Today, I’m showing you how to make a pumpkin vase.  I am always on the hunt for fun and unusual items to double as vases for fresh flowers. Last summer I watched Camilla over at Effortless Style turn a pineapple into a gorgeous vase for some pretty amazing summer flowers. Taking that as a cue, I thought why couldn’t I turn a pumpkin in to a vase as well.

Choosing the pumpkin

This time of year pumpkin patches can be hard to find in Florida, but I knew our local church hosts a pumpkin patch fundraiser. I stopped by one Sunday afternoon and had my friend’s son Carter help me pick out the right pumpkin. It was just right for my pumpkin vase or so I thought.  It’s almost perfectly rounded, with few blemishes.

Selecting the flowers 

This time of year is perfect for fall colored mums and daisies. I grabbed a couple of bunches in red, maroon, orange and yellow.  I’m thankful that my local grocery store has a wide selection for very reasonable prices. I can grab 3 bunches for $12.  I wanted something that would last a bit and not be too overly fussy.  Admittedly, I am a novice at flower arranging and tend to stick to simple designs like the snowball. If you have a bit more experience with flowers and arranging them, go ahead and pick out bigger blooms.

Creating the pumpkin vase

It was very easy to open the top of the pumpkin up to remove the seeds and guts.  I cut off the top directly round the stem, as if I were going to carve a jack o lantern. In retrospect, it would have better to cut the top off from the side toward the top. It would have given me more of an opening for the water container.

Arranging the flowers 

I used an empty plastic ice cream container, but using a coffee tin would have been a better option.  I filled it about 2/3 of the way and then placed it in the center of the cleaned out pumpkin.  Next I started to arrange the flowers inside the pumpkin. I honestly didn’t do anything fancy or with much thought. I only wanted to cover the opening with a bunch of flowers in a snowball fashion. The outer ring of flowers hung over the edge ever so slightly. The scale looked a bit off though.

The prototype 

Before I started on the larger pumpkin vase I did a run through with a smaller pumpkin. I think the smaller pumpkin vase was more true to scale and looked quite adorable, where as the larger one was missing something.  Scale! Scale is what was missing.  In the end it all worked out though.  I have the smaller one on the mantel above the fireplace and the larger one in the entry way.  I do love them both even with the imperfections of one.

If you have an idea, try it out. If it doesn’t work, you will at least learn something. The fun for me is in trying.