The Quick Guide to Fall Decorating with Gourds, Squash, and Pumpkins

When it comes to fall decorating, there are lots of options out there. You could go the fall leaves route, the barrel of pumpkins route, the ‘f-it, let’s go full on turkey city up in here’ route…But I like to keep things a bit more subtle, when possible. And if I can make things easier on myself, I will. So tying together decorations for two holidays at once is my current version of a double rainbow.

Think of it as a deconstructed cornucopia that can go from your Halloween doorstep, to your Thanksgiving dinner table. There are a couple of gourds, a few kinds of squash, and some pumpkins for good measure.

I’m calling it my quick guide to fall decorating. Here’s the ‘recipe’ for effortless decorating this holiday season…

1. Swan Gourd: These are a must, if you can find them. I found a few at a local pumpkin patch (I use that term pretty loosely) and wanted to take all of them home with me. They really do resemble swans. Don’t you think?

2. Turban Squash: The mini ones are my absolute favorite! I mean, does it get any cuter?! I’ve heard people call these ‘dwarf house’ gourds as well? But when you search it, nothing really comes up. So turban squash it is. The most common version of these are about twice the size of thes minis and are orange and red.

3. Fairytale + Cinderella Pumpkins: You can pick up pretty inexpensively (about $6 a piece) at specialty grocery stores, like Trader Joes, Fresh Market, and Whole Foods. They kind of look like something Cinderella would be strolling around town in.

4. Cushaw Squash: You get butternut squash at pretty much any grocery store, specialty or not. But cushaw squash is a little bit more unusual (and pretty big too). The stripes make it kind of fun and the cool shape will look awesome on Halloween doorstep or a Thanksgiving table. Don’t you think?

5. Lumina Pumpkins: These are basically just white pumpkins, which I also love. There are lots of varieties of white pumpkins, but I think Lumina is one of the more common ones. If you’re thinking about painting pumpkins at all, I’d recommend using white ones, over the standard orange ones, because you won’t have to paint as many coats to cover the surface.

6. Delicata Squash: The small(ish) striped, almost football shaped, squash. You can pick it up at nearly any grocery store.

7. Miniature Gourds: These little guys are perfect for nestling into a larger collection of pumpkins and gourds. They’re super inexpensive (ranging from $1-2) and easily fit into decorative bowls as a centerpiece for Thanksgiving, after Halloween is over.

Photography + Styling Brittni Mehlhoff

Curious to know how you typically like to decorate for fall. Have any favorites to share that I might have missed?