Pumpkin Flower Arrangement

Happy Fall y’all and oh my gourd. This pumpkin flower arrangement may look florist-made, but it’s not. And if my ever loving black-thumbed self could assemble them year after year then I feel more than qualified to help all y’all do the same.

Whether you're making the arrangement for yourself or because you’re entertaining, this is a winner. The “wow" factor will get your company every single time, and that they’re fairly easy to put together makes it even better. Oh...Did I mention this is budget friendly?

Step into my kitchen friends and I’ll show you how I've made this gorgeous arrangement in the past and how you can, too.

It will be interesting to see if I’ll be able to repeat this while in Tokyo. Locating pumpkins has been a bit of a challenge, but thanks to a friend, at least I know a place in Omotesando to grab fresh flowers for arrangements. Thanks Meg!

As many amazing things do, my past arrangements usually began at Trader Joe’s. If you don’t have one near you, you can go to any other local market. In the past Trader Joe’s was my go-to because I knew I could always count on their lovely variety of pumpkins by size and type. My tastes lean towards the fairytale, caspers, and traditional sugar’s, but the cushaw quickly became a favorite with it’s green speckled design.

I appreciated it's unique and quirky charm!

But we all have our favorite pumpkins and flowers so get what you like. Whatever is going to make your heart happy is what you should put in your basket and bring home with you. Once you’re there this is what you’re going to need:

Tools

-A knife

-A spoon (or pumpkin carving utencils)

-Vase or water glass

-Flower food

-Scissors

Note: This is a very low maintenance arrangement but I know some people like to use floral foam to hold the individual flowers in place while assembling. I don’t, but bear in mind that if you do use it make sure it sticks out of the pumpkin by about one inch, soaking it in water beforehand. You can find some at any craft store.

1.) Begin by removing the stem and tracing the bottom of your vase/glass along the top of the pumpkin. It will give you a line to follow when you cut with your knife. Don’t worry if the edges look jagged-no one is going to see them since the flowers will cover it. Clean out your pumpkin like you normally would when carving. Once you’re done slide your empty vase inside the pumpkin. You may need to scoop a little extra along the inside if your vase is wide.

2.) This is when you add the flower food and water. It sounds backwards, but if you have to remove your vase from the pumpkin because the fit isn’t quite right and you already have your vase filled you’re going to make a mess getting it out of the pumpkin. Trust me, this is a time saver.

3.) Stir the water and flower food then begin adding your flowers. I tend to start with the largest ones on the bottom, using an odd amount (either 3 or 5 depending on the size of the vase). Then I build around it using the medium flowers, then small, trimming the stems gradually as I go. Remember: you can always shorten your flower stem, you can’t grow it back. Take your time.

4.) Once your flowers are all in the vase take a moment to play with the arrangement, see what works. There is no right or wrong in flower arrangement-only what you like. So don’t worry. You’ll do great! Sometimes I stick a few small buds between the larger, sometimes I keep them all together. This time I did a bit of both and the end result was beautiful.

5.) The final step in this arrangement is completely optional. It's adding what I call “filler” or the tiny leaf bunches, berry sprays, etc. that you can purchase in a bundle. It’s not necessary to add them. As I’ve mentioned this is all about personal preferences and what you like. You already have a special and unique arrangement, but if you want to add a little extra depth this is what I recommend.

It feels hokey to say that filler adds “drama” to an arrangement, but you know how they say little things can make big differences? It feels true here. But that's what I like and you might not. I encourage you to do what you like, with the flowers you like, the colors you like. Have fun! You’ll be amazed by your creativity and your friends and family will be, too.