Succulents in Pumpkins Thanksgiving Centerpiece DIY

Christmas is just around the corner, but Thanksgiving isn't over yet. I was inspired by an article I saw in Sunset Magazine about planting succulents in a pumpkin for a decorative display. I love succulents, I just can't get enough of them, so this was right up my alley. I think these would look great as a centerpiece for a beautiful Thanksgiving table, but if you don't want to bring them indoors, they would also be lovely on your front porch to welcome your guests for Thanksgiving dinner.

I used two different pumpkins that I grew this year. I didn't carve any of them for Halloween, so I turned them into my succulent planters.

I cut into the tops of them, just like how you would when you are carving a jack-o-lantern. Then clean all of the goop out (my least favorite part). You can save the seeds for roasting or to plant for next year.

 Fill them part way up with cactus and succulent soil, then start arranging your succulents. I usually play around with the arrangement while they are in their containers until I find a layout I like, then just start planting them in the soil. After they are in, I fill in any gaps with a little more soil.

And as a finishing touch I like to add a layer of gravel or pebbles over the top of the soil. I was thinking you could even tuck some dried moss in and around the rim of the pumpkin so you don't see any of the exposed flesh. I didn't have any on hand, so I just left it at the gravel layer.

I recommend not leaving these indoors for too long, so you don't end up with a mess on your dining room table. After Thanksgiving is over you can replant the succulents into another pot, or you could plant the whole thing right in the ground, the pumpkin will break down and feed your succulents over the coming months.

I hope that everyone has a lovely Thanksgiving, but I plan to pop in one more time before then with one last fall craft, then we can shift our focus on to the Christmas season.