100 Things to do With a Pumpkin

10 Recipes for Cooking with Fresh Pumpkin 

1. Pumpkin Pancakes
   Sure to be a breakfast hit this fall. Use your favorite pancake recipe but substitute the 1/2 cup of pumpkin puree for the same amount of milk in your recipe. Continue making the pancakes as you normally would.
2. Double Layer Pumpkin Cheesecake
   This is a very good fall desert that is an excellent alternative to pumpkin pie. The recipe is pretty easy to follow!
3. Make Pumpkin Bread
   Substitue your fresh pumpkin in this recipe instead of using canned pumpkin. It is sure to be a good desert!
4. Pumpkin Roll with Cream Cheese
   All I can say is these pumpkin rolls are sure yummy!
5. Make Pumpkin Bowls
   Make a decorative bowl for stew, soups or dips similar to a bread bowl but made from a small pumpkin. Here is a good recipe for White Bean and Sausage Stew. You will also find directions to make a pumpkin bowl there as well.
   

   

6. Pumpkin Pie
   Of course you need to make the traditional pumpkin pie. With this recipe you can replace the Libbys Pure Pumpkin with your own fresh pumpkin if you'd like.
7. Pumpkin Dip
   Use this dip with ginger snaps. For a fun twist use the above recipe to make a pumpkin bowl to put your dip in. Perfect for a Halloween party or an appetizer for Thanksgiving.
8. Pumpkin Soup
   This soup is perfect for fall. It uses fresh cubed pumpkin. Again this soup would be great served in a pumpkin bowl!
9. Spiced Pumpkin Seeds
   Here is a fun twist to the basic pumpkin seeds. When making your fresh pumpkin puree save your seeds to bake. For this recipe combine: 1 1/2 tbs butter (melted), 1/2 tsp salt, 1/8 tsp garlic salt, 2 tsp Worchestershire sauce and 2 cups of whole pumpkin seeds in a bowl. Mix throughly and place in a baking dish. Bake for 1 hour at 275 degree F, mixing occasionally.
10. Pumpkin Cake with Rum-Cream Cheese Glaze
    Make this cake for desert at your next adult get together!

10 Ways to Decorate Indoors with Pumpkins 

1. Pumpkin Votive Holders
   Drill or carve out a hole in the top of the pumpkin big enough to fit a glass votive holder. Paint or decorate your pumpkin to your liking. Place the glass votive holder inside your hole, fill with a candle and viola you have a pumpkin candle holder!
2. Dress Up Your Desk
   Need a fun way to dress up your office or desk at work? Take smaller pumpkins and write nice welcome messages on them with marker and place on your desk or in your office for a fall feel. Some ideas: "Welcome" or "Come Right In"
3. Pumpkin Candy Dish
   Make a unique candy dish filled with your favorite fall candy. Carve or drill out a hole large enough for a glass candy dish in the top of the pumpkin. Decorate the pumpkin as you wish and fill with candy!
4. Glitter Pumpkins Center Piece
   Cover your workspace in newspaper. By using a paintbrush cover the pumpkin with glue. Sprinkle glitter over the pumpkin until it is completely covered. Try using popular fall colors such as bronze, red, orange and gold. Let the pumpkin dry for about an hour and then shake off excess glitter. Paint the stem brown with an acrylic paint and let dry. Decorate the table as you desire! Try using candle holders to place your pumpkins on to spice it up a tad! These pumpkins will last for at least a few months.
   
   
5. Pumpkin Vase
   Use a wider pumpkin. Cut off the top of the pumpkin, hollow and clean out the inside. Save the seeds to bake. Add a nice flower arrangement and use as a vase.
6. Make a Pumpkin Chandelier
   This will sure set the stage for a fall party. Martha Stewart has a few different designs you can choose from:
   Pumpkin Chandelier
   Cranberry/Pumpkin Chandelier
   Tiffany Lamp
7. Make a Pumpkin Basket
   Make a pumpkin basket to fill with fake plants, leaves, acorns or anything you wish. Lop-sided pumpkins work best for this craft. Follow these directions to make the perfect accessory for your mantle!
8. Create a Message Center
   Use your pumpkin as a temporary bin board for reminders. This is great to do if you get your pumpkin early and are not ready to carve it quite yet. Place it on a table or countertop and use push pins to attach important messages for the rest of the family!
9. Place Settings
   Want a fun way to make place settings to use from Halloween to Thanksgiving. Use a small pumpkin for every member of the family. Write a name on each pumpkin and decorate with either permanent markers or paint. Place each person's place setting on the table where they normally sit!
10. Pumpkin Potpourri
    Cut the top off of the pumpkin. Hollow out and clean the inside the pumpkin. Again, save your seeds for baking. Use an apple corer to cut small circles in various spots around the pumpkin. Rub cinnamon or pumpkin pie spices into the lid of the pumpkin. Place a small tealight in the bottom of the pumpkin, light, and replace the lid. You will have the smell of hot pumpkin pie for about 5-6 hours!

