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We all love dressing our homes up for Halloween. Whether you had a halloween house party or you are simply taking your kids out trick or treating in the local area, it's almost certain you would have designed your very own pumpkin carving at home first! But what happens when Halloween is over and you still have these hollow pumpkins hanging around the house?

Ah Halloween! Wonderful autumn colours, spooky goings on, trick or treat and jack o’lanterns.
According to Wikepedia: A jack-o’-lantern (or jack o’lantern) is a carved pumpkin, turnip, or other root vegetable lantern associated with Halloween. Its name comes from the phenomenon of a strange light flickering over peat bogs, called will-o’-the-wisp or jack-o’-lantern. The name is also tied to the Irish legend of Stingy Jack, a drunkard who bargains with Satan and is doomed to roam the Earth with only a hollowed turnip to light his way.

Reusing Pumpkins

From the very simple to the very detailed, pumpkins never fail to raise a smile. You will have removed sections of the pumpkin or hollowed it out to create a face or other image. After you add a tea light candle inside the pumpkin for an extra spooky look, you will feel your house is truly spooky. On Halloween you may have even displayed these outside your house for a haunted look. 

But what happens to all the lanterns, Pumpkin innerds and carved out parts when you are finished with them? If it just gets thrown away it can contribute to greenhouse gas emissions as well as creating tonnes of waste. So is there something you can do with this to not waste it?

Pumpkin Recipes

Apart from using them as house decorations, the obvious use is to eat it....and there are loads of fantastic, warming Autumn recipes for this: Pumpkin soups, Pumpkin curries, Roast pumpkin & roast pumpkin seeds. Also Pumpkin puree, Pumpkin Chips and don’t forget delicious vegetable stock (made from the stringy stuff!)...it’s a long list.

How to reuse your pumpkins

But there are other uses around the house which are not just helping reduce waste but are helping the environment and creatures living in it. There are so many nutrients and good things to be had from pumpkins, why not make the most if them. Plant the seeds in your garden and you can look forward to a nice crop next year if you prepare the soil properly. During the winter months, food is scarce on the ground for birds, squirrels etc, so put the seeds in your bird feeder and cut up the pumpkin and leave for birds and squirrels to pick at in your garden. Not only will it help them through the cold climate but its always lovely to watch. Add to, or start, a compost pile or bury pieces so they will break down and enrich the soil. A good soil base will mean lovely plants of all sorts next growing season.

If you use a little vegetable oil on them it will prevent them drying out and they will be beautiful for longer so you could use them as planters or the basis for other decorations. You can even use them for Cosmetic use, such as a nutritious and rejuvenating Pumpkin Face Mask. You might like to try this recipe!

Pumpkin Face Mask Recipe

2 cups canned pumpkin or Pumpkin puree
4 tablespoons Greek yogurt
4 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
Combine ingredients. Smooth onto face. Rest for 10 minutes, then rinse off mask. Effective and delicious!

So you see, don’t just bin it, make the most of it and enjoy it last long past your Happy Halloween! And if you do happen to reuse your pumpkins after reading this post - please tag us in it as we would love to see! @HerbertRThomas on Instagram