DIY Pumpkin Man ~ Perfect for Fall!

DIY Pumpkin Man ~ I’m not quite sure where this summer went? One day I was sitting on the deck clad in capris, a tanktop and sunglasses, sipping a chilled glass of wine; the next I was wearing jeans, a heavy sweater, wrapped in a wool throw and sipping hot chocolate. (dosed with Caramel Baileys – my newest obsession…lol). Honestly, I am not exaggerating, that is exactly how quickly it all happened this year.

I admit, I spent a couple of weeks lamenting the rapid demise of summer, but then I decided to suck it up and enjoy this new season; summer 2013 was gone and it wasn’t coming back.

Like many people, we like to change up our “outdoor theme” each season. In the summer we have big terra cotta pots flanking the garage door and at the front entrance.  They are filled to the brim with a variety of pretty summer flowers such as geraniums,  ivys, petunias, lobelia, ornamental grasses, etc.

In the fall I like to fill the pots with mums and scatter some pumpkins around the pots and this year I am also going to make this little guy again!

I apologize for saying the “W” word as well as the “S” word, but here goes!!  We all love making snowmen in winter,  so why not make an adorable pumpkin man for fall? We first made this little guy last year,  he was simple to make and very quickly became the talk of the neighbourhood!

What you will need:

• 1 large, 1 medium and 1 small pumpkin
• 1 mop (or other) handle
• 1 pair of heavy scissors, screwdriver or other sharp tool
• 1 heavy hammer or mallet of some type ( I actually used the back of a hatchet)

Steps:

• Pound handle into the ground until it is slightly shorter than the height of the 3 stacked pumpkins.
• Pumpkin note: make all holes approximately 1″ in diameter
• Large and medium pumpkins:  using scissors/screwdriver or other sharp tool, make a hole in bottom of pumpkin, carefully remove stem end and punch another hole in the top.
• Small pumpkin:  make hole in bottom, but NOT in top.

Assembly:

• Position the largest pumpkin over broom handle (which has been pounded into the ground), gently ease handle through both holes and ease pumpkin to the ground.
• Repeat process with medium sized pumpkin.
• Check height and pound handle further into ground if necessary. (You want handle to be shorter than stacked pumpkins,  so the handle does not protrude through top (smallest) pumpkin.
• Ease smallest pumpkin over handle being careful that it does not protrude through the top.
• That’s it, your pumpkin person is complete.
• He/she is adorable left as is, or you can decorate it with a scarf of artificial leaves or however you wish!

NOTE:  Because you have compromised the integrity of the pumpkins by making holes in them, depending on temperature, the pumpkins will start to decay after approximately 3 – 4 weeks.  If you would like your pumpkin person intact for Halloween or Thanksgiving, be sure to time the making of it accordingly.

{When the pumpkins start to decay, use a shovel to break them into small bits and scatter them over your yard.  The birds, squirrels, deer and other wildlife will devour them within 24 hours. Where I live, they seldom last even that long!}.

If you have any questions at all, please don’t hesitate to ask and I will do my best to answer them.