Pumpkins are one of the most versatile foods around. They make a great base for a pie, taste amazing in soups or lattes, and can even function as a decorative addition to your home! You might scoff at this idea, but trust us: there are lots of pumpkin decorations for fall that are sure to infuse your living space with flashes of fun, style, and practicality.
Indeed, with fall and Halloween fast approaching, we thought we would give you some food for thought. Here are some exciting ways to use pumpkins in your home that will suit any upcoming occasion!
Think About the Occasion
When considering how you might utilize pumpkins to decorate your space, it’s important to remember, first and foremost, that pumpkins are seasonal produce. They’re not available all year round — except perhaps in select locations — so you’re only going to come across them during fall. With this in mind, many people like to time the adornment of their home in tandem with annual harvests, so that they’re more readily available. They can also be replaced easily during this time as their shelf-life starts to decrease and their beauty fades.
Many exciting holidays also occur during fall too, such as Halloween and Thanksgiving, making it the perfect and most appropriate time to use pumpkins in your living space!
Placement Can Be Key
Taking into account that real pumpkins can last anywhere from a few days to a few weeks, it’s very important to make the most of this limited time when looking to enrich your home decor. The impact that these orange fruits can have on your space will vary depending on your personal preference, the size of the pumpkin(s), and, of course, where they’re placed.
For a subtle touch to your living room or bedroom, why not try adding smaller pumpkins to your coffee table, stairs, or mantelpiece? This subtle, earthy touch will complement your decor.
When the placement of your pumpkins is based around a particular occasion or seasonal event, why not make them the main focus by putting them on your dining room table? Adding flowers or plants into your pumpkin will create a unique, natural, and show-stopping centerpiece.
Lastly, placement can also vary depending on whether you’re displaying your pumpkins outside or inside your home. Decorating your entryway or porch can be very eye-catching as guests enter your home. For a warm and inviting outdoor embellishment, use fairy-lights, which can be strewn across or around your pumpkins as a cost-effective and charming garland. Bigger pumpkins will last longer in any outdoor space, especially if the weather is favorable!
Think Outside the Box
For those who don’t want to add a physical pumpkin to their home, or who are limited by space, there are plenty of other ways in which you establish a pumpkin theme without compromising on style. All that is required is a bit of abstract thinking!
A very popular way to achieve this fall aesthetic is to enhance your chosen room with attractive and fitting designs.
Instead of having a pumpkin as your table centerpiece on Thanksgiving or Halloween, a simple and understated finish can be achieved by adding a table runner to complement your dining accessories. Or why not greet your guests with a spooky doormat? You could even add a bit of seasonal flair to your bathroom towel sets or pillows!
Muted or loud, a pumpkin pattern can sometimes be even better than the real thing, as there’s less mess and you can use them all year round!
To Carve or Not to Carve
The inevitable mess that accompanies carving a Jack-O-Lantern each year may not be enticing to those who don’t want to find pumpkin seeds days after cleaning. Because of this, more people than ever are choosing easier, no-carve options that appeal to their personal aesthetic. These options can allow you to get creative with methods and materials.
A cute and fun no-carve option is to try painting your pumpkin! Paint by theme, occasion, or modify your pumpkin to fit perfectly into your space. Why not even go a step further and add a touch of glitter for a sophisticated and glamorous finish?
If you perhaps would like to experiment with a no-carve option, you could try a change in material instead. Fake materials, such as ceramic, can offer an easy, mess-free yet stylish substitute, which can work in any room of your home.
These options accentuate the pumpkin’s endless versatility, and it’s definitely worth exploring as an easy and creative alternative to carving!
Make it a Family Affair
Embellishing your house with pumpkin decorations for fall shouldn’t be an adult-only affair; it’s the perfect time to have fun with the whole family!
There are plenty of craft options out there that both kids and adults can participate in together.
By far the most popular tradition, for families, is to carve Jack-O-Lanterns together, displaying them inside and outside to illuminate their home in a warm glow. There’s definitely something comforting about this custom, and parents and kids alike are sure to keep this tradition going for years to come!
And Most Importantly – Have Fun!
Lastly, the most important tip to note is that decorating with pumpkins doesn’t have to be a chore!
This very creative DIY idea from studiodiy.com is just one particular example, which shows us that pumpkin decoration can extend from the traditional to the abstract; it’s only limited by your imagination. Try it for yourself too, and turn your pumpkin into a pun-kin!
Whether you’re updating your home in time for a special occasion, joining in on some festive fun, or looking to enhance your living space, consider using pumpkins to revolutionize your decor! As a lantern, display item, or even as a permanent fixture to your abode, their uses and versatility are sure to leave you inspired for this upcoming season!
Niamh works as a Team Lead in Customer Care and has a background in both English and History. Her go-to books are always anything crime related. In her spare time, she loves to write, read, and hang out with friends. She can usually be found daydreaming about her favorite snacks or secretly watching ahead on all of her top TV shows.
Every year I host a big halloween party and buy a ton of those small $0.75 pumpkins and set up a table with tons of supplies. We have a competition to see the most creative way to decorate pumpkins and vote on the winner after. Supplies like glitter, foam sheets, and wire always provides for unique results. It’s always a ton of fun and people get to take their spooky creations home afterward.
Great idea for decoration and for a party activity! Thanks for the suggestion, James!
My husband’s boss likes to grow those blue pumpkins and his wife uses them to decorate in the fall. They are very pretty with a light pastel blue green skin. She gave me two of them a couple years ago and I made pie from scratch for the first time. It was not too hard and the result was the most tasty pie ever that even my husband liked and he doesn’t like pumpkin pie, or at least he thought he didn’t.
PS. the inside of the blue pumpkins are dark orange, so no one will know you used a blue pumpkin to make your pie or pumpkin bread. 😉
Hi Shelli!
We’ve been seeing a lot of non-traditional pumpkins colors as well. Thanks for the great tip that they can still be used as normal for cooking!
I tend to use artificial pumpkins, especially for outside decorating, because here in Texas it is still too hot and they rot quickly. If I do use them outside I don’t carve them – they last a lot longer that way.
For the pumpkins we do carve right before Halloween we have found that if you cut a hole in the bottom rather than the top it looks nicer, it’s easier to get the seeds out, and it’s easier to light the candle too.
Thank you for that carving tip!
great ideas to use pumpkins in decoration otherwise they only useful in parties.