DIY Succulent Pumpkin

There are so many things that make me think of Fall. Cooler weather aka “Cuddle weather”, colorful trees, falling leaves, comfy sweaters, pumpkin spice candles, warm tea, and my favorite thing of all….Succulent Pumpkins!! I first learned about succulent pumpkins during a garden group meeting my Mom hosted several years back. We each brought our own pumpkin and succulents, and she taught us step by step how to make them. I’ve been obsessed with them ever since! They’re so easy to make, and are the perfect Fall decoration in my opinion. They look adorable on the porch, entryway, and even better as a centerpiece on the table! If you’re looking for something to doll up your Thanksgiving table, this is it, I promise!

Materials Needed:

A Pumpkin
Krylon Spray Adhesive
Moss
Succulents
Optional: Hot Glue Gun

I recommend using a pumpkin with a flatter top (such as the cinderella or fairy tale pumpkin), it’s easier for the succulents to stay on. You can use any size, I’ve made mini succulent pumpkins and extra large pumpkins! You can find spray adhesive at any craft store (Hobby Lobby, Michaels, Joanns, Walmart) or Home Depot. You can also find moss at most crafts stores, but I usually get mine at Dollar Tree because hello, it’s one dollar! One pack of moss will be plenty enough for a pumpkin. I have a million succulents these days, so I never have to shop for them when I make succulent pumpkins. But, if you’re in need, I love succulents at Green Acres, Home Depot, and I’ve even ordered them right off amazon prime! Succulents are super trendy right now, so I’m sure you can find some at any local nursery.

Friendly Mom Advice Before Starting:

Place your succulents in a safe place so your children won’t destroy them. My son decided to drive his “truck” right up to my crafting station, jumped out and ran right on top of my succulents as shown below. Needless to say I was left with a few broken succulents. The nickname “Little S***” suites him sometimes…. LOL Ok, let’s get started!!

Step One: Wash your pumpkin

Give your pumpkin a good rinse and dry it off so that the spray glue sticks on good.

Step Two: Spray Adhesive on Pumpkin

Follow the instructions on the spray adhesive can (usually requires you to shake the can “vigorously” for a couple minutes) and spray the top of the pumpkin where you want your moss to go. This stuff is STICKY, so make sure you spray it only where you want it to go, and try not to touch it with your hands. If you’re not sure exactly where to spray it, scroll down to the next picture where you see the pumpkin with the moss on it. This will give you an idea of where you want to spray the adhesive.

Step Three: Wait until Adhesive gets Tacky

After you spray your adhesive, wait a minute until the glue gets tacky/sticky. Read the instructions on your adhesive can as some brands may differ in waiting time.

Step Four: Apply Moss

Grab clumps of your moss and place it on your pumpkin where you sprayed your glue. Press the moss down so it really sticks to the glue. Fill the entire top of your pumpkin with moss. I usually add a little more moss towards the center of the pumpkin because most times it concaves a bit. Make sure you have at least 1/2 an inch of moss in height all around the top so that the succulents have room to grow some roots throughout it.

Step Five: Prepare Your Succulents

Before you plant your succulents, make sure you give their stems a good trim. You do not need any soil or roots to plant your succulents. Trim your stems so they’re almost to the first leaf as shown in the picture. If your succulents don’t have a stem, that’s totally ok, they’ll still grow roots.

Step Six: Plant Your Succulents

The best part is finally here! Stick your succulents right into the moss. You can use the tip of a pencil to make a little hole in the moss if you’re stem isn’t going in the moss as easily. For the most part, I usually don’t glue my succulents down. I find pumpkins with flat tops so they just sit right on top of the moss. If you feel like you’re succulents are going to fall off, you can dab a little hot glue to the stem and then stick it into the moss so it stays more secure. No, hot glue does NOT hurt your succulents. You can actually cover the entire stem if you wanted to and roots will grow RIGHT through the glue. Succulents are the best! That’s seriously all there is to it. When you look at a succulent pumpkin it looks pretty complex but it is in fact so easy to make! Have fun with these and make sure you tag me @Campbellscountrycharm if you make one! Keep on reading to learn how to water your succulent pumpkin and what to do with them after the Fall season.

Watering Your Succulent Pumpkin

You’ll water your pumpkin just like you would if your succulent were in a pot, but with a little less water. Water so that your moss gets wet, and don’t water again until your moss is completely dry. The moss works as soil, so the succulents are able to soak up the water from the moss. As a reference, I usually water my succulent pumpkins once every week or two depending on how hot it is outside. Now that the weather is cooling down a lot, you’ll be fine if you water once every two weeks.

What to do with your Pumpkin after Fall

There are a few options for you regarding what to do with your succulent pumpkin when pumpkin season is over. (Wah! I love pumpkin season…)

Gently take off your succulents and plant them in a pot or desired location.
Cut the top off the pumpkin as if you were going to carve it and plant the top right into the ground. The succulent roots will eventually grow right through the pumpkin when it disintegrates.
Place your pumpkin on soil and do nothing! No joke…I actually did this before…well, not intentionally. I forgot about my pumpkin and noticed months later that the pumpkin totally disappeared and my succulents rooted right into the ground! lol Guess this option is for the lazy and patient people… as it takes awhile for a pumpkin to fully disintegrate.