Autumn pumpkins
Archived address: an autumn pumpkin holiday at home, decor without unnecessary risk
You have followed an old address on this domain. An independent guide to the festive home now runs here, and at this address we cover the autumn pumpkin holiday as an occasion for cozy seasonal decor: what to decorate and how, where to take extra care and what to put away until next fall.
A jack-o'-lantern glows just as nicely with an LED light inside instead of a candle.
Where this address comes from
Archived address · the former content has not survived
This address used to hold a holiday post from the former website. It has not survived, and we do not reproduce or retell it.
The Prazdnichnyymir guide is not connected with the former website. Below is our own note on autumn home decor, with no mysticism and no frightening details.
The holiday as an occasion for autumn decor
Autumn itself suggests how to decorate the home: pumpkins and oddly shaped ornamental gourds, bright leaves, berry branches, dried corn cobs and pine cones. The autumn pumpkin holiday is a good excuse to bring all of this together and make the home warm and a little playful without turning it into a horror-movie set.
The main colors of the season are orange, dark green, brown, burgundy and a touch of black. Textiles back them up easily: a throw, pillows, napkins. The brightest pieces work better gathered in a few spots, by the entrance, on the table and on the windowsill, than scattered throughout the home.
Pumpkins: carving without cuts
Choose a pumpkin
Pick a firm one with no soft spots or cracks and a stable base. Set it on the table and check that it does not roll.
Prepare your workspace
Work at a sturdy table, on a cutting board or oilcloth, in good light. Clear away clutter and ask children and pets to wait at a distance.
Cut away from yourself
Guide a sharp knife or carving tool away from yourself, keeping your free hand out of the cutting line. Do not rush and do not push with all your strength: a thick rind calls for patience, not force.
Painting for the kids
Leave the carving to adults. Invite children to paint the pumpkin with paints or markers and stick on paper eyes and a smile; it is every bit as much fun.
LED light inside
Put an LED candle or a small flashlight inside a carved pumpkin. An open flame inside dry pulp and next to leaves is an unnecessary risk.
Lanterns, leaves and branches
- Light lanterns made from jars, paper or pumpkins with LED candles instead of regular ones.
- Gather leaves for wreaths and garlands dry and clean, and at home let them dry a little more between sheets of paper.
- Put berry branches where toddlers and pets cannot reach them: berries from ornamental plants are not for eating.
- Pine cones and acorns look lovely in clear vases and on trays in the middle of the table.
- Keep natural decor away from radiators, hot bulbs and any flame.
“Spooky” decor and young children
Smiling pumpkins, cheerful ghosts made of white fabric, paper bats and yarn cobwebs appeal to almost everyone. Realistic masks and scary scenes, though, are taken seriously by little ones: they may end up feeling frightened in their own home.
If there are young children in the household or among your guests, go for funny rather than creepy. Ask your child what they like and let them make some of the decorations themselves; that way the holiday becomes their own.
How to clean up and what to keep for next year
Carved pumpkins: right away
A carved pumpkin spoils quickly. After the holiday, do not leave it in the house; put it in the compost or the trash.
Whole pumpkins: somewhere cool
Uncut pumpkins and gourds can decorate a cool entryway or porch for a long time if they are undamaged.
Natural decor: sort through it
Go through dry leaves, branches and pine cones: whole, clean ones can be kept in a box, while crumbling, dusty ones are better thrown out.
Textiles and lanterns: into a labeled box
Pack throws, napkins, fabric ghosts and LED candles into one box marked “autumn.” Take the batteries out of the candles so they do not leak before next season.
Read next
What we rely on
- Instructions from manufacturers of string lights and electrical appliances
- Holiday fire-safety guidance from Russia's Emergencies Ministry (in general terms)
- Editorial materials of the Prazdnichnyymir guide
The advice here is general and based on the instructions of string light and appliance manufacturers and on widely accepted rules of fire safety at home. Always check the instructions for the specific item on how to plug in a particular string of lights, where a stand or candle can go and how to handle the product.