How to Create a Floral Thanksgiving Centerpiece Using a Pumpkin
Creating a floral Thanksgiving centerpiece using a pumpkin is a simple project with a dramatic payoff. Its organic components make it just the right decoration to sit next to the lavish feast you've prepared for your guests. Since it's size and color scheme are your choice, you can easily customize its look and scale to your table. If you like, you can even create multiple large or small pumpkins to scatter throughout your home. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- One or more pumpkins cleaned with their tops removed Bundle of fresh flowers and greens either purchased or gathered from your garden Floral foam Serrated kitchen knife or hobby saw Household scissors Large mixing bowl
Instructions
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Choose either a monochromatic selection of flowers -- all one color - or a nicely contrasting grouping. Colors that naturally look great with your orange pumpkin include purple, blue, yellow, brown and ivory. Include various shapes, sizes and textures to make an arrangement with more impact. Select your foliage to compliment or contrast with your blooms.
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Standard Floral Foam comes in a brick shape. Cut the foam with your serrated knife -using it like a saw - into enough pieces to fill the inside of your pumpkin. Float your floral foam in a bowl of water. Do not force the foam to absorb the water. Let it soak it up at it's own pace. When all but the very top of the foam is wet, it's ready.
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Fill your pumpkin with the wet floral foam. The foam will be very pliable at this point. Create a stable base for your flowers so they do not tip over.
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Separate your flowers and foliage by size and color. Cut each stem at a 45-degree angle. This creates more surface area for absorbing water than a straight cut. Vary the length of the stems. The longest flowers will be the centerpieces of the arrangement.
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Place your longest flowers in the center of the pumpkin. Spiral out and around the central flower inserting shorter and shorter stems leaving open space in between. Fill in the open spaces with your foliage following the same taller to shorter pattern.
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Check the floral foam after a few days to see if you need to water your arrangement.
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Tips & Warnings
Use the freshest possible flowers. These arrangements are very stable and travel well.
Be sure your pumpkin "vase" is watertight before displaying it. Put a paper towel under it and then leave it to sit for an hour. Overzealous carving may cause a puncture. Never leave an organic arrangement unattended for more than two days. Pumpkins and other organic matter may decay rapidly and mar surfaces.
