10 Simple Ways To Decorate With Pumpkins This Fall

Fall is quickly arriving so I thought it would be fun to share a few simple ways to decorate with pumpkins and gourds for the season.

Decorating with pumpkins is not necessarily a must-have for Fall decor.

I know plenty of people who don’t understand the pumpkin craze that ensues come September.

I can say that I am NOT one of those people.

But I have shared a simple way to decorate for Fall if that is you.

I call it “Early Fall” fall decor.

I shared that style of fall decor in my entryway and in my living room if you’re interested.

It’s fall with a little less emphasis on the pumpkins.

Now, that being said, I do think there is a way to decorate with pumpkins for Fall that doesn’t feel “over the top”.

You can decorate with pumpkins for Fall decor and it doesn’t feel like theme-y fall decor.

If you’re interested y ou can watch the YouTube video I shared this week talking about this exact thing.

Can I decorate with real pumpkins?

Yesss!!

Ok, I have to be honest with you.

simple and thrifty fall decorating ideas

When I come up with topics I want to write about each week, I often go to Google to see some of the questions people ask about that topic.

So, when I searched for “ways to decorate with pumpkins” this was one of the first questions Google showed me that people are asking.

I’ve been decorating with real pumpkins for years.

The number one reason is because it is 100% functional decor!

easy ways to decorate your home with pumpkins

You guys, I’m so excited about this!

Real pumpkins are delicious when you cook or bake with them.

In my Youtube video, I mention that my favorite location to decorate with real pumpkins is in the kitchen because that’s where I’ll be cooking them soon.

So, if you’re thinking about spending money on pumpkins for decor, I think you should absolutely think about adding real pumpkins to your list.

That being said, there are some pumpkins that cook and bake better than others.

So, when you head to the farmers market or the Fall festival make sure you ask the farmer which pumpkins they like best for whatever style of cooking you want to do with them.

As you can tell based on my pictures I do a little mix n’ match with mine.

It gives me a variety of things I can make AND it gives my decor a little bit of character.

(In random news, my husband walked by while I was typing this and I mentioned how sad I am about our squash plants this year.

I planted about 25 winter squash seeds in our garden and for some reason, they didn’t do very well this year.)

What things can you do with pumpkins?

decorate with them by put them on the counter
put a cluster in a bowl for decor
decorate with pumpkins in a basket
bake/Cook with them
make a pumpkin spice latte with real pumpkin
use it as a vase for flowers in a centerpiece
turn it into a jack-o-lantern
roasted the pumpkin seeds
use as party favors for guests
paint them for decor
add faux pumpkins to a wreath

Ways to Decorate with Pumpkins

Decorate with DIY Pumpkins

diy pumpkin for fall decor — ***Terracotta Pottery Barn Pumpkin***

Some of my favorite ways to decorate with faux pumpkins is to diy them.

I’ve made diy sweater pumpkins, diy fabric pumpkins, and diy Pottery Barn terracotta pumpkins.

The reason I like diy pumpkins so much is because they are significantly less expensive, but also you can customize them.

how to decorate with pumpkins — ***DIY Fabric Pumpkin with Real Stem***

The plum fabric pumpkins are a perfect example of that.

Maybe you want to add a pop of color to your fall decor, but you can’t find the right color.

Just go to Joann Fabrics and get a yard of the color you want and you now have the custom pumpkin color you wanted.

sweater pumpkins in a bowl for simple fall decor

Decorate with Pumpkins in a Bowl

This is such an easy way to add pumpkins to your fall decor, and a way that I use every year.

It doesn’t always look the same, but it’s just an easy way to add a bit of Fall without it feeling over the top.

Not to mention a bowl sitting on the coffee table is easy to move out of the way for a board game, or off the dining room table for dinner.

Sometimes I fill the bowl with pumpkins overflowing, and other times I just do a single pumpkin.

single white pumpkin in a bowl for autumn decor

I also did this last year with different nuts (acorns, walnut shells, buckeyes, etc.) and forged leaves.

A bowl is a perfect place to add any Fall decor.

simple and thrifty fall decor on the coffee table

Put Pumpkins in a Basket

This is along the same lines as putting pumpkins in a bowl.

But the thing I like about pumpkins overflowing out of a basket is that it feels like an abundant harvest overflowing.

pumpkins in a basket for fall decor in the entryway

Sometimes I overthink home decor and the symbolism of it all in our home, but there is just something that blesses my heart when produce is overflowing at the end of the season.

Is it overwhelming and maybe cause a bit of anxiety?!

Of course.

But it’s still such a blessing to have a garden that produced so much that it is all over the house.

Decorate with Pumpkins on the Counter

I talked about this already, but I think it’s such a great place for pumpkins that I’m going to mention it again.

Not only is this way of decorating with pumpkins hands down the easiest, it is also very practical.

Placing a pumpkin beside a basket of mums on the counter is 100% Fall decor and yet, it is so simple.

I’ll be honest, putting a stack of pumpkins in a basket takes a minute.

You have to make sure it looks “just so”.

But a pumpkin on the counter looks beautiful no matter what you put beside it.

Then when you’re ready to cut it up and make soup it’s sitting there waiting.

Decorate with Pumpkins on Books

Another great place to put pumpkins is on top of a stack of books.

pumpkins and green stems for simple fall decor

A lot of time you’ll see books on a coffee table stacked with something sitting on top.

But when Fall comes you can just put a pumpkin on there and call it done!

This can be done with books on a console table or bookcase as well.

Anywhere you have books consider a pumpkin.

A WORD TO THE WISE:

If you decided to put a real pumpkin in a hutch make sure you check on it.

pumpkins on the kitchen counter beside books

It’s real and will begin to rot wherever you put it.

I did this one year with those baby white pumpkins we grew in the garden, and didn’t even consider the fact that they would rot.

So just check on them.

Decorate with Pumpkins as a Vase

I did this as a fun and unexpected pop of Fall.

It was a centerpiece and it was fairly large.

But you could do this with small pumpkins too.

You also don’t have turn a pumpkin vase into a centerpiece for a table either.

The options are endless.

I admit that this is not my typical simple style of home decor, but my family loved it while it was on our table.

Mix Faux with Real

By mixing faux and real pumpkins I’m able to decorate in ways that I couldn’t without.

Specifically thinking about the prices of some of the large faux pumpkins.

mixing faux and real pumpkins for home decor

I found this post from Liz Marie a while back and was so excited about such real-looking large pumpkins.

But when I clicked on the link. and saw how expensive they were I just couldn’t do it.

They are beautiful faux pumpkins, but when I buy (or grow) real pumpkins and then we use them for meals…

For our family that just makes more sense.

mixing real and faux pumpkins for autumn decor

The other reason I like to mix them is because it adds a depth of texture, and in some ways the faux pumpkins are easier to work with.

They are lighter and so I can put them “just so” and they generally stay put.

Now that I said that though, you know my faux pumpkins are going to be cantankerous this year haha!

Anyway, the benefits of the real pumpkins and the faux pumpkins lead me to believe the best way to decorate with pumpkins in the Fall is by mixing them.