Holiday Planning & Ideas Halloween Halloween Projects & Crafts Halloween Pumpkin Ideas Succulent Planter Pumpkins Learn how to turn pumpkins into a planter for small, sculptural succulents. As a fall decoration, it's both functional and beautiful. By Martha Stewart Editors Martha Stewart Editors Facebook Instagram Twitter Website An article attributed to "Martha Stewart Editors" indicates when several writers and editors have contributed to an article over the years. These collaborations allow us to provide you with the most accurate, up-to-date, and comprehensive information available.The Martha Stewart team aims to teach and inspire readers daily with tested-until-perfected recipes, creative DIY projects, and elevated home and entertaining ideas. They are experts in their fields who research, create, and test the best ways to help readers design the life they want. The joy is in the doing. Editorial Guidelines Updated on June 10, 2020 Share Tweet Pin Email Ghostly pale pumpkins make striking vessels for small, sculptural plants like succulents. House your favorite sun-loving varieties—echeveria, haworthia, and jade—inside a natural planter that's both functional and beautiful. For this project, you will need two key things: gardening pot liners and the perfect soil. When planting in a vessel without drainage holes such as a pumpkin, opt to use a liner. This prevents the soil from quickly rotting the inside of the pumpkin, and you'll be able to swap plants in and out without disturbing the roots. "You'll need a soil that drains well," says Living features editor Melissa Ozawa. "So I would recommend a cactus potting soil blend." Once carved, pumpkins will last five to ten days before wilting and showing signs of decay. What You'll Need Materials Keyhole saw ($5.47, homedepot.com) Fleshing tool Succulents Cactus potting soil blend ($14.50, homedepot.com) Gardening pot liners (2 per pumpkin) Instructions Turn liner upside down and position circular opening over the stem, tracing the circumference with a grease pencil. Use the keyhole saw to cut the circle. Then, using the fleshing tool, remove seeds, stringy pulp, and a thin layer of flesh from inside of the pumpkin. Insert one liner into the opening. Then, fill a second liner with soil, transplant succulents into it, and slip into the first liner resting in the pumpkin. Pro tip: Using two liners makes it easier to repot succulents after the autumn season is over.