
• Permanent Markers like the Sharpie brand
• White pen (I used Uniball Signo)
• Masking tape
• Black 3/8" wide Ribbon
• Buttons
• Pencil
• Thin sticky permanent double-sided tape

Sketch the overalls with a pencil (right squash) and use that as a guide to adhere masking tape on your squash (left). The front and back will look the same.

Apply yellow paint from top of head to the middle, making sure you don't go past the tape where the overalls will be. I did about 3 layers of paint. Let dry for at least 30 minutes.

Remove tape and carefully paint the overalls with blue paint. I used a mason jar to hold the squash that can't stand by itself upside down. I painted 2 coats and let dry again.

Apply Glazing Medium and let dry. I read that you can add this to the actual paint before applying, but I didn't do that. I just wanted a glazed layer before I add the final touches to my minions.

While paint is drying, make your goggles by die cutting or punching circles from thick cardstock or paper coasters. I cut 4 of these per eye. If you don't have either dies or punches, you can print them out and trace onto thick cardstock and freehand cut them.

Glue together 4 layers of the donut-shaped eyes.

 Rub or paint silver paint over goggles. I made 5 of these because one Minion was going to be one-eyed.

Arrange the squash so you can see how they lean. This will decide how you want their faces to look like. I googled minions and found some expressions I liked and sketched them on the squash with a pencil.

 Draw the faces with the permanent markers. Draw the overalls details (pockets, stitches, etc) with the white pen. I filled in the teeth with the white pen as well. After all the drawings are done, varnish your squash and let dry.

Die cut or punch the bigger circle without holes 6 times. Shape one of these into two eyelids. Apply yellow paint and let dry. Draw in the eyelid edges with black marker. Punch 1/2" circles for the eyeballs and scribble a dot with white pen. Assemble goggles as shown.

Wrap the black ribbon around their heads and adhere with sticky tape. Place goggles over ribbon.

My daughter and I had fun making these. I hope you were inspired to make them, too. Please share in the comments if you post your Minions online. I'd love to see!

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