This beautiful and delicious stuffed pumpkin recipe inspired me to search for the greatest cranberry and pumpkin fusions available as food for the soul and creative displays for the eye…

This hanging chandelier from Martha is one of the most elegant pumpkin and cranberry displays that I have found and would be a very suitable decoration for the largest dinner event of the year.

An upside-down cranberry pumpkin cake would complete the look as the perfect finishing centerpiece and a grand finale of your Thanksgiving meal.

Glass jars never fail, nor do tall pillars full of cranberries, according to BHG’s cranberry holiday displays.

Just add a few mini pumpkins in between…and a loaf of warm, freshly baked cranberry pumpkin bread set in a basket.

My piratey renaissance neighbor and friend, Faustus, from FriedMush received his skull pumpkin version today and loved it. You can order them directly on my website here: Gothic Masquerade Pumpkins or on my WebSpinstress Etsy Store. I decided to give Etsy a try for quick listings for my blog – we’ll see how it goes. Grab them quick if you’re interested – I only have a few days to ship them in time for Halloween. I’ll have them listed all year round though for Gothic and masquerade themed wedding decorations. These are the darkest, most elegant pumpkins available and you won’t be disappointed!

I didn’t end up finding the perfect spider web pumpkin template, so I created my own instead. Hopefully it will keep it’s intricate slivers intact as I attempt to carve out my new masterpiece. If you’d like to print a free pumpkin template, click HERE for the full-size image…

Simply drill and shove a dowel through the middle of their innards and then embellish your stacked pumpkin collection.

BHG has a unique Halloween display of pumpkin topiaries using orange pumpkins, large spiders with painted diamonds and stripes. I love how a portion of the dowels are exposed and painted to continue along with the topiary design. It radiates with masquerade appeal…and I can think of a few special ideas to spooky up the design a little more.

I found this display from Imperfectly Beautiful, who created a tall and whimsical pumpkin topiary. It includes hand-painted black and white polka-dots, ravens, and an elegant birdcage design stacked on top of a planter with Spanish moss placed carefully around the edges.

Black and White Pumpkins are elegant and fun. These pumpkin arrangements are made with just stickers, but you can duplicate the same look by using swirly vintage rubber stamp designs or by painting them yourself. Beautiful collection of centerpieces, by the way…don’t forget to check out the complete blog post!

1 box spice cake mix
1 egg
2 Tbsp flour
2 cups pure pumpkin puree
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup oats

Stir together spice cake mix, egg, and pumpkin. You can add nuts, dried fruit, or any other additions to the batter. Pour the batter evenly into cupcake pan. In a separate bowl, combine butter, brown sugar, oats, and flour. Spoon your brown sugar mix over the top of each muffin. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

Need a few more festive cupcake ideas?
Try these Creepy Crawly Cupcakes for Halloween!

A cat chicken sandwich with skull and crossbones hard-boiled egg combo. Source

Halloween Hello Kitty – steamed carrots and sweet potatoes used to create the pumpkins. Source

Nightmare before Christmas – a very cheesy Jack Skellington with macaroni au gratin and ham & cucumber rolls. Source

Spooky rice ghosts and carrot pumpkins. A simple and boo-tiful Bento. Source

Wash and drain your seeds and spread them on a nonstick or greased baking sheet. Coat seeds with oil. Bake for about 30-45 minutes at 300 degrees until light brown. Remove and season with salt.

Sweet or Spicy Pumpkin Seeds

Use Worcestershire sauce and butter, salt, or oil before roasting/toasting. For spicy pumpkin seeds, try cayenne, paprika, chili powder, Hickory BBQ powder, or Cajun seasoning. For sweet seeds, use brown sugar, cinnamon, and/or nutmeg before cooking. For candied seeds, stir cooked seeds in melted caramel and sugar then let cool, separated on a baking sheet.

Pumpkin Seed Brittle

Cook 2 cups of granulated sugar and 1 cup water in a sauce pan. Bring to a boil and stir until sugar is dissolved and golden. Keep cooking until golden brown. Stir in 2 cups of toasted seeds and pour your mixture onto a large nonstick or greased baking pan, spreading it into a thin layer. Cool it completely, then break into pieces. Keep in an airtight container.

Other Uses

Add toasted pumpkin seeds to a party mix with crackers, chips, and other nuts. Add them to a soup or salad. Use to garnish your favorite main dishes.