Help kids make mini succulent pumpkins

#Middlebury

Just in time for Thanksgiving and December holiday gatherings, stylish mini pumpkins can star in stripes, white and various shades of orange for eye-catching place settings and centerpieces when you glue moss and embed living succulents on top.

Give your kids the job of keeping the succulents misted every few days as the plants root into the moss, and enjoy the creations in your home now and into the new year. When the mini pumpkins soften and age, toss them in the compost bin and pot the succulents indoors in soil in a flowerpot to grow in bright sunlight or outdoors in a frost-free garden bed.

Get older kids involved in creating the mini succulent pumpkins by swirling the nontoxic sticky glue or a glue gun, handling the wiry moss and arranging different varieties of succulents and add-ins make for artful fun.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• One clean pumpkin with a flat-top surface.
• Water-soluble white glue that dries clear, such as Mod Podge Matte finish or a low-temp glue gun.
• Sphagnum moss, available in garden centers or craft stores.
• Several succulents. Use cuttings from your garden or purchase at garden centers.
• Natural add-ons such as seedpods, acorns, tiny pine cones, eucalyptus.

Here’s the fun:

1. Set mini pumpkin on a newspaper-covered work surface. Remove stem with clippers, being careful not to cut into the pumpkin.
2. Drizzle glue around the top area of the pumpkin in swirls. Cover with moss, about 1/2-inch thick, pressing firmly in place. Let dry.
3. Remove roots and soil from the succulents. Dip short stems into glue and poke into the moss. For balance, place a tall succulent for a focal point near the center and add remaining succulents and add-ons around it over the moss. An adult or older child may use a glue gun to affix the add-ons, if you prefer.

Care tips:
Set the pumpkin on a saucer, trivet or tray. Mist succulents and moss regularly, making sure the pumpkin remains fresh and dry. The succulents will begin to root through the glue into the moss. Keep away from excessive heat, freezing temperatures and rain.

Holiday idea: Use at each guest’s place at the Thanksgiving table. Tuck a name card in each one and set at each plate. Spray paint pumpkins in gold or silver for December holiday dinners. Guests may take one home to enjoy into the new year.

Donna Erickson’s award-winning series “Donna’s Day” is airing on public television nationwide. To find more of her creative family recipes and activities, visit www.donnasday.com and link to the NEW Donna’s Day Facebook fan page. Her latest book is “Donna Erickson’s Fabulous Funstuff for Families.”

© 2018 Donna Erickson
Distributed by King Features Synd.