Preserve a Little Piece of Summer With These DIY Pressed-Flower Pumpkins

Pumpkin-picking season has arrived, and with it a DIY trend that doubles as affordable fall decor and a thoughtful tribute to summer. Pressed-flower pumpkins, also referred to as botanical pumpkins, have continued to pick up steam on social media since they first popped up in 2020. While the exact source of the cottagecore craft is unclear, creators such as Cassandra Evans, aka northwoodsfolk, and farmettefinds on Instagram have played a hand in popularizing the pumpkin-decorating trend in recent years.

Unlike carving a jack-o'-lantern, crafting a pressed-flower pumpkin requires minimal tools and significantly reduces the mess involved in creating a beautiful centerpiece for your home. To make your own pressed-flower pumpkin, you'll need a few basic items: a pumpkin, white paint (optional), dried flowers or leaves, and Mod Podge or a compostable glue.

If you want to create a better canvas for the dried plants to stand out, apply a layer of white paint on your pumpkin and let it dry. Next, arrange your pressed flowers or leaves in a design of your choice, and use glue and a pastry brush to stick the plants to the pumpkin's surface. Allow the pumpkin to dry once again, and voilà! You have your pressed-flower pumpkin.

For those who'd prefer to make their pumpkins compostable or plan on eating them afterwards, Evans shared a pro tip: "I make a food-grade glue that can be washed off or simply composted," she wrote on Instagram. To make the glue, stir together 3/4 cups water, 2 tablespoons corn syrup or honey, and 1 teaspoon vinegar in a saucepan, bringing the mixture to a full boil. In a bowl, stir together cornstarch and another 3/4 cups water until combined. Next, gradually stir the cornstarch mixture into the syrup. Return the glue mixture to the stove and bring to a boil for one minute. Allow the glue to cool before using it and store any leftover glue in an air-tight container. "To apply flowers, you may need to water the glue down a little bit," she said.

Of course, you'll want to skip the layer of paint if you want to eat your pumpkin later in the season. Evans also added that while the homemade glue recipe is compostable, it will wash off in the rain, so keep an eye on the weather if you plan to put your pumpkins outside.

Simple and affordable, this fall decor hack is the perfect way to preserve a little piece of your garden and pay tribute to the warmer seasons going into fall. Ahead, see some of our favorite botanical pumpkins and get inspiration for your next pressed-flower pumpkin project.