This no carve sunflower pumpkin uses the heads of silk sunflowers or any other colorful daisy-like flower to cover the outside of a faux pumpkin.

This is a great idea for those of you who do not like the mess of a carved pumpkin. It’s also one that gardeners will love!

Fall is my time of the year. I love the cool weather and the fact that vegetables like pumpkins are maturing. since my daughter’s favorite flowers are gazanias and sunflowers, this DIY project really appeals to me.

I decided to use the sunflowers in a Halloween decorating project for a change of pace.

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Use this sunflower pumpkin as a front entry decoration or add it to your Thanksgiving table centerpiece. It is bright and sunny and very easy to do.

Don't like the mess of a carved pumpkin? Use silk sunflowers and a faux pumpkin to make the cheeriest Thanksgiving decoration ever. Get the tutorial for my sunflower pumpkin on The Gardening Cook. #sunflowers #pumpkins 🌻🎃🌻 Share on X

While the sunflower pumpkin carving above is beautiful and all gardeners will love it, a carved pumpkin will shrivel and start to rot and it can be a real mess over time.

Today we are combining sunflowers and pumpkins into a no-mess, no-carve display that you can leave out all season long.

Making a DIY no carve sunflower pumpkin

To make the project, you will need a faux pumpkin with a nice-looking stalk. All you will see of the pumpkin when the project is done is the stem, so make it a one.

A real pumpkin would also work fine, but you will be punching holes in it so it will eventually break down. If you use a faux pumpkin, the whole thing can be stored for another year.

To make the project you will need:

Also needed are a bunch of silk sunflowers
some floral pins OR
fine gauge wire.
Note: If the project is only going to be used for a few days, real flowers could also be used but they will wilt quickly.

Covering the pumpkin with sunflowers

The easiest way to cover the pumpkin is to use floral pins to secure the stems into the pumpkin body.

If you don’t have floral pins, you can cut the floral wire into small pieces and wrap it around the stem of each sunflower head. Twist the wire into a pin shape and use this to poke into the pumpkin to attach.

Keep adding sunflowers until the whole pumpkin is covered with them.

Display and enjoy! Note…the pins will eventually make the pumpkin weep a bit, so it’s a good idea to put it on a tray to display if you use a real pumpkin.

You can also use real sunflowers if you have them in your garden instead of silk ones, but the display won’t stay yellow as long.

If you love the look of pumpkin decor and don’t mind cleaning a pumpkin and carving it, be sure to check out my other article for loads of tips for choosing the perfect pumpkin for carving decorating ideas.

Pin this no carve sunflower pumpkin project

Would you like a reminder of this easy Thanksgiving table decoration? Just pin this image to one of your Autumn decorating boards on Pinterest so that you can easily find it later.

More pumpkin projects

Are you a fan of pumpkin projects? Be sure to check out these ideas for fall:

Knucklehead pumpkins – Find out why some pumpkins have warts.
Recycled wood pumpkins – Use old reclaimed wood and turn them into pumpkin decorations.
Autumn leaf pumpkins – Another no carve pumpkin project.

If sunflowers are your thing, check out my page of sunflower quotes that are sure to put you in a sunny mood.

Admin note: this post for my no carve sunflower pumpkin first appeared on the blog in October 2014. I have updated the post to add new photos, a printable project card, and a video for you to enjoy.

Yield: 1 pumpkin display

DIY No Carve Sunflower Pumpkin

Bring nature inside with this no carve sunflower pumpkin project. It's ready in minutes and is a nice change from a normal carved pumpkin.

Active Time 30 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Difficulty easy

Estimated Cost $20

Materials

Faux pumpkin with a long stem.
Floral pins
Silk Sunflowers

Tools

Wire snips

Instructions

Use the wire snips to trim the sunflower heads so that the stems of them are quite short.
Starting at the top of the pumpkin, use the floral pins to secure the sunflowers in rows around the pumpkin.
Continue pinning the sunflowers until the pumpkin is covered with flowers.
Display.

Notes

If you use a real pumpkin, display it on a plate, since the pins will make the pumpkin weep over time.