Looking for a simple way to decorate pumpkins this year? Try succulent topped pumpkins!

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Succulent topped pumpkins are so much fun and very easy to make. You can use real pumpkins or create a succulent arrangement in (or on) an artificial pumpkin if you want it to last longer. While the tutorial below uses miniature pumpkins, the same approach works for larger pumpkins. You can also see a tutorial and larger succulent topped pumpkin in my book (along with other tutorials) too.

Really quick, be sure to grab my FREE waterin g cheat sheet so you can learn how to tell if your succulents are getting too much water (and how to save them if needed).

When I saw these adorable mini white pumpkins at my sister-in-law's house, I knew they needed succulents.

Rather than completely cover the top of the pumpkin, I decided to add just a “kiss” of succulents. This way the cute little pumpkin would still be very visible, but have a little decoration of it's own.

top view succulent white pumpkin — Small Sempervivum and Sedum Varieties

In order to keep the decoration small, I also needed small succulents. And, since I knew these would be outside I also wanted to make sure I used cold hardy succulents.

After browsing through Mountain Crest Gardens selection, I found quite a few varieties of tiny Sempervivums and Sedums.

Any variety of succulents will work, but I have an obsession with tiny things at the moment, so the tiny pumpkin combined with tiny succulents was perfect.

Here's what you'll need:

Succulents
Pumpkins (real or fake)
Sphagnum moss
Floral Glue or Hot Glue

These pumpkins are really simple to make. The hardest part is deciding which succulents to use and where to put them.

I prefer to use floral glue for succulent projects, but hot glue is generally easier to find and will also work. If you use a glue gun rather than floral glue, I highly recommend using a hot glue gun (as opposed to a low temp glue gun). Low temp glue tends to fall off the waxy pumpkin skin easily, but hot glue (and floral glue) will hold much better.

Start by gluing moss to the top of the pumpkin. The easiest way to do this is by putting glue on top of the pumpkin and then pressing the moss on top. Just make sure your moss is thick enough your fingers don't get burned by the hot glue.

Once the glue is in place, decide how you want to arrange your succulents and then glue them on top of the moss. Depending on the succulent you use, you may find it's easiest to place glue on the bottom of the succulent cutting and then put the succulent on the pumpkin.

Typically working with succulent cuttings is easier than rooted plants. If you do use rooted succulents, remove most of the soil and even some of the roots before gluing them to the pumpkin. Eventually, they'll grow roots in the moss and can even grow through the glue! Leaving soil and roots makes it difficult to attach the succulents to the moss or pumpkin.

That's it! Your pumpkin is ready to go!

I loved making these tiny pumpkins, but a few years ago I also covered a GIANT pumpkin with succulents. It lasted for almost two months before the pumpkin started to get mushy.

To care for succulent pumpkins, simply pour water over the top of the moss if you notice the leaves starting to shrivel. Generally this would be every two weeks or so.

These will do best in bright indirect sunlight. Too much direct sunlight will cause them to dry up faster and can cause them to get sunburned.

If you use real pumpkins, they will typically last for several weeks, and sometimes months, as long as you don't puncture the flesh.

Once the pumpkin starts to decline, you can gently remove the succulents and plant them in your garden or in a traditional pot and save them for next year! Just place them on top of soil and water every few days to help the roots become more established.

If you want to see what that looks like, I have a video that shows how I took apart my large succulent topped pumpkin a few years ago:

There are so many ways to use succulent topped pumpkins, whether it's for fall decor, Halloween party gifts, or Thanksgiving centerpieces. You could even use them for Christmas if they last long enough, which they definitely can!