By Kathryn Weber
Fall marks a time when corner lots, farm markets and grocery store parking lots are stacked with pumpkins for Halloween and Thanksgiving. They're abundant in a wide range of colors, sizes and shapes. There's some debate about whether pumpkin is a squash or a gourd, but whatever you call them -- and whether you use them for decorating or eating -- pumpkins are a seasonal favorite.
Here are some ideas to make the most of the orange orbs:
1. Add some bling
Cover pumpkins with glitter and place them on silver or glass plates.
2. Create a pumpkin centerpiece
Select a pumpkin that will fit on a fruit or cake stand. Add green ivy to the plate and set the pumpkin on top. Hot glue one or two leaves around the top of the pumpkin for a quick kitchen or table decoration.
3. Make a lighted nameplate
Carve the outline of your family name or other message on a large, oblong pumpkin, add a light inside and you have a striking sign.
4. Try pumpkin luminaries
Carve small or medium pumpkins and place candles inside. Line them up along your front walk or driveway.
5. Decorate your entrance
Place pumpkins atop straw in urns and place them at the front door. Decorate with berries and fall leaves.
6. Dress up the fireplace
Fill the space with various sizes of pumpkins. Carve and add candles, or leave plain to use until Thanksgiving.
7. Decoupage your pumpkins
With watered down white glue, stick fabric or decorative paper unto pumpkins. When dry, spray with clear varnish.
8. Serve soup in a pumpkin
Carve small pumpkins into individual soup bowls or use a large pumpkin as a tureen.
9. Make a witchy pumpkin
Carve a witch face and add a hat for a spooky sentinel.
10. Create a candy dish
Cut the top off a pumpkin to create a candy dish, or carve a face and big mouth in front to serve to trick or treaters.
11. Make pumpkin planters
Carve out pumpkins and fill with live plants and fall flowers.
12. Send a message
Carve "Boo" or another simple message by putting each letter on separate pumpkins. Line them and add lights.
13. Put out a pumpkin punchbowl
Carve a punch bowl using a large pumpkin.
14. Decorate the mantel
Select pumpkins in colors that complement your decor and decorate the fireplace mantel with an assortment in different sizes.
15. Create a pumpkin vase
Use pumpkins to hold flowers. Arrange hollow pumpkins on a table and fill with flowers.
16. Try a lollipop holder
Drill evenly spaced holes in a pumpkin and insert lollipops.
17. Make a pumpkin caterpillar
Use small pumpkins for the body, pipe cleaners for the legs, and a large pumpkin for the head.
18. Gild the pumpkin
Paint small pumpkins gold and use them as candleholders or as nameplates on the table dinner table.
19. Build a pumpkin totem pole
Stack totem-carved pumpkins with hollow tops and bottoms. Light them inside. Leave the top on the top pumpkin and the bottom on the base pumpkin.
20. Create a pumpkin family
Buy pumpkins sized to represent each member of your family. Carve each person's initials in the side, light and place on the front porch.
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