Have you seen those beautiful pumpkin flower arrangements gracing catalogs and Pinterest this season? If you’re wondering how to get the look while creating a versatile pumpkin vase you can reuse every year, look no further! I’ve got all the tips you’ll need to whip up a lovely table centerpiece in just minutes.
This post contains affiliate links, and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links. For more information, please see my disclosures.
Fall Craft Blog Hop
Do you like fall crafting as much as I do? Well, you’re in luck! Today, my friends and I are sharing a variety of fall crafts and DIY projects as part of an autumn blog hop. Our theme is “There’s No Place Like Home,” and isn’t that the truth?
My lovely friend Rachelle from My Hubbard Home has organized a fabulous tour for you with 10 of my fellow lifestyle bloggers. If you’re here visiting from Karin’s Kottage, welcome to First Day of Home, and thanks for clicking over!
DIY Pumpkin Floral Arrangements
There’s just something about setting a Thanksgiving table with fresh flowers to greet your guests. Even a small inexpensive bouquet from the grocery store can add elegance to a tablescape.
The first time I saw a pumpkin used as a vase for a flower arrangement, I immediately fell in love!
Generally, I love mixing real and faux pumpkins indoors. However, I’m wary of using real ones on furniture ever since a pumpkin rotted on my dining room sideboard. Welp! (I’ve since disguised the stain enough to fool the eyes.)
In the tutorial below, I’ve opted to use a faux pumpkin vase, which offers many advantages over using the real deal:
- No messy carving…well, at least no pumpkin seeds or “innards” to deal with.
- No rotting or decay
- A budget-friendly, reusable container
Have I convinced you yet that faux is better? Read on for details on how to make a faux pumpkin look a little more authentic.
Shop Faux Carvable Pumpkins Supplies
Click HERE to follow on Instagram!
How to Paint Faux Pumpkins
I recently shared in a tutorial on how to make white painted pumpkins to make them look more realistic (like the baby boo variety). Since I started with a white faux pumpkin for this flower arrangement, I only had to do a bit of shading in the creases.
Shop My Preferred Paints for Adding Texture
Tip: Before adding any paint, cut the top of the faux pumpkin to create the opening using a craft knife or Versa-Tool.
How to Make Fresh Flowers Last
For my arrangement, I found a lovely grocery store bouquet that included roses, carnations, daisies, sunflowers, lilies, and green dianthus. I love the vibrant fall colors, which are a nice contrast to the neutral fall centerpiece I shared a few weeks ago.
I hope to enjoy these blooms for another week or two by using a wet foam brick in my centerpiece.
As your arrangement dries out, you can add water to the floral foam or replace it with a fresh brick. Simply remove the flowers, then trim the stems again (always at a 45-degree angle), and reinsert the flowers.
Once the flowers reach a point where they are “on the decline,” don’t forget I have a series of tutorials on how to dry flowers, including my favorite method drying flowers with silica gel.
Below is the step-by-step tutorial to get you started making your fall centerpiece!
How to Make Pumpkin Flower Arrangements
Make your own pumpkin flower arrangement using fresh flowers and a faux pumpkin vase. This DIY project is easy enough to make in minutes. It's the perfect table centerpiece for your fall decor.
Materials
- Fresh flowers
- Faux Pumpkin (approximately 9 inches)
- Wet floral foam
- Large (1 gallon) Ziplock bag or plastic food storage bag
- Acrylic paint (optional)
Tools
- Craft knife (X-acto or similar)
- Scissors
- Plastic container (large enough to fit floral foam piece)
- Paint brushes
Instructions
- Cut a hole in the top of the pumpkin about 5 to 6 inches in diameter, centered around the stem. Set aside but keep for future use, if desired.
- Optional: Add texture to the faux pumpkin with acrylic paints, and let it dry about 20-30 minutes before proceeding. Blending a mix of Bark Brown and Camel acrylic paints (linked below) and Sheepskin chalk paint worked well to create shadows in the creases of the pumpkin.
- Cut the floral foam to fit the dimensions of the pumpkin vase.
- Soak the floral foam in a container filled with water for 2-3 minutes until saturated. You can add flower food to the water before soaking the foam.
- Place a Ziplock or plastic food storage bag inside the pumpkin. Then add the floral foam.
- Cut the stems at a 45 degree angle, and insert the stems into the foam one at a time. Start with the fullest stems, and place similar flowers at opposing angles around the vase.
- Water as needed.
Notes
You can also choose to use a real pumpkin (with all seeds and innards removed), or you can substitute faux flowers for real ones. If you use faux floral stems, replace the wet foam with dry foam (no soaking required).
Beware the faux pumpkins used in this tutorial are flammable. Do not expose to flames or heat.
Please exercise caution when using the craft knife. Adult supervision required.