10 Ideas for Pumpkin Carving 

Ideas and templates for carving pumpkins.

Tip: You can apply a film of vaseline on the exposed areas of your pumpkin to prevent browning.

Basic Carving Tips

1. Witching Hour
2. Scarecrow
3. Facial Features
4. Window Cut-Outs
5. Black Magic Carved Pumpkins
6. Pumpkin Creatures
7. Black Cat Pumpkin
8. Goodnight Moon Pumpkin
9. Halloween Bat
10. Boo

10 Ways to Decorate Outdoors with Pumpkins 

1. Pumpkin Planters
   Need to fill those empty flower planters now that summer is over? Fill your flower planters with different colored fall leaves, acorns and pinecones. Place different colored small pumpkins and gourds on top for a nice fall look!
2. Pumpkin Snake
   This snake is sure to complete the Halloween look for your front door display. The great thing about this idea is that is uses stringed white lights so it is not a fire hazard. Follow Martha's directions. All you need are several pumpkins, a utility saw to make the circles, a couple strands of white string lights (depending on the length of your snake), an extension cord and a knife to carve with. This snake is sure to get some attention!
   
   
   
   
3. Celestial Pumpkins
   Decorate the outside with this sophsticated pumpkin lights. Follow the directions on Martha Stewart's Page.
   
   
4. Pumpkin Totem/Lightpost
   
   Create a pumpkin lampost to decorate the porch. You can make varius designs in the pumpkins and make them taller or shorter if you would like. Directions
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
5. Mouse Motel
   
   Make a mouse motel to scare your Halloween visitors. It is fairly simple to make. All you need is a marker, key hole saw and rubber mice. There is no scraping or cleaning on the inside required for this project.
   
   
   
   
6. Pumpkin Arrangement
   Create a pumpkin arragement near the front door with various sized pumpkins, gourds and other natural items such as pinecones, leaves or acorns. Write or paint your family name on the largest pumpkin and decorate to taste.
   
   
7. Outdoor Boquet
   Fill erns with fall foliage, pinecones, acrons, gourds, vegetables (fake would probably work better to aviod animals getting to them), etc. Place small pumpkins at the top and flank on both sides of the front door.
   
   
8. Pumpkin Pots
   
   A great way to showcase your fall plants. Leave your plants in their plastic container. Cut a hole in the top of the pumpkin and clean the inside of the pumpkin out. Using a drill or hole cutter cut small holes in the bottom of the pumpkin for drainage. Fill the pumpkin with fall flowers and place on the porch!
   
   
   
9. Pumpkin Creatures
   Make Pumpkin Creatures to decorate the yard with.
   
   
10. Scary Scarecrow
    
    Make a fun scarecrow to give everyone a fright!
    
    
    
    
    
    

10 More Pumpkin Recipes 

1. Pumpkin Rice
   A good sweet tasting rice. Trying adding raisins!
2. Pumpkin Burgers
   These pumpkin burgers are like sloppy joes!
3. Harvest Pumpkin Soup
   This soup would be a good Thanksgiving recipe.
   
   
4. Pumpkin Fritters
   These pumpkin fritters have a hint of curry for a distinct taste! They are simple to make and can be cooked in approximately 15 minutes!
   
   
   
5. Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
   An easy pumpkin seed recipe.
6. Pumpkin Crescent Rolls
   These pumpkin rolls are very easy to make with regular crescent roll dough but are very good with the sweet filling!
7. Pumpkin Chili
   Make this pumpkin chili in the pumpkin bowl (directions above) for a fun twist!
   
   
   
8. Spinach Stuffed Pumpkins
   This recipe uses small pumpkins. They are stuffed wtih creamed spinach and topped with cheese!
9. Pumpkin Fluff Dip
   A great dip to use with grahm crackers!
10. Pumpkin Mushroom Stuffing
    This stuffing is made with pumpkin bread. Sounds yummy!

