Big or small, we all have some area near the front door that can be decorated with a little something that welcomes you home or your many visitors.
Pumpkins of various shapes, sizes and colors placed in a basket always appear festive and coordinate with potted mums quite nicely. If you want your arrangement to have that little something extra, cut a few branches from a tree or bush and add them to the basket. This shows craftiness and artistic flair with minimal effort.
Displaying your home address on stacked pumpkins can be fun as well as useful. Stack them so they are easily visible and add your address numbers to the front. Paint them on or use numbers found at most home improvement or dollar stores. What about adding your last name or initial to one as well? Make sure and secure the pumpkins to each other with a dowel rod if they are large or you can use hot glue if they are smaller.
Topiaries are another way to make a statement with stacked pumpkins. Layer at least 3 pumpkins or gourds on top of each other and position them on a steady base such as a tall urn. Circle a strand of leaves around the pumpkins and that’s all you need for great color. Your friends will ooh and aah when they stop by.
Putting small pumpkins or gourds in containers is another easy decorating trick. Fill a lantern with tiny pumpkins instead of candles. Add a bow to the top and voila, instant gratification. If you have a tomato cage lying around, add pumpkins to the inside and wrap with grapevine or twine. Another delightful touch would be to add twinkle lights. If you have window boxes, pile them with pumpkins of all sizes and fill the open spaces with moss.
Pumpkins can be painted, gilded, or covered with fabric – the ideas are almost endless really. Whatever you decide, decorating with pumpkins and gourds will look best in either a symmetrical pattern (same size, shape and amount flanking the entrance for example) or groupings of odd numbers with varied heights (3, 5 or 7 in varying sizes.)
Use your imagination and think about what you want to accomplish. Are you vying for yard of the month or making a dramatic declaration? Or do you want a subdued statement with just a hint of color? Whether your front area is large enough for an entire field of pumpkins or barely big enough to wipe your feet, pumpkins can add color, warmth, and I think, a bit of happiness.