Fall has fallen!  And as our days turn cooler and more colorful our surroundings are filled with icons that symbolize a plentiful harvest.  Perhaps, the most recognizable of these icons is the pumpkin.  This pleasantly plump orange fellow can instantly take your home from bland to a lively autumn abode.  And pumpkins offer a great alternative for Halloween decorating if you are trying to steer clear of blood and ghouls.  Although you can just place them on a table or a stoop, there are a few spots around your home where pumpkins can add an extra punch.  Try these spots to create remarkable decor.

• Line your stairs with a small gourd on each step
• Carve your house address into a large pumpkin and place it near your sidewalk.
• Write a message on your mantel.  Try using 3 small white pumpkins and writing B-O-O (one letter on each) in a creepy black font.  Place them across your mantel scattering fall greenery or other seasonal foliage around them.
• Create a pumpkin patch on your hearth and perhaps into a non-burning fireplace.  Group similar gourds together and scatter colorful silk leaves around them.  If you are brave enough you can bring small hay bales int the equation.
• Scatter them among your flowers.  If you have a flower garden in your front yard, pumpkins are the perfect way to bring a fall/Halloween feel to it.  If you lack a garden, try placing baby pumpkins in flower boxes 0r flower pots or urns.  Or you can even hollow one out and use it as a vase.  This works particularly well with the tall narrow ones.
• Create a pumpkin garland by stringing jute or raffia through baby pumpkins.  Just be sure that they are not too heavy and don’t forget to tie a knot on each side to keep them in place.
• Create lanterns to replace your porch light or illuminate the path to your front door.  Try this cookie cutter method from Martha.
• Use a large pumpkin to create a festive drink cooler.  Just hollow it out and fill with ice and drinks.
• Create a haunted Halloween village.  Carve a building scene into several different gourds that are a variety of shapes and sizes.  Use hay bales to create a staggered landscape.
• Take advantage of their practical uses.  Pumpkins can sub in for book ends, paperweights, door stops, etc.  Anywhere that you need a heavy firm round object, a pumpkin can probably do the job.