Beginning this month and going all the way through Thanksgiving, you’ll see pumpkins. Mounds of pumpkins, drifts and slopes and arrays of golden globes, all offered for sale. I’m talking about the real kind, the ones cultivated, harvested, piled in trailers, and hauled to market by actual farmers. But, as fresh fruit—or vegetable, if you will—these pumpkins (and squashes) have a limited amount of time to spend on earth.
You can go it one better, create a nice tribute to the season, and have decorative pieces not susceptible to decay. I’m talking about the kind of pumpkin crafted from resin or poly, and found at any craft store this time of year. They come in a jumble of sizes and shapes, just like the real thing, and don’t have to loll on tables, or perch in doorways or corners, just because that’s how everyone else uses them. Since they weigh mere ounces, you can easily nail a grouping of them on a wall for an unexpected homage to the season.
It only takes few minutes, and all you need is a hammer, nails, and a mix of different-sized artificial pumpkins and squash. First, clean and brush them with polyurethane. That sheen will make them actually look more lifelike, once they’re on the wall.
Once they’ve dried, group them in a preliminary mix on an area of the floor that approximates the wall they’ll be nailed to. If you’re sure of yourself, you can skip this step. But placing and arranging them before nailing means you can adjust, and not have to move them around once you put them on the wall.
Begin with the largest pumpkins, place each one onto a nail, then work your way down through the sizes, stepping back often to ascertain placement and perspective. Give each plenty of room, and don’t crowd them, which will make them ‘pop’ on the wall. You might want to reserve one or two to use somewhere else in the room.
When you have them arranged on your wall the way you like, then you’ll want to reinforce your seasonal and color themes by creating small effects for tables, mantel, or fireplace. Think about a mix of pumpkins, fresh flowers, potted plants, and unusual pieces of dried material. Also think about scale, and mix your colors.
Don’t forget the small touches, like a budvase of brightly mixed fruit and flowers on a stack of books. It’s these details that define the personality of the room.
And that wall of pumpkins? When you’re ready for the next holiday and its round of decorating, you can box them up for use another year.
Live Life to the Fullest
-Chris Olsen
