Create this beautiful DIY Succulent Pumpkin Topiary decoration to add fall elegance to your decor!
Hi friends! So have you noticed that there are a couple of different schools of thought on what season we’re in regarding decorating at this mid(ish) point in September? There’s the “It’s still summer and let’s hold onto it til we soak up every last drop!” side and the “Well, it’s pretty much fall once school goes back so let’s get out the fall decor!” Which of these would you say you fall into?
I’m certainly not one to wish any day, week or season away, but I have to admit that I do get really excited to bust out the fall decor!
I made this Succulent Pumpkin Topiary for the Darice Blog last year and have been getting excited to pull it out for about a month now. See how easy it was to make, it’s the perfect addition (or start!) to your fall decor theme for the year!
DIY Succulent Pumpkin Topiary
Supplies
- Paper Mache Pumpkins in 6.5″ and 8″
- Craft knife
- Americana Decor Chalky Finish Paint in Whisper Ivory
- Americana Acrylic Paint in Coral Shell
- Paint brush
- Floral foam
- Spanish Moss
- Assorted Darice Faux Succulents
- Fall floral stems
- ¾” Dowel rod
- Glue gun
- Parchment Paper and Plastic Cup (not shown)
Directions
Using a craft knife, cut off the tops of both pumpkins.
Dispense coral and ivory chalk paint onto a small plate or palette. Paint pumpkins with one coat of coral paint and while still wet, dip paint brush in ivory chalky paint and lightly brush over coral paint only on the high planes of the pumpkins. I painted one pumpkin “column” at a time to make sure the paint was still wet. The ivory paint over the still-wet coral paint creates a really pretty dimensional highlight.
Once the pumpkins have completely dried, cut a small hole in the bottom of each pumpkin, just large enough for the dowel rod to fit through.
Place the rod up through the hole in the bottom of the large (bottom) pumpkin, leaving out enough of the rod at the bottom to make it level with the bottom of the pumpkin when standing. Sit the pumpkin upright on a piece of wax or parchment paper (the rod should be resting directly on the surface). Hot glue around the entire base of the rod inside of the pumpkin. Don’t worry about it being messy, really glob it on there! This is the foundation of the pumpkin topiary so we want to make sure everything is secure in there.
While the glue is still hot, slide floral foam through the rod and push into the base of the pumpkin.
Once the glue is set (about 20 minutes to be safe), flip the pumpkin over and apply more hot glue all around where the bottom of the pumpkin meets the bottom of the rod. Again, coat it well and don’t worry about it being messy, no one will see the bottom.
Once the glue is set, fill the remainder of the bottom pumpkin with floral foam. Cut a plastic cup (or something of similar size) down the side and a hole in the top. Slide the cup over the rod and position it where you want the top pumpkin to sit. The cup will hold the top pumpkin in place where you want it while you glue it.
Slide the small pumpkin over the rod from the bottom and make sure it is sitting level on the cup. Repeat the same process of gluing the inside and outside of the base of the pumpkin around the rod as in step 5 and 6 (except you don’t want to be as messy with the bottom of this one since it might be visible).
Once the top has fully dried and is set onto the base of the DIY pumpkin topiary, you can slide the cup out from under the small pumpkin. Stuff the pumpkin topiary with floral foam and Spanish moss.
Arrange succulents as desired. Toss a mum or two in to keep with the fall theme if you’d like.
If you’re obsessed with all things succulent like I am, you might also enjoy this DIY Succulent Terrarium, this DIY Succulent Monogram and these Beautiful Succulent Arrangements.
I hope you have a great rest of the week and weekend my friends! Thanks so much for stopping by!
Emily says
This is so, so cute! Love it!
Lydia says
Thank you so much Emily! xo
Mary says
lovely and creative spin on fall & Halloween.
Lydia says
Thanks so much Mary!
Brytyn says
Cool! I am definitely a soak up the summer person:)!!
Lydia says
Right on, I hope you enjoyed the rest of it Brytyn! 🙂
Maria says
I absolutely love this! Craft night? Can’t wait to use the glue gun Lol
Lydia says
Haha sounds good! 😉 xo