Decorating with Pumpkins

Crunchy leaves, frosty mornings and the clocks going back. Woo hoo Autumn is here and it brings back to the shops some my favourite things Pumpkins. Big ones, little ones, orange ones, white ones, big old boggley ones I love them all! And I love using them around the home to make the place feel all cosy and autumnal.

Pumpkins are perfect for creating a warming welcome as the nights start getting colder, I always find it quite a good cure for seasonal blues to come home from work to a selection of big fat pumpkins on the doorstep, I think there is something so cheerful about a harvest welcome. They don't all have to be gigantic Gordes you can line a little row of teeny tiny pumpkin sentinels on your window sills for a cute little display. I also adore a wreath, they're not just for Christmas one made of leaves and wheat can make a beautiful statement on the door of your home. Autumn is after all the starter to Christmas.

Pumpkins can look particularly beautiful when paired with flowers as they create a lovely textural contrast. A large bunch of flowers can always brighten an interior and turn a randomly placed pumpkin in a beautiful display. This time of year I would recommend having a nose is a local church or two to see how they've done their harvest displays for autumnal inspiration.

Don't be afraid to put your pumpkins on the dining table, they can make a really stylish table setting, beautiful bowls or even a tasty soup to warm the soul. Whether it's swapping the fruit bowl for a bowl of cheerful pumpkins or a stylish contrast of dark table cloths and white pumpkins you can't really go wrong with using pumpkins around the dining room.

You can't go wrong with a classic and carved pumpkin, not only is it super fun to make them it just really brings those Halloween vide to you home. They don't just have to go outside you can display them on bookcases and mantles for an eye-catching effect inside the home. How stylish do these Nightmare Before Christmas themed pumpkins look displayed on a painted Ikea step?

 

As I said earlier creating a harvest festival display rather than a typical childlike Halloween display can really give you a sense of season and style. Having a harvest festival style centrepiece with sheaths of wheat and dried coloured corn cobs is a gorgeous way to bring autumn into your interiors. 

If you can't be bothered to deal with the mess of carving a pumpkin you might find it easier to try your hand at a painted pumpkin. They can be super simple and cute or detailed as your skill level allows. There is a downside to this though as once painted I would not recommend putting these pumpkins in the compost as paints can contain contaminants. 

How amazing are those doughnut pumpkins! 

If like me you're a fan of the slightly macabre Halloween is the perfect season to bring your sinister side to your home decor - consider adding some taxidermy or a skull or two to a mantlepiece laden with pumpkin and dried flora. For this look, I would advise against actually using real candles as you'll end up with a pile of tinder on your mantle. You can get flameless candles on Amazon and they've really improved in recent years and well worth investing it - they're also really good if you've got curious pets.

 Stacks and stacks of them! Pick a few short, wide pumpkins for a charming display. You can either leave them as they are or stack them on an urn laced with spooky spiderwebs or use black chalk-based paint to paint messages onto them for a welcoming porch display. You can also glue them together if you are worried about them toppling over. If you've got too many to stack you could just fill a basket with them for a fun effect. 

One of the best parts of decorating in autumn is bringing into your interiors all those dramatic oranges and reds of the season. But if you're looking for a change, try matching candles, foliage, and other elements to white (or green) pumpkins Halloween decor doesn't need to be all bright orange and black you can make a real statement with monochrome pumpkins. A tray filled with white pumpkins surrounding white candles looks minimalistic and grown-up but still brings all the joy of the Halloween season into your home. If you can't find pumpkins in the colours you want you can always spraypaint them to get this effect.

Just have stacks of them about the place, honestly does it not just fill you with joy? How will you be decorating with pumpkins this autumn? 

One thing I would always recommend when bringing pumpkins inside to put them on a plate or a tray - pumpkins can be fickle buggers some will stay fresh for ages and some will turn as soon as you turn your back on them. At least if you put your pumpkins on a surface that can be easily cleaned, you can carry your grim slimy pumpkin to the compost without having to peel a layer of yuck of your window still.