Pumpkins make surprisingly good vases, and once you try it, it’s hard to go back to a plain glass one for fall arrangements.
Choose a pumpkin with a flat bottom so it sits steady once it’s hollowed out and filled with water or floral foam.
White and cream pumpkins pair beautifully with brighter florals, while orange pumpkins look best with deep burgundy or cream blooms.
Mums, dahlias, and dried wheat are all sturdy enough to hold up inside a pumpkin vase for a week or more.
Line the inside with a plastic liner or small mason jar before adding water so the pumpkin doesn’t rot as quickly.
Group two or three pumpkin vases of different sizes together on a table for a centerpiece that needs almost no extra styling.
Mini pumpkins work well as single-stem bud vases scattered down the center of a dinner table.
Trim stems at an angle before placing them so the florals can actually absorb water once inside the pumpkin.
If you want the arrangement to last longer, keep it somewhere cool and out of direct sunlight between meals.
Choosing a pumpkin with slightly thicker walls near the base helps the vase hold its shape longer once filled with water.
Wiping down the pumpkin’s exterior before hollowing it keeps the whole vase looking clean once it’s filled with florals.
For more fall centerpiece ideas, visit our home page for seasonal styling guides you can put together in an afternoon.
Refresh the water every few days to keep the arrangement looking fresh through the whole month of October.
It’s one of the easiest ways to turn a grocery store pumpkin into something that looks like it came from a florist.
A little extra care here goes a long way toward an arrangement that lasts.
A pumpkin vase like this is proof that the best decor ideas are often the simplest.