10 Pumpkin Crafts 

1. Baseball Player Pumpkin
   
   This pumpkin creation will take less than an hour to create and it is a fun and unique way to showcase your pumpkin. All you need is a pumpkin, pink balloon, baseball cap of your favorite team, carving knife, white paper and acrylic paint. Directions
   
   
   
   
2. Bat-o-Lanterns
   This a project the kids are sure to love. To create your bat-o-lanterns paint small pumpkins black with acrylic paint. Create bat eyes and wings using black and white craft foam and attach using glue dots and toothpicks. The estimated time for completion is about an hour or two depending on the time it takes for your pumpkin to dry. Tip: try painting the pumpkins the day before decorating them especially when working with younger children with little patience for waiting.
3. Mini Pumpkin Creatures
   Create a cat, witch or scarecrow mini creatures with small pumpkins. These are a fun and easy way to transform a pumpkin without having to carve it. Your friends will be very impressed!
4. Decoupage your Pumpkin!
   Do you like to decoupage using tissue paper? It is possible to decoupage a pumpkin. All you need is a pumpkin (you can use an artificial pumpkin if you prefer), colored tissue paper, paint brush and mod podge glue. Tear your colored tissue paper into small pieces. Glue the pieces of tissue paper onto the pumpkin. Overlay the paper to create a blending effect. After your entire pumpkin is covered put another coat of mod podge glue and let dry.
5. Freaky Faced Pumpkins
   Create these funny faced pumpkins in less than an hour. All you need are pumpkins, old magazines, scissors and glue dots. Cut out pictures of faces from old magazines or catalogs and glue onto your pumpkin to create a unique funny face! Use mismatched eyes and different sizes to make it even funnier. Attach your pictures using glue dots. To make the faces 3-D such as making the ears stick out - create an extra tab that can be folded back and attach the ears to that with a glue dot and then attach to the pumpkin.
   
   
6. 6. Pumpkin Lollipop Holder
   Use acrylic paints to paint a face on your pumpkin. Use a pencil to poke small holes in the top of the pumpkin to make "hair". Stick lollipops into the holes to make spikey hair for your pumpkin and to hold your Halloween treats.
7. Gourd Family
   Create a gourd family by using natural objects such as carrots, acorns, pinecones, leaves, etc and create family members almost like you would a snow man!
8. Pumpkin Creatures
   Your kids will love to make these pumpkin creatures. They are simple to make by attaching various objects to the pumpkin with hot glue, straight pins or toothpicks. Try using vegetables, pumpkin seeds, rafia, etc.
9. Pumpkin Pal
   Try using orange rinds, pinecones, acorns, twigs, corn, leaves, etc to make a pumpkin pal. These are very cute pumpkins that everyone will enjoy making!
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
10. Pumpkin Seed Necklace
    After carving your pumpkin follow these simple directions to make a necklace out of the left over pumpkin seeds.

10 More Ideas for Pumpkin Carving 

• 1. Haunted House Pumpkin
• 2. Oh, No! Pumpkin
• 3. Spooky Silhouette's
• 4. Panther Pumpkin
• 5. Pierced Openwork Pumpkins
• 6. Pumpkin Hollow
• 7. Pumpkin Alligator
• 8. Spooky Ghost Pumpkin
• 9. Translucent Pumpkins
• 10. Skull Pumpkin Stencil

10 Things for Kids 

1. 1. Make a Turkey
   Without carving your pumpkin make a face and gobbler by glueing felt pieces onto the pumpkin with hot glue. Stick feathers into the pumpkin to complete the turkey.
2. 2. A Weight Lesson
   Teach children about weight. Get various sized pumpkins and have the children pick up each different size. Discuss which ones are heavier and which ones are lighter. Have the children guess the weight and then weigh the pumpkins.
3. Pumpkin Bonanza
   Instead of bucket Bonanza its time to play Pumpkin Bonanza. Cut and hollow out 10 pumpkins of about the same size. Carve fun faces on them or decorate them as you wish. Leave the top off of the pumpkins and line them in a row. Play bonanza with the pumpkins. After your game put the lids back on and place on the porch for decorations so they do not go to waste. Perfect for a Halloween party.
4. Make a Boat
   Cut the top off of the pumpkin and clean and hollow out the inside of the pumpkin. Then cut the pumpkin in half and use the bottom half as the base for a boat. Use a metal hanger to stick into it as a sail and design your boat as you wish. Test it out in the bathtub.
5. Witch-o-Lantern
   Clean and hollow out the inside of the pumpkin. Carve 2 eyes and a mouth. Carve a small hole for the nose and stick a carrot in it to make a witch!
6. A Circumference Lesson
   Gather your pumpkins you used to teach the kids about weight and now use them to each circumferece. Does the heaviest pumpkin have the biggest circumference? Compare and contrast.
7. Turn it into a Math Lesson
   Does the heaviest pumpkin or the biggest pumpkin have the most seeds inside of it? Have the children guess how many seeds are inside each pumpkin. Hollow out the pumpkin and count the seeds. Ask the children to divide them evenly so everyone has the same number of seeds. You can also use the seeds to teach addition and subtraction. Then bake them and make pumpkin seeds to eat!
8. Pumpkin Seed Art
   If you are not a fan of eating pumpkin seeds use them for art projects. Kids can glue them onto cardstock to make fun designs.
9. Ring Around a Pumpkin
   Directions for this fun twist on ring toss!
10. Make a Pumpkin Patch
    Teach children about gardening and plants. Plant a few pumpkin seeds in your garden and watch and observe them over time to see how they grow.

