Are you thinking about how to reuse the remaining uncarved Halloween pumpkins and outdoor autumn decorative pumpkins?  

This week I was inspired by Laura, a volunteer garden master in Stark County, who provided a DIY (Do It Yourself) demo as part of our Thursday Garden Java Virtual Conference. The feature of the project is to simply upgrade the pumpkin to the centerpiece of a flower container for dinner or Thanksgiving dinner tables-the perfect use of these large round annunciators is the season of harvest and dedication.  

First, let's talk about the supplies needed to complete this project.  

• Sturdy, flat work surfaces in well-lit areas-kitchen tables, counters, or planting tables/benches with overhead lights work best. 

• Carving knife-a small knife and a medium knife are recommended, similar to the Halloween pumpkin carving kits found in many retail stores.   

• Spoon-recommend an ice cream scoop (plastic or metal); if you buy a kit, a scoop is usually included. 

• Large bowl or container-put pumpkin "guts" in it (remember, pumpkin seeds are edible, so you can save them, then wash, season, and bake to get a crunchy food).  

• Black permanent marker-used to mark or draw openings into the pumpkin. 

• Flower scissors-used for finer trimming of cuttings to be used. 

• Bypass pruning shears-used to harvest cut flowers and other natural plants around the yard.

• Recycled, cleaned soup cans or other cans — put them in pumpkins, use them as reservoirs and secure your layout 

• Floral tape-fix the oasis foam. 

• Arrangement materials — fresh cut flowers or purchased bouquets, dried materials, flowering branches, woody/decorative pruning branches in the landscape, tea lights, business card holders, candles, etc. 

• Decorative board or charger — Put the finished centerpiece on it to avoid damaging the furniture when the pumpkin decomposes. 

Next let us focus on creating your core. 

1. Make sure you have collected all the tools and supplies you need. Make sure your pumpkin is clean and dry. 

2. Place your pumpkin and supplies on the work surface of your choice. Use a black marker to draw a circle around the top stem of the pumpkin. Be sure to draw a circle large enough to fit your hands and scoop out the pumpkin seeds inside, and place your jar on the bottom of the pumpkin. 

3. Using a carving knife, follow the outline to carve the top or lid of the pumpkin. Since you will be filling the pumpkin, you will no longer need the top. Feel free to feed it to your backyard livestock or place it where wild animals can enjoy it. 

4. After removing the lid of the pumpkin, use a spoon to clean the "internal organs" of the pumpkin, and then put it in a bowl or container for later use. 

5. Pick up your jar and fill it with floral oasis foam. Remember to soak the oasis foam in water so that it will be wet when you start to create your arrangement. Use floral tape to fix the foam in the jar. 

6. Prepare the cut pieces and measure them against the outside of the pumpkin to ensure the required length is reached. Use your flower scissors to make your initial cut, then cut the remaining leaves from the cut, all the way to the top of the pumpkin-or you want them to show the desired length at the top of the pumpkin. 

7. Continue adding materials to your arrangement, and then put them in the carved pumpkin until you are satisfied with the size and filling. Put the finished arrangement into the carved pumpkin. 

8. Place the finished pumpkin centerpiece on the decorative charger or plate, and then place it to the final destination. 

You can view the recording of this simple "DIY Upcycle Pumpkin Centerpiece" demo and some interesting pumpkin facts from our Garden Java conference on November 4th: https://go.osu.edu/diyupcyclepumpkincenterpiecedemo.   

Heather Neikirk is a Stark County Extension Educator for Agriculture and Natural Resources in the Extension Division of Ohio State University (OSU). OSU Extension is the outreach department of the College of Food, Agriculture, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES), with offices in 88 counties in Ohio. If you have any questions about women in the healthy food system, farm to school, food production, small farms, agriculture or food gardening, please contact her at 234-348-6145 or neikirk.2@osu.edu.