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Three white pumpkins that have been decorated with dried pressed flowers and leaves are lined up in a row. A plate with dried flowers sits nearby.

Decorated Pumpkins: Pressed Flower or Leaves with DIY Compostable Glue

Come learn how to make beautiful botanical pressed flower pumpkins decorated with dried flowers, fall leaves, herbs, and homemade compostable glue. This is an awesome sustainable fall craft project idea for the whole family - and SO much fun to do!
5 from 4 votes
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Craft Time 30 minutes

Equipment

  • Pumpkins (white pumpkins are ideal)
  • Pressed dried flowers, pressed fall leaves, herbs, ferns, or other dry botanicals
  • Small paint brush
  • Mod Podge or homemade compostable glue (recipe below)

Ingredients
  

  • 1.5 cups water
  • 2 Tbsp corn syrup or honey
  • 1 tsp vinegar or bottled lemon juice
  • 2 Tbsp cornstarch

Instructions
 

Homemade Biodegradable Glue

  • In a saucepan on the stovetop, combine only half the water (¾ cup) along with the corn syrup (or honey) and vinegar. Bring the mixture to a boil.
  • In a small separate bowl, thoroughly mix together the cornstarch and the remaining ¾ cup of water to create a paste. 
  • Next, add the cornstarch paste to the hot syrup on the stovetop. Stir well.
  • Return the glue mixture to a rolling boil and boil for about one minute. 
  • Remove the glue from heat and allow it to cool before use. I usually transfer it into a mason jar and put it in the fridge for a bit to expedite cooling.
  • Store homemade glue in an airtight container. Leftovers are best used within a few days (it starts to get clumpy thereafter) but can last several weeks if needed. 

Decorating Botanical Pumpkins

  • To add the dried flowers and leaves to pumpkins, use a paintbrush to apply a layer of glue to the area of the pumpkin you wish to decorate.
  • Next, press the flowers or leaves on, and then apply another layer of glue on top of the them. Use your finger or a pair of tweezers to gently hold the flowers in place flat against the pumpkin if they want to stick up or move around. 
  • Finally, let the floral pumpkins dry overnight. The following day, apply a final layer of glue to seal it all again or coat any exposed bits (optional).
  • If your homemade glue seems too thick or clumpy, feel free to water it down with an additional splash of water if needed.
  • The glue is non-toxic and compostable, so you can either compost the pumpkins or wash off the glue to eat the pumpkins later. It will also wash off in the rain, so keep your pumpkins in a protected location.
Keyword botanical pumpkins, decorated pumpkins, floral pumpkins, pressed flower pumpkin, pressed leaves pumpkin, pumpkin decorating
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!