Before I was born, my mother used to own a cute little florist shop in a small town. After she decided to stay home with us kids, she continued to make beautiful arrangements for family and friends, for every season and occasion. Even when we were young, she would have us up on a stool, working away with her to create our own little displays. I can only imagine how much florist foam she went through with all of us. She still keeps a stockpile of it in the craft supplies for last minute projects.
I feel so lucky to have had that experience growing up, because she gave me a love of creating flower arrangements and centrepieces. We still work on projects together, such as Wedding Centrepieces, Christmas Arrangements, or just everyday displays around the house. It’s always more fun to do it with her…even if hers always turns out much better looking than mine.
This month we decided to make Thanksgiving centrepieces together, using pumpkins as vases. We made a few for our own Thanksgiving table, and then a couple of others to give away as gifts to people we were visiting.
This month we decided to make Thanksgiving centrepieces together, using pumpkins as vases. We made a few for our own Thanksgiving table, and then a couple of others to give away as gifts to people we were visiting.
They turned out even more festive and vibrant than I imagined.
Our Thanksgiving table looked very colourful with the centrepieces paired up with my mom’s vintage tablecloths.
We picked up a variety of fall flowers, along with greenery, cattails and pumpkins.For 5 arrangements:
Flowers and Greenery: $49
Pumpkins: 5 x $1 = $5
Florist Foam: $0.50 x 5 = $2.50
TOTAL: $11.30 each
My mother admits that she went a bit overboard at the flower shop when she picked up flowers, but you could do this for under $10 each arrangement using small grocery store bouquets.
At a florist shop, these could go for $20-$30 each, so making them yourself saves you money, but it also gives you a chance to do a fun craft too!
She couldn’t resist the gorgeous sunflowers, at $1 a stem. We chose four stems for each arrangement.
Cute little buttons of purple.
Pale blush carnations.
Vibrant orange daisies.
Sleek cattails.
The pumpkins came from a local farmer who’s daughter-in-law sells them out at their roadside stand every fall. They always have the best pumpkins and we go there every year.
Cut a piece of florist foam to go inside the pumpkin. Cut a rectangle into the pumpkin that is the same size of the foam. You may want to scoop out some of the seeds and flesh to give the florist foam more room. Include a little notch on one side, to allow you to water the arrangement as needed.
The foam should fit in the pumpkin nice and snug, with about 1-1/2 inches sticking above the top of the pumpkin.
Start to add your greenery in around the edges.
Cut your sunflowers to give you one tall one for each arrangement and four shorter ones. Insert your stems with the tall one in the middle and the three shorter ones around it.
I like having a sunflower with a smaller head at the top, and then putting the bigger ones around the sides.
You can start adding the purple flowers in amongst them. You can also clip some of the larger sunflower leaves if they are too bulky.
I even like it nice and simple like this, but we’re going to add a bit more colour.
You can add in carnations and daisies to fill in the spaces.
Lastly you insert the cattails. An odd numbers of 3 or 5 cattails seemed to look the best.
All lined up on the back porch, waiting for the table to be set. I love how plump the pumpkins look all lined up together.
Just remember to water the pumpkins regularly, and it should keep the flowers nice and perky for a week.
The arrangements are fantastic. So festive!!
Oh la la! Those are some of the prettiest orange daisies I’ve ever seen! What a great idea for Thanksgiving (Canadian or American 🙂
I love the arrangements – the sunflowers really make them festive!
Hi Amanda, oh my, these are beautiful, fresh, colorful and festive! Thank you for sharing.
Have a good day, Nancy
Your pumpkin arrangements are beautiful.
coming over from A 2 Z. . .can’t wait to look around your blog. But these arrangements are stunning. . .as is your photography of them. They definitely caught my eye in the linky party. And then you tell us how to make them. . thanks!! Gonna do this for Thanksgiving.
what beautiful colors! I love the pumpkins for the vases 🙂
Hi Amanda!!! Love your pumpkin flower arrangement! Simply stunning and I love how you used the pumpkin as a vase! You chose beautiful flowers to make the colors pop too! I have carved out minipumpkins and used them as candle votives but I will have to try this trick now too! I would love to feature your post on my blog for my Features post from the “It’s Party Time’ linky party…but would you mind inserting this link into your post? http://www.settingforfour.com/2012/10/ive-got-big-announcement-today.html
I’d love to feature a fellow Canadian blogger! Just shoot me an emial after to let me know! Hope you have a fab weekend!!
Hi Amanda,
I love your pumpkin & floral arrangements! Thanks for sharing the tutorial. These are beautiful! Have a wonderful day!
Lisa
Hi Amanda!!! I liked this arrangement of pumpkin with beautiful exotic flowers. Extremely beautiful & innovative post. It’s Rocking!!!
Hi Amanda! I am featuring your beautiful Pumpkin Flower arrangment today at my blog here: http://www.settingforfour.com/2012/11/its-party-time-features-11042012.html
Thanks so much for linking up and for adding my blog url to your post!
If you would like to share another project or recipe again at this week’s linky party here that would be awesome! http://www.settingforfour.com/2012/11/its-party-time-11-04-2012.html
Have a fabulous Sunday 😀
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It is really nice picture and looking so great. Amezing and very beautiful flowers.
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All flower pictures are so beautiful and it gives smile
These are beautiful and exactly what I am wanting to do for my wedding this October as centerpieces. 🙂 One question for you though…how big do the pumpkins need to be in order to do the exact same amount of flowers you have in these.
I love the pumpkins for the vases
Wow, yellow flowers looking amazing with pumpkin. I will user this idea for next Halloween. Thanks for sharing these idea.
Wow! I learned something new again. Thank you so much for sharing it. This coming Halloween, instead of creating scary pumpkins, I will do a lovely pumpkin flower arrangement which is very unique. I am really delighted with what I learn. Thank you so much! Cheers! 🙂