How to Make a Pumpkin Planter

Pumpkin planters make great fall decorations. It’s a quick and easy project that is fun and satisfying. Pumpkin planters look great in groups or by themselves, indoors or out. Rather than filling the pumpkin with soil that would quickly rot the rind, the hollowed pumpkin simply serves as a decorative shell that holds a potted plant.

Pumpkin container gardens also make great Halloween decorations. Use acrylic craft paint or draw a face on your pumpkin with a permanent marker. Plant grass, sage, or even a succulent in a pot to give your pumpkin planter personality and wild and crazy “hair.”

You can use any size potted plant or pumpkin, just make sure that the diameter and height of the nursery pot aren't larger than your pumpkin. Feel free to experiment with different varieties of pumpkins to create a stunning display.

Project Metrics

What You'll Need

Equipment/ Tools

• Large, sharp knife
• Pencil
• Scooping tool
• Medium-sized bowl

Materials

• Large pumpkin
• Potted nursery plant(s)
• Newspaper

Instructions

1. Choose a Plant and a Pumpkin

   The choice of plants available at nurseries may be somewhat limited during the season when pumpkins are sold. The plants available at this time are often traditional fall specimens, such as mums, sunflowers, daisies, dianthus, and pansies.

   You can achieve lots of different looks with plant choice—from elegant to hilarious. Use an orange million bells, such as Superbells 'Dreamsicle' or 'Tequila Sunrise', to get a cheery look. Try a dark, almost black heuchera, such as 'Dolce Blackcurrant'' for dramatic contrast. Also, consider using plants that will drape over the top of the pumpkin, so you don't have to worry if your pumpkin carving skills aren't perfect.

   It's possible to use almost any potted plant you're already growing, provided it can survive the chilly weather that occurs in fall if you plan to leave your pumpkin outdoors.

   Select a pumpkin that is not yet over-ripe. Once opened up and carved, an overly ripe pumpkin will begin to soften within a couple of weeks. At that point, they are extremely attractive to squirrels and rabbits who love to munch on them.

2. Open the Pumpkin

   Cover your work area with newspaper. Using a sharp carving knife, cut a hole in the top of the pumpkin around the stem that is smaller than your plant container. You can eyeball the size. Once you get the initial hole done, set the pot over the hole and use a pencil to lightly trace around the circumference. Cut the opening larger to fit.

   This method also works if you'd like to create a pumpkin planter with the pumpkin laying on its side.

3. Scoop Out the Pumpkin

   Use a large spoon or an ice cream scoop to scoop out all of the seeds and pumpkin flesh. This material makes a good addition to a compost bin.

   Tip

   If you like, put the seeds in a bowl and save them to make roasted pumpkin seeds. Depending on the variety of pumpkin, you may be able to use the flesh in pies or other recipes.

4. Pare Down the Inner Rind

   Use the scoop or a knife to whittle out the flesh of the pumpkin under the edge of the opening. This will make it easier to put the plant, still in its plastic pot, in the hole. Also, at this point, you can hold the bottom of the pot up to the hole and see if you need to widen the hole for the pot to fit.

5. Cut a Drainage Hole

   Turn your pumpkin over and cut a drainage hole in the bottom or other side. This will prevent water from sitting in the bottom of the pumpkin planter. Too much dampness will speed up the rate at which the pumpkin rots and may also cause your plant to drown.

6. Insert the Plant

   Try to slide the plant container into the hole you've made in the pumpkin. At this point, you may have to do a little more carving to help the pot to slip easily into the pumpkin’s hole.

   If the pumpkin is too tall for the plant container, you can place folded newspaper or wood scraps in the bottom to elevate the plant so the lip of the container is nearly flush with the top of the pumpkin.

7. Care for the Planter

   Follow watering and feeding directions for your particular plant and make sure it is getting the required amount of sunlight, though your pumpkin will last longer if it isn't in the hot sun.

   Group your pumpkin planter with other fall container gardens, gourds, and pumpkins, or just place it on a doorstep. If you use your pumpkin planter for a table decoration, make sure to put something under it to protect the table surface.