5 Things To Do with Pumpkins After Fall is Over

Are you looking for things to do with pumpkins after Fall is over and done?

Simply put: Are you wondering what to do with leftover pumpkins that have been sitting on your porch for weeks? Today, I’m giving you some ideas for fun things to do with pumpkins after fall is over.

Fall really isn’t over until Christmas, but you might be ready now to change out the pumpkin for Santa. 

So, in this post, I’m going to dive into:

– 5 things to do with pumpkins after fall

– How to dispose of pumpkins after the season (without really disposing of them)

– Really, how you’re just going to recycle your pumpkins for something better. 

And that is the key here of this post. Reusing pumpkins for more! This post about fun things to do with pumpkins after fall is full of value for you who don’t feel right just throwing pumpkins away. 

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1. Composting or Burying

If you’re a gardener, you might be interested in using pumpkin as organic matter in your garden this Fall. There are two ways to do this:

1. Go ahead and work the pumpkin into your garden spot.
2. Throw the pumpkin into your compost pile. 

Pumpkins are great organic waste and either way you choose will work great. And Fall is a great time to work on your garden soil health. 

2. Heal your skin with pumpkin

Did you know that pumpkin is full of great nutrients for your skin? Why not use the pumpkin puree from old pumpkins to make a nice exfoliating pumpkin green tea mask? 

Ingredients: 

1 tsp. brewed green tea 
2 tsp. diced pineapple
4 T pumpkin puree
1 T. Honey
2 tsp. aloe vera
1/2 tsp. jojoba oil
4 tsp. Cornmeal

Now, you have your ingredients. Let’s learn how to make it:

1. First, steep the green tea in boiling water. Set aside and cool. 
2. In a food processor, puree pineapple. 
3. In a medium bowl, combine pumpkin, honey, aloe and pineapple. Mix well. 
4. Stir in jojoba oil, green tea and corn meal. 

Now, the mask is complete. Apply a small amount of pumpkin mask to cheeks, forehead, chin and neck. Leave a layer of mask on face and neck for 15-20 minutes. 

After time is up, rinse mask off with water and pat dry with a soft towel. Follow up with your favorite moisturizer. There will be mask left over but you can store it in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. 

I like to apply a rejuvenating mask to my face at least once per week. 

3. Feed to Animals

This is my favorite way to recycle pumpkins. My livestock love the pumpkins and they come running to get them. 

I give pumpkins to goats, sheep, cows and pigs. Chickens are also big fans of pumpkin. And the pumpkin is very nutritious for the animals, too. 

Be careful with giving too much at a time to animals. Ration them as too much can cause tummy issues. I generally give about 1/2 to 1 pumpkin per animal per day. Remember – It’s just a treat. 

How to find more treats for your animals if you run out of your own? Go into town and talk to some store owners with extra left over pumpkins. It never hurts to ask for donations for livestock treats. 

4. Turn Pumpkins into Decoration

If you’re a DIY person, you can continue to use pumpkins as decoration after it’s cool to do so. Here’s 3 ideas:

1. Make a flower pot.
2. Floating Candle
3. Make an Air Freshener

I’ll dive into each one a little bit more.

First, the flower pot. If you have a winter garden for mums or poinsettias, you can convert pumpkins into a planter! Here’s how:

1. Cut a large hole at the top of the pumpkin. Hollow out the center.
2. Drill a small hole at the bottom for drainage.
3. Fill the pumpkin half-full with potting soil.
4. Plant your flower or herbs in your pumpkin. Water thoroughly!

Next, we’ll cover the Air Freshener.

If you love the smell of pumpkin in your home, this is a great way to bring the scent inside in a real way.

1. Simply rub your favorite spice or oil on the inside of a jack-o-lantern.
2. Light it with a tea candle.

As your guests walk by the scented pumpkin, they are sure to small this festive pumpkin-spice smell. Turn the face around so it’s just a pumpkin. You can keep the season of Fall alive longer this way.

Finally, the floating pumpkin candle. Did you know that pumpkins float? Especially smaller pumpkins. Here’s how to create this fun Fall decoration for parties or outdoor Fall wedding receptions:

1. Remove the pumpkin’s stem.
2. Place a tea candle on top of the small pumpkin and trace its outline.
3. Carefully cut out the tracing to a depth that will fit the depth of the candle.
4. Then, place the candle right on top into the pumpkin.
5. Finally float the pumpkin candle in a bowl of water.

And light the candle. This could also be used as an adorable Thanksgiving decoration.

Wondering what to make with fresh pumpkin? There’s lots of different ways and recipes for pumpkin puree and pumpkin seeds. 

5. Make delicious recipes

If your plan all along is to use pumpkin for recipes, you’ll want to get the seeds and insides out of the pumpkin before it freezes. If it freezes, the pumpkin fruit will be destroyed. So, simply cut open the pumpkin, remove the seeds and insides and store them. 

You are then free to use the puree and seeds as desired. 

Here’s how I like to make pumpkin puree. 

And here is how I enjoy pumpkin seeds

Here’s another simple recipe for pumpkin seeds:

1. Toss the seeds with oil before roasting. 
2. Sprinkle sea salt onto the oiled seeds. 
3. Spread seeds onto a cookie sheet. 
4. Roast for about 25 minutes at 325 degrees F. 

How to make Pumpkins last longer

There are a couple of tricks to make pumpkins last longer if you buy them early.

1. Apply a light application of wax to the outside of the pumpkins.
2. Or coat the outside of the pumpkins in bleach water.
3. Or coat the outside of the pumpkins with Clearcote

Both of these ways are good ways to keep pumpkins fresh for a long time. But you probably don’t want to use these pumpkins in your gardens or compost.

You Can Keep Using Your Pumpkins!

I’ve given you 5 things to do with pumpkins after Fall in some unique ways. Hopefully this helps you come up with some good ideas for some different uses for pumpkins and pumpkin recipes for fresh pumpkins. 

Now, you have more ways to recycle your pumpkins after the season is over. 

~ Much Love ~