Pumpkins and jack-o’-lanterns are essential Halloween decorations. But once the trick-or-treaters have come and gone, what can you do with these festive gourds? Rather than just throwing them in the trash or compost pile, repurpose your pumpkins with any of these ideas.
Get cooking
Pumpkin is a healthy ingredient that can be used in a variety of delicious recipes, such as soup, hummus, salads and more. It’s best to use the fleshy part of fresh uncarved pumpkins for recipes. But if you are carving, you can use the innards to make a great vegetarian pumpkin stock.
Get crafty
Birds love the taste of pumpkin just as much as we do. Making a bird feeder is a great option for your leftover jack-o’-lanterns and is a fun activity for the kids!
What you need:
- Hollowed-out pumpkins, cut in half horizontally
- Two wooden dowel rods
- Birdseed
- Strong twine or cord
How to:
- Insert the dowels
- Poke a dowel into the pumpkin a few inches down from the top edge. Push it straight out through the opposite side of the pumpkin.
- Poke the second dowel through the pumpkin so it crosses just under the first dowel.
- Add the twine
- Cut the twine into four equal lengths.
- Tie a strand to each dowel, then tie the loose ends together in a large knot at the top.
- Fill with seeds and hang in your yard.
