Easy Pumpkin Decoration Ideas for Thanksgiving

Pumpkins are one of my favorite ways to accent a Thanksgiving table. I use them to create festive centerpieces filled with silk flowers, or hollow them out to hold snacks and dips  small pumpkins are especially handy for serving chip-friendly portions. Their natural shape and warm color make the table feel both eye-catching and inviting.

For this easy decoration, I start by selecting a medium-sized, rounded pumpkin with smooth skin and no visible bruises. Look for one that’s as close to perfect as possible it’ll serve as both a functional container and a visual focal point for your holiday gathering.

Pumpkin Prep Instructions

Rinse the outside of the pumpkin thoroughly. Cut off the top, then use a sharp knife or sturdy spoon to scoop out the pulp. Once the interior is hollowed and most of the puree removed, rinse the inside again. Be sure to clear away any remaining strings and pulp so the surface is clean and ready for decorating or filling.. 

Let the pumpkin dry thoroughly. When the pumpkin is dry you would then fill the pumpkin with a bouquet of silk chrysanthemums cut the stems so they fit nicely in the pumpkin as a bouquet. 

Another way to  create a useful pumpkin decoration is to set a plastic container into the hollowed out pumpkin, before filling with candy.

These pumpkin decorations will make your holiday gathering festive and fun.  Here is an image of the trio. The chrysanthemum bouquet brings floral elegance

The candy-filled pumpkin adds playful charm The dip platter pumpkin invites guests to gather and snack

Footnote: A Thoughtful Way to Reuse Your Pumpkin

Instead of tossing your pumpkin after the festivities, consider giving it a second life outdoors. Rinse it well, chop it into manageable pieces, and place it in a quiet spot where wildlife can safely enjoy it. Pumpkins are rich in fiber, vitamins, and natural sugars  a seasonal treat for animals like deer, squirrels, rabbits, chipmunks, and even birds. The seeds can be especially popular with smaller critters.

If you live in an apartment or don’t have access to a yard, take your pumpkin to a local park or wooded area and scatter the pieces under a tree. Just be sure it’s a space where food scraps are allowed and won’t disrupt the ecosystem. It’s a simple way to honor the season and support your local wildlife one pumpkin at a time.

Easy Autumn Floral Centerpiece Instructions

One of my clients had asked me if I could make an autumn centerpiece for her.  She had seen one at Hobby Lobby that she liked but did not want to pay the asking price.  She had many craft items as well as an assortment of silk and dried autumn flowers and grasses.  

 I went to Hobby Lobby and looked at the centerpiece. I could make it and so I accepted the contract.  My out of pocket was minimal and compensation was more than enough considering I had fun making the autumn floral centerpiece.

I made the floral arrangements as seen on my clients table

For this project I used:
2- Already made craft dowel vases from the craft store
Florist craft dry foam
Florist tape
Natural craft raffia 8 ounces of long strong fibers
2 bouquets of assorted wildflower and sunflower matching bouquets
Dried stems of  thistle, wheat, and assorted grass plumes
Hot glue gun

To make this arrangement I cut a piece of dry florist foam and taped in the bottom of the wood vase.   I used the florist tape to wrap around the silk bouquet and naturally dried accents. This ensured that the flowers would stay gathered in the bouquet and would not separate.

Add natural dried grasses to the arrangement

In order to keep the flower stems from dropping hot glued them before I inserted them into florist dry foam. It is best to put the stems into the center of the foam.  When the glue is dry and flower are secure then work with the flowers and grass stems to make them look pretty.  I decorated this arrangement with a raffia bow. Wrap the raffia around the vase several times. The raffia bow will face to the front with long ties.  Keep the raffia in place by using your hot glue gun to attach the wrap to the woodcraft vase.

And you are done. I hope you will enjoy making this pretty autumn centerpiece.

Grass arrangement in a clay pot by Pixabay public domain photos:http://pixabay.com/en/dried-flowers-bouquet-clay-pot-233303/ 

Recipe for Herbal Soap

In the autumn season I will harvest a variety of aromatic herbs to use in my wreaths and for making soap.  

I am not a soap expert as I have only been making herbal soap for the last two years.  However I like that is is another way that I can put good use to my herbs that I grow.  I really love aromatic herbal soaps because the scent is refreshing in the bathroom and in the kitchen.

  You can make herbal soap anytime of the year but for me I usually make in the autumn season because that is when I harvest my herbs. 

You will need the following:

1. A glass microwave bowl
2. Dried herb leaves and flowers 
3. Buy from craft store, plain glycerin soap.
4. A grater to shave the glycerin soap or you can cut soap with sharp knife
5. Buy essential oils to add fragrance to your soap. (Example I am making Chocolate mint soap. I will use chocolate and peppermint essential oil.) I am hoping the finish product will have the scent of a peppermint patty. 
6. Soap molds
7. Wood mixing spoon and rubber spatula

For one bar of glycerin herbal soap you would do the following;

1. Grate or cut the soap finely
2. Melt the soap shavings in a microwave bowl for 30 seconds on high, Stir with wooden spoon and repeat for another 30 seconds until the soap is completely melted.
3. When the glycerin soap is melted, remove from the heat and set aside.
4. Add 1 tablespoon of dried aromatic chopped herb leaves and flowers (you choose the herbs that you want to use). Also add 1 teaspoon of essential oil. 
5. Mix the liquid soap and herbs and essential oil with wooden spoon. 
6. Spray your soap molds with Crisco olive oil.
7. When soap and dried herbs are blended you would then pour into soap molds. 
8. Use your rubber spatula to remove the soap from the bowl.
9. Set the soap mold on the counter for thirty minutes to allow it to harden at room temperature.

Complete the soap hardening with a cold process. Put the soap mold in the freezer for twenty five minutes. Remove the soap from the freezer and remove from the soap mold.

Set the soap on wax paper and allow it to continue to harden in a cool dry place for 24 hours.

Note: If I am going to give the soap as a gift I will add the herbal flowers as a whole toward the top of the soap because they look pretty.

View how to make  soap on YouTube

Apple Pear Chutney with Cranberries

In the autumn my family harvests the pears and the apples and my job is to come up with recipes for the bushes of fruit.  I make the traditional things like apple-pear pie, apple-pear sauce, apple-pear muffins but this year we also made apple pear and cranberry chutney. 

My husband helped me to get the fruit ready for the chutney and the day before we peeled and cored a bushel of apples and pears. When the peeling was done husband chopped all of the fruit and then slow cooked the fruit; apples, pears with granulated sugar, cinnamon, apple cider vinegar, apple juice and water.

The fruit cooked on the stove for several hours.  Then when the fruit was almost done my husband added the dried cranberries.  When chutney was done the sauce had thicken around the chopped fruit. We never made apple pear cranberry chutney before and thought the blending of the fruit was delicious.