I also like to fill my home with the sights, colors, and scents of fall. I’ve found a few crafty ideas in magazines that involve pumpkins and gourds, and I have taken to doing these each year, depending on what I can find at the farmer’s market. One of my favorite simple things to do is to make candle holders out of miniature pumpkins (or the green & white squash that look like mini pumpkins – not sure what they are??).
I also like to use hollowed out pumpkins for a couple things… I like to use a small round pumpkin to use as a serving dish for Pumpkin Fluff Dip (serve with graham crackers or ginger snaps). Larger pumpkins I like to hollow out and use as a sort of decorative pot for mums!
But, my favorite is a vase made out of a Swan Gourd. I had seen this in a magazine several years ago, but couldn’t ever find the right kind of gourd. This year, I discovered a nearby farmer’s market that has the BEST selection of squash and gourds! We got quite a variety, and I was able to make my gourd vase! Just cut off the top of the gourd near the base of the ‘neck’. Hollow out what you can, and fill with water; add flowers! Mine lasted for a couple weeks before the gourd started to go bad.