Create your own Floral Pumpkins to celebrate Autumn!

Whether you're gathering your own supplies, nabbing one of our DIY boxes, or joining one of my favorite Seasonal Celebration Workshops of the year, this blog will go over all the tips and tricks to making the cutest darned pumpkin you've ever seen.

Step 1: gather supplies

If you're headed to our workshop, then don't worry, we've prepared all the tools and sorted out all of the dried flowers you'll need for the activity! If you've grabbed one of our DIY boxes, all you'll need is some hot glue for added stability. If you're going it alone, be sure to gather the following:

The Perfect Pumpkin - I look for pumpkins with a bit more flat space on top so that we can get more surface area, but you can still achieve a beautiful look with rounded tops. Just be sure to check the whole surface of your pumpkin to make sure there are no cuts or signs of rotting. Pumpkins will stay wonderful for a while as long as their tough exterior isn't cut into, which means these will last for months!

Dried Flowers - You can find these at boutique shops and online, or you can cut your own throughout the year to dry yourself (more on that in another blog). There is also plenty of room here to grab small pinecones, acorns, tiny witch hats... whatever you're feeling this season!

Spanish Moss - This will be a HUGE help in getting your flowers and ornaments to stay where you want them to stay and to provide a soft visual transition between the floral areas of the pumpkin to the pumpkin itself, it feels more natural than, "BAM! there's flowers on my pumpkin," but by all means skip it if that's your vibe, it's your pumpkin after all!

Hot Glue - Again, this is what will really stabilize those blooms to your masterpiece. the hot glue will grab onto that bundle of Spanish Moss we talked about earlier.

Snacks! - Grab your favorite Autumn drink (apple cider is my go-to this time of year) and a few snacks. Depending on the size of your pumpkin, this could take a while! But don't worry, you can always break this into two sessions if you get toooo ambitious when selecting your pumpkin.

Step 2: Put some hair on that Pumpkin!

Okay but actually, let's make sure we rinse that pumpkin first with some cold water and a little bit of soap, just to get that extra dirt off. Now would be a good time to turn on that glue gun or glue pot so it starts to warm up. These steps are already completed for our workshop guests and DIY boxes!

Nooow things are going to get hairy. Grab a small handful of that spanish moss and place it on top of your pumpkin. we're aiming to cover a good amount of the top here. you don't need to mound it too high, but don't be too sparse with this either. I'd say most of my moss tops end up being 1/2 - 3/4" thick and cover 75% of the top. Because we are using this to glue our stems to, you want to make sure there isn't a whole bunch of space between the strands. Most moss you order will be perfectly fine, but if you notice a bunch of pumpkin showing through just add some more on there. On the flip-side, we ARE sticking stems through, so don't go so crazy that there isn't any space at all 😂.

Once you've got a good moss patty, place it next to your pumpkin and blow any loose pieces off the top. Grab your hot glue and place a ring or two around the stem on the top, about midway through the where the radius of your moss patty would be. Then gently and carefully press the moss onto the top of your pumpkin and wait for the glue to cool. now you've got the hardest part done!

Step 3: Decorate!

There is no "right" way to decorate your pumpkin, but if you want some tips to get you started and over the dreaded "empty canvas" mental block, I've got you covered!

• Forego the glue at first - try placing your stems into the moss without gluing to see what you like, then take each piece out and replace with the glue one by one when you're happy with your piece! This is for the people with too many ideas that don't want to be stuck with the first thing they try out.

• Place your biggest flowers first - sometimes a lot of space can be daunting, so placing those big focal pieces right off the bat gives your brain a relief and a point to build off of!

• Just a dab will do ya - you really don't need to put too much glue on your stems. Before you apply the glue, stick the flower where you want it to go and trim the stem to the right length, then add a thin layer of glue to the stem before placing it back in that spot. It helps to hold larger items for a moment and to press them into the moss as you do so that they don't let gravity shift them as the glue sets. Smaller items and most flowers will do just fine without additional assistance.

• Triangulate - placed something pink? make a triangle with two more pink points for a cohesive look, and continue with other colors. You can even have two pink triangles or explore other shapes like diamonds or swirls. This is not a hard and fast rule, but if you work better in repetition and pattern then try it out!

• Heavy vs Airy - visually, we like to see contrast in things. working in "heavy" and "airy" elements can really make a difference in your piece. Heavy elements can be things that take up a large space and look compact, like a large Marigold or Sunflower head, or even two or three Gomphrena close together. Airy things can be flowers that have lighter coloring to them or have space between them like Feverfew, Lavender, or even Hydrangea. Alternating between the two as you decorate will bring visual interest to your pumpkin easily!

Step 4: Enjoy your unique natural centerpiece!

These pumpkins will last you months, or until you decide to switch over to your winter decor for the year. Mini pumpkins are perfect for bookshelves and desks, or for accompanying your larger pumpkins as a more eventful centerpiece. Be sure to keep these away from water and fire, and don't plan on keeping them on your front porch either!

I would love to see what you create, so please tag @dillydallymeadows in your insta and FB posts!

Happiest Autumn,

Linnea & the (dried) Flowers