7 Fun Ways to Decorate With Pumpkins to Prep Your Home for Fall

It seems pumpkins are everywhere this time of year — in your coffee and favorite desserts. Even body care and dish soap companies cash in on the trend. As fall moves forward, you’ll see jack-o-lanterns adorning your neighbors’ stoops. However, these festive gourds are capable of so much more. Real or faux, orange or white, big or small, there are so many fun ways to decorate with pumpkins. 

1. Layer on Shelves

Shelves are an easy place to decorate with pumpkins. One or two scattered among your other decor will update the space with an autumnal vibe. Try using replacing your bookends with a couple or placing them on top of your dishes in the hutch. Open shelving and glass front cabinets in your kitchen are also great places to subtly display cute gourds. 

2. Pot Some Plants

Mums on your porch or in your landscaping look so cute, but the strong autumn wind is adept at knocking them over the second you take your eyes off them. You wouldn’t know it, but pumpkins could be the solution to your problem. They make excellent plant pots. Their weight makes them ideal for holding mums upright outside or in. Small pumpkins even have a purpose — they’re the perfect size to fit mini succulents. 

3. Display Your House Number

Do you like to decorate with pumpkins on your front porch? Something about it feels very warm and welcoming — they draw you right up to the door. 

Put your pumpkins to even better use this year by adding your house number. Use a stencil and paint them on with style. Use matte black paint on a white pumpkin for a bit of modern flair. You could trace the numbers and carve them out as an alternative to painting. Place a strand of lights or tea light inside to illuminate the porch on even the darkest fall days. 

4. Spread Them on a Mantel

A mantle is one of the most exciting places to decorate for the season, adding new finds, pulling old favorites out of storage and displaying natural items like flowers or pinecones. Pumpkins feel right at home on the mantle. Place a few with your other pieces, or let them take center stage.

5. Let the Light Shine

Pumpkins of all sizes can make beautiful and functional candle holders. Think outside the jack-o-lantern style and really get creative. Hollow the top of small pumpkins and place a tealight or votive in the hole. You want to be as precise as possible with this process, so the candle doesn’t wiggle once lit and become a fire hazard. Set your candle on top of the pumpkin and trace around the perimeter. 

6. Pumpkin Ice Bucket

Prep for your next game day party, wine and cheese tasting or date night with this great hack. Hollow out a pumpkin and fill it with ice to use as a cooler or wine chiller. Pick one just large enough to fit the number of bottles or cans you want to keep cool. As an added bonus, bake the innards into your favorite fall pumpkin treat and serve it with your drinks. 

7. Bring Life to Window Boxes

Once the cool fall air hits in earnest, your window boxes transition from lush greenery to brown decay. Not exactly the look you were going for. Decorate with pumpkins to fill the dead space and add some vibrance back to the exterior of your home. Choose a range of sizes and colors for the most dramatic visual impact or all similar-sized orange ones for a more classic look. 

Decorate With Pumpkins to Add Warmth This Fall

Pumpkins are the pinnacle of fall decor. They come in an array of colors, shapes, sizes and textures, which add depth and warmth to any area of your home. Plus, you can get as many as you like because they’re inexpensive and easy to find. For an extra fun treat, you could even grow your own.