10 More Pumpkin Crafts 

1. Flying Place Cards
   These place cards are a fun way to decorate the table this Halloween and fall season.
2. Painting Pumpkins
   This is a very simple craft that allows children to express themselves. Fill up empty containers with tempra paint and allow the kids to paint a masterpiece on their pumpkin.
3. A Ghost as a Pumpkin?
   Give your pumpkin a costume this year and turn it into a ghost. All you need is white, orange, black and yellow paints to transform your pumpkin.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
4. Unidentified Flying Pumpkin
   If your child is interested in space try this activity to create an unidentified flying pumpkin. They are sure to enjoy making it!
5. Wicked Witchy Pumpkin
   This would make a great porch decoration or a centerpiece for a Halloween party. The kids will surely enjoy making this green-faced witch! This project takes less than an hour to complete.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
6. Sequined Striped Pumpkins
   Give your pumpkins an elegant look with sequins. All you need is a pumpkin, sequins on a string, scissors, straight pins and silver cord. These decorated pumpkins will look great anywhere especially as a table centerpiece!
7. Boo-tiful Beasts
   These monstrously creative faces are sure to be the most unique decoration on the block. Add playful eyes and gourds to make unique silly faces on your pumpkin. Here you will find directions and templates to complete your creation!
   
   
   
   
   
   
8. Web Pumpkin
   If you do not have the time or patience to carve a spider web pumpkin try this simple and and easy alternative. All you need is a pumpkin, plastic gems, metallic paint pens and small metallic beads.
   
   
   
   
   
9. Pretty Pumpkin & Stand
   Let your imagine go wild with this idea. Decorate your pumpkin as you wish with various objects such as paint, glitter, metallic beads and gems, etc. Create a stand with two wood plates and a stool leg and decorate as well.
10. Pumpkin Topiary
    These topiaries will look great in the yard this fall season!

10 Misc Ideas 

1. Pumpkin Pie Soap
   If you are an experienced crafter and have ever made soap trying out this recipe for pumpkin pie soap!
   
   
2. 2. Make a Pumpkin Cooler
   If you need something fun to impress your guests turn the bottom half of a pumpkin into a cooler for your drinks. You can use a very large pumpkin or make several coolers for different types of drinks out of medium sized pumpkins.
   
   
   
   
3. Compost for the Garden
   Unsure what to do with your pumpkin after Halloween? Compost the pumpkin to fertilize your garden.
4. Feed the Wildlife
   If your pumpkin from Halloween is starting to go bad cut it up into smaller pieces and place in your backyard to feed the outdoor creatures!
5. Pumpkin Airfreshner
   This airfreshner is very easy to make and will make the house smell very good!
6. Pumpkin Face Mask
   Pumpkin is a great ingredient for all skins types especailly those damaged by the sun. It is high in Vitamin A, Vitamin C and Zinc which help to soothe and moisturize. Directions
7. Pumpkin Exfoliating Mask
   This Honey Pumpkin Exfoiliating Mask is great for gorgeous skin.
8. Why Not Pumpkin Bowl?
   Use your leftover pumpkins for a fun game of bowling. Use 2-liter soda bottles as pins. See who can knock down the most pins or smash the pumpkin first!
9. Get a Workout
   Watch this video to learn 10 workout ways you can use a pumpkin to burn fat and build muscle.
10. Pumpkin Luminaries
    Make luminaries and lanterns that lead up to your front door for trick-or-treaters.