What would Halloween be without a pumpkin? We spend the spooky season choosing the perfect pumpkin, and competing to see who can carve out the best jack o’lantern designs.
Pumpkins do more than just scare trick or treaters, so retailerĀ NextĀ has revealed five sustainable ways we can reuse our pumpkins once Halloween is over.Ā
1. Try a pumpkin face mask
Why not use your leftover pumpkin to whip up a superfood face mask? Pumpkins are full of healthy nutrients that benefit our skin, from Vitamin A, C and E, to antioxidants that can help protect the skin’s surface. Simply mix pureed pumpkin with honey, a natural antibacterial, and apply an even layer to the face. Rinse the product off with cold water after 15 minutes.
2. Make your own pumpkin spice latte
Test out your barista skills by using leftover pumpkin puree to make your own pumpkin spice latte. Start by heating milk, pumpkin puree, sugar, pumpkin pie spices and vanilla extract on the stove. Finish by mixing the pumpkin spice milk with coffee, and add whipped cream.
3. Make a pumpkin planter
For those who didn’t opt to carve their pumpkins, this makes for a great excuse to turn your pumpkin into an autumn planter. Start by cutting off the top of the pumpkin and remove the filling and pumpkin seeds, then fill with potting soil until one-third full. Finally, place your plant into the pumpkin and top off by adding more soil.
4. Create a pumpkin bird feeder
We’re not the only ones who benefit from reused pumpkins, but birds too! Turn your pumpkin into a garden bird feeder to attract more wildlife to your garden. Cut your pumpkin in half and scoop out the filling and seeds, then insert sticks through the pumpkin to serve as perches for the hungry garden guests. With rope attached to the sticks, fill the pumpkin with bird feed and complete by placing the feeder on a tree.
5. Compost your pumpkin
All good pumpkins have to come to an end at some point, and one way to recycle our jack o ‘lanterns is to convert them into compost. What was once a Halloween decoration could turn into a sustainable garden fertiliser.
Credit: https://www.next.co.uk/shop/promotion-autumndecor/0-mission
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