Dried Botanical Pumpkins

These eco-friendly dried botanical pumpkins are a lovely way to mark the season and honor teachers, neighbors, friends, and other special people in your life. I made these using dried botanicals from my garden and small black futsu decorative pumpkins to decorate our teachers’s desks. I also included a gift card so they could treat themselves at our favorite local coffeeshop. Here’s how I made them:

• dried botanicals
• small decorative pumpkins
• twine or raffia ribbon
• gift tag 

• hole punch
• scissors
• glue gun (optional)
  
  

1. Write a message on your gift tag. Punch a hole into the tag and into the gift card envelope and string twine or raffia through it. Tied it to the stem of the pumpkin, letting it hang low and off to the side.

2. Create a small nosegay (miniature bouquet) with your dried botanicals and tie them together with twine or raffia, leaving a few inches on each end of the tie. Trim the ends up to the tie.

3. Attach the nosegay to the stem of the pumpkin and position it on its side with the botanicals resting on top of the pumpkin just over your gift card.

4. Create a second smaller nosegay and attach it to the pumpkin’s stem, also resting on its side but facing the opposite direction. Tuck the stem of the nosegay under the first nosegay so it is hidden.

Tip: If you feel your botanical bunches need extra support, a dab of hot glue will go a long way.