Trick for Using Artificial Pumpkins Outdoors!

Oh the dilemma....Real Pumpkins or "faux"?

A trip to the pumpkin patch to find the perfect pumpkin is a wonderful tradition!

At Sweetwater the pumpkins we "scored" at my brother's farm make a very cute display on the bench in the front yard this year!  

Not to mention they are a perfect backdrop for a "photo op" featuring the "cutest kid in the world"!

Alas.....after a few weeks of frosty weather those orange beauties will begin to deteriorate!

This is where "Faux" pumpkins win me over!

They never get rotten and can be kept from year to year.

Yes, these artificial pumpkins sometimes look a little too orange and perfect!

Yes, there are a myriad of ways to make them look more "real".....just google it and you will find out how to paint, glitter, carve and otherwise "fix them up"!

This arrangement on the deck uses artificial pumpkins that have been lightly brushed with some brown paint that was rubbed off.   That took the orange down to a more natural color.

The pumpkins needed to be arranged so that they leaned against the little lantern.

The problem with using artificial pumpkins in an outdoor display is the fact that a foam pumpkin doesn't have enough weight to stay in place.

One gust of wind on a blustery Autumn day and you might find yourself chasing those pumpkins down the street!

Here is the Sweetwater Style solution for that problem! 

All you need to do is drill (or in my case POKE) a hole in the bottom of the pumpkin.

 The foam is pretty easy to cut through and the hole doesn't need to be all that big.


Then insert a dowel (or any stick) that is long enough to go all the way inside and still stick out the bottom of the pumpkin. It is sort of like a giant floral pick!

Push the dowel into the dirt in a planter and you can easily angle the pumpkin in any direction that looks nice.  

Even on the most blustery of days.....these "light weights" will stay in place!

Happy Decorating!