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
-
FolkArt Home Décor Chalk Furniture & Craft Paint in Assorted Colors, 2oz, Sheepskin -
FolkArt Acrylic Paint in Assorted Colors (2 oz), 953, Camel
-
FolkArt Acrylic Paint in Assorted Colors (2 oz), 2560, Bark Brown
-
Fiskars 167110-1001 Heavy Duty Die Cast Craft Knife, 8 Inch,Orange
-
Pack of 6 Wet Floral Foam Bricks Green Styrofoam Blocks for Floral Arrangement by VEYLIN
-
9" Orange Craft Pumpkin by Ashland�
-
9" Cream Craft Pumpkin by Ashland�
Pin it for later!
Continue Your Tour
I hope you enjoy adding a fresh flower arrangement to your fall decor this year. We have so much more inspiration waiting for you in the posts my friends are sharing below!
Next on your tour is Jenna from The Painted Apron. She’s sharing a fun gold bottle craft to add to your fall decorations.
| Autumn Blog Hop – “There’s No Place Like Home” – Crafts | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Blue Sky At Home | Thistle Key Lane | Karin’s Kottage | First Day of Home |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| The Painted Apron | My Humble Home & Garden | My Hubbard Home | Mantel and Table |
 |
 |
 |
|
| My Wee Abode | My Family Thyme | Celebrate and Decorate | |
What a beatiful flower arrangement, Crissy. The colors you chose are so vibrant. Great way to use a faux pumpkin as a container and make it look realistic. Great to be hopping with you again.
Thanks so much, Carol. It was a fun one to put together. Happy Fall to you!
I love your floral arrangement, and the trick of using a faux pumpkin is SO smart! The colors are perfect, and those gorgeous velvet pumpkins in the pic set the arrangement off perfectly! Pinned to multiple boards!
Thanks, Julie! Don’t you just LOVE those velvet pumpkins? 😉 Thank you for sharing your tutorial on how to make those! I’m going to include your tutorial in an upcoming YouTube video! Thanks for pinning!
Wow! Your fall flower arrangement is absolutely gorgeous! I love how you made the pumpkin so realistic. What a great idea to create this pumpkin vase that can be used year after year!
Thank you, Lynne! I’m glad I can continue to try different arrangements with this little faux pumpkin. It was great being on a hop with you again, my friend! I hope the school year is going well for you.
Oh I LOVE pumpkin centerpieces! Yours is gorgeous Crissy, and what a great idea to use a faux pumpkin – especially a white one! Thanks for all the inspiration, as always! So fun to share this hop with you! Take care and Happy Wednesday!
Thanks, Barbara! Yes, I am trying to steer clear of real pumpkins except for the outdoors this year. It was fun being on a hop with you again, too!
Love your cute pumpkin vase! Such a cute idea! Pinning!
Thank you so much, Lauren! I appreciate you pinning, too. 🙂
Brilliant idea to add dimension to the faux pumpkin! Your choice if beautiful fall flowers are perfect! These would be great for a fall wedding! Love all things pumpkins!
Karin
Thanks so much, Karin! I appreciate the sweet comment. I’m so glad to be collaborating with people who love crafting as much as I do!
Crissy, there’s really no need to use a real pumpkin when we follow your excellent instructions.
I really love the technique for aging a faux pumpkin and the way the white highlights the colorful flowers. Adding a plastic bag at the bottom was something I never thought of – and will need to remember.
I’m with you on the mess and damage a real pumpkin can make!
One year, I placed pumpkins on cream colored carpet. One started to rot, but I caught it just in time!
Thanks for sharing this project an instructions for the blog hop 🙂
Hugs,
Rachelle
Thank YOU so much for hosting a great hop, Rachelle! I know it’s no easy feat with so many bloggers and this hectic time of year.
I appreciate the kind comment as well. I’ve seen these pumpkin vases around, and I was so eager to try one. I need to give your craft a try too! It was so precious!
Hugs back Crissy
I love the bright flowers you chose for your arrangement Crissy, it is so festive and welcoming!! What a great idea to “age” you white pumpkin with shading, I will definitely be doing that! Real pumpkins can be messy, last year we had several big ones that rotted outside and it was a mess! I love your arrangement paired with the smaller velvet ones, so pretty!
You faux pumpkin looks like the real thing thanks to your paint technique. It makes a pretty floral container to enjoy all fall and will look so pretty on your Thanksgiving table.
Thank you, Paula! I’m looking forward to experimenting with different arrangements this fall. Thanks for stopping by!
Crissy, your pumpkin arrangement is so pretty and just the thing for this time of year! I am with you, I will gladly skp the real pumpkin mess, both cleaning it out, AND dealing with it as it begins to rot! This way, you can use your pumpkin vase over again through the fall season by just refreshing the fresh flowers! Bravo!
Thank you, Chloe! Yes, I had to learn my lesson the hard way with real pumpkins. Now I’m the wiser! I so appreciate the kind words. Happy Fall!
I’ve been wanting to make a pumpkin arrangement and now I have all the secret tips. Gorgeous flower arranging and I love how it looks with the velvet pumpkins!
Thanks so much, Michelle! I think I’ll keep playing with it throughout the season. I hope you have fun making your own!