DIY Pumpkin Flower Vase

Happy first day of October! I have been holding off posting anything fall-themed because I am practicing (and I do believe it takes self discipline) the joy of living in the moment.

Like most of you, I am a planner. This is a very necessary characteristic to have to smooth the daily unexpected bumps of life. It is so easy to get caught up in what is on the horizon. Sometimes I catch myself engrossed in thinking about tomorrow, that I miss the simple pleasure of enjoying what’s happening in the present.

So I waited until I felt the first crispness in the air, saw the first tree with leaves that were changing and waited until October to usher us into a new season. Now I am ready, and so excited to blog about one of my favorite months of the year!

To kick it off, I am combining things that are really close to my heart. Flowers, pumpkins and friends. Long before I launched my floral design studio, Fresh Flower Bar, I was passionate about flowers and flower arrangements. This post is actually two years old, but I still love the content and wanted to share it again. I am holding workshops in my studio this month, and one of them will be all about making a flower arrangement in a pumpkin. If you don’t live in Connecticut, I hope you find this mini workshop helpful. Enjoy!

I believe that everyone should get flowers on their birthday. In honor of my girlfriend’s October birthday, when pumpkins are so plentiful, I created a DIY Pumpkin Flower Vase and filled it with gorgeous blossoms. This DIY flower project has been on my bucket list for a while, thanks to my friend Alexi for the inspo. This vase was so easy to make and I love how pretty and festive it is this time of year. I want to share the step-by-step photos and instructions if you want to make one for yourself or give to a friend. If you are entertaining this month or hosting Thanksgiving, this DIY Pumpkin Flower Vase would make a stunning center piece!

DIY Pumpkin Flower Vase

Here’s what you’ll need:

One medium size pumpkin
A sharp knife
A plastic container
One block of Oasis Floral Foam (very helpful, but not required)
Two green baby cabbage
An assortment of 3-4 types of flowers, I used roses, carnations and alstroemerias

You’ll see in some of the photos that I purchased white hydrangea. I decided not to use them once I saw the arrangement was coming together so beautifully. For the vase, I chose a white pumpkin that I selected from one of Connecticut’s local farms. Look for a pumpkin that is unblemished or has at least one good side. Pumpkins are grown in the dirt, so don’t discard a pumpkin that looks like it has potential, a quick wash with water may be all it needs. I used a plastic container with water-soaked oasis floral foam and inserted it into the center of the pumpkin to help anchor the flowers and provided the all important supply of fresh water. As you start adding the greens and flowers, measure the height of the flower and cut the stem on a diagonal. This helps the stem glide into the oasis and provides more surface area for the stem to absorb water.