From wine dispenser to ice bucket: pumpkins aren’t just for carving

Beyond carving scary faces, there’s a surprising amount you can do with pumpkins

You can get a little creative with the Halloween classic.

I love Halloween. I love any holiday that involves a day off, lots of sweets, and no pressure to buy presents. I love the cute trick-or-treaters knocking on my door; I love the increasingly elaborate decorations that neighbours are putting up each year. I don’t love the bangers or the egging, but look, nothing in life is perfect. The proliferation of pumpkins in our supermarkets is typical of our tendency to adopt American traditions, but it’s not something I mind. Decorating with pumpkins is better than buying lots of plastic tat that either gets thrown away in November or has to be stored somewhere for the rest of the year.

I enjoy a bit of pumpkin carving, and I like seeing others’ creative work sitting on doorsteps and grinning maniacally at passers-by. But this year I wanted to explore doing more interesting uses for them. The great thing about pumpkins is that Mother Nature has very thoughtfully designed them to be large, sturdy, hollowable containers. With a little imagination and a sharp knife, you can turn one into all sorts of useful things. I’ve been playing with some of the more creative possibilities, and here are my five favourites.

Pumpkin wine dispenser

Naturally, my favourite discovery involves the dispensation of wine. You can turn any decent-sized pumpkin into a functioning wine (or any drink) dispenser very easily, complete with a little tap at the front. Perfect for a party.

You’ll need a fairly large pumpkin and a box or bag of wine. You can also buy refillable bags with taps on Amazon. Cut a lid around the top of the pumpkin, and scoop out all the seeds and flesh. Give it a good clean-out. Then cut a small circular opening near the bottom of the front of the pumpkin. Pop the bag of wine (or whatever you want to fill it with) inside, then carefully feed the tap through the opening and replace the lid.

That’s it! You now have a pumpkin that dispenses wine. I recommend sitting it on a sturdy cake stand, or another raised surface, so that guests can easily fit a glass underneath the tap. You can of course further decorate the pumpkin however you like.

Pumpkin ice bucket

This one is easier and doesn’t require additional paraphernalia. Find a nice, round pumpkin - ideally with a fairly flat bottom (though of course, they all have lovely bottoms). Cut off the top, scoop out the insides, and voilà - you’ve got yourself an ice bucket. The trick is to put a smaller bowl or even a plastic bag inside the pumpkin to hold the ice and collect the meltwater. Otherwise, your pumpkin will have a soggy bottom.

Fill it with ice and put in your bottles or cans. If you’re having a big party, create a few pumpkin ice buckets and put different drink types in each one. If you’re after a little more sophistication, use a white or pale green pumpkin instead of the traditional orange. Add a few tapered candles, some autumn foliage, and some crystal glassware, and you have a beautiful seasonal table arrangement.

Pumpkin flower vase

This idea looks so pretty. It can work all through autumn, not just as a Halloween decoration. Choose a medium-sized pumpkin with an attractive shape and colouring. Cut a circular opening in the top of your pumpkin and scoop out the seeds and flesh. Place a jar or other vessel inside that can hold water. Fill the jar with water and arrange your flowers as normal. You could also use some Oasis here, which could help to hold your floral arrangement in place, especially if you plan to use dried flowers. But a jar of water is easier and more environmentally friendly.

I love the look of combining rich autumn coloured flowers with some red berries and plenty of foliage. You could also do something very modern and Halloweeny with a few sculptural branches.

For a dining tablescape, you could try three smaller pumpkins arranged in a row, each with different but complimentary flowers. Keep the arrangements low so they’re not interfering with your guests’ eyeline.

Pumpkin charcuterie cups

I saw this idea on Pinterest and fell in love immediately. Instead of using your regular old charcuterie platter or cheeseboard, you can place smaller servings inside mini pumpkins and dot them around the table. Adorable.

You’ll need the smallest pumpkins you can find, ideally those beautiful decorative varieties that fit into the palm of your hand. Cut the tops off and scoop out the insides. Be careful not to cut yourself here - I found the smaller pumpkins tougher to cut than the bigger ones.

Line each mini pumpkin with a cupcake case or some parchment paper so that the food doesn’t get infused with pumpkin flesh. Then arrange an assortment of small snacks inside: cubes of cheese, rolled slices of cured meats, olives, grapes, crackers, nuts, and whatever else you’re having yourself.

If you want this to look really good, the trick is to bring in some height and variety. A few taller breadsticks or skewers surrounded by smaller bites will make it all look like a well-considered edible bouquet. It would be gorgeous at a Halloween dinner party, either with a few scattered around the table for guests to graze on, or one per guest as an individual starter.

Build a pumpkin creature

This is the one that I have not personally attempted (yet), but I have seen on the doorstep of a house in Cork, and I was enchanted. Someone had stacked pumpkins together to create a pumpkin bear. It’s a clever way to abandon the carving altogether and go for something different. For a bear, use a large round pumpkin for the body, a smaller one for the head, and miniature ones for ears and paws. Secure everything in place with long dowels or some robust skewers. You can add facial features with markers or paint, or by cutting out some black card. A little scarf finishes it off nicely. You could also try a dog, a cat, or any number of creatures you feel sculpturally inclined towards. It’s a great one to do with children and a nice break from the tedium of carving.

In general, any pumpkin carving or other interference is best left as late as possible; as soon as you go messing with them they start to rot. Though we’re already close to Halloween now, so from here on in you can have at it. Don’t discard the insides without a second thought either - roasted pumpkin seeds are delicious!