There’s more to a pumpkin than just becoming a scary jack-o-lantern or festive fall decoration around the house. Whether you’re utilizing your leftover Halloween pumpkins or buying fresh ones for fun projects, the truth is that there are plenty of fun and creative things you can do with your pumpkin seeds and guts. Art projects and recipes are just some ideas for what to do with your leftover pumpkin innards, but there are many more where those came from! To start, check out the following five top creative things to do with leftover pumpkin seeds and guts.
5 Great Ways to Use Pumpkin Seeds and Guts Creatively
1. Pumpkin Facial
They may look a little gross, but your pumpkin’s guts are filled with Vitamins A, E, and C, which can work wonders when used as a topical cream. To create the perfect pumpkin facial, use five teaspoons of pumpkin puree and add three teaspoons of brown sugar. Add a small bit of milk to the mixture (about a ¼ cup or less), and blend well. This should create a fine paste that you can then apply to your face. Be sure to avoid your eye area, as this skin is much more sensitive, and let it sit for about twenty minutes. Once done, wash thoroughly and enjoy fresh, revitalized, and glowing skin!
2. Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
Roasted pumpkin seeds are a fall staple, and they’re incredibly easy to make. This recipe from Boulder Locavore offers the most delicious roasted pumpkin seeds using a unique method! To create the perfect roasted pumpkin seeds, you’ll need:
- Pumpkin Seeds
- Salt
- Olive Oil
- Seasonings of Your Choice
Before diving into this recipe, be sure to rinse the seeds thoroughly after removing them from your pumpkin. Boiling the seeds in salted water adds an extra kick and gets them super-squeaky clean, so you won’t have to spend too much time over-cleansing.
3. Pumpkin Sugar Body Scrub
This DIY body scrub is a great way to smooth, revitalize, and brighten your skin. This body scrub recipe from Freutcake helps you create a magical body scrub that’s bursting with natural free radical-fighting enzymes that will lift away dull dead skin cells and leave your skin feeling soft and rejuvenated. Made with a mix of raw pumpkin, coarse cane or brown sugar, a touch of honey, and sweet almond oil, this body scrub really packs a wallop, giving your gorgeous glowing, soft skin.
4. Pumpkin Seed Necklace
Add a little dye and pumpkin seeds turn from a tasty snack to gorgeous beads that can be strung into some sweet and delicate jewelry. This artsy activity from My Little Fabric shows you how to turn your leftover pumpkin seeds into beautiful creations. You’ll need a needle, twine or string, and some inspiration to get creative with hues, patterns, and more. Make a memorable statement piece without spending a dime with this amazing craft.
5. Homemade Pumpkin Puree
Whether you’re making a recipe, a craft, a scrub, lotion, soap, or other pumpkin-based project, you’re going to start with pumpkin puree. With this in mind, it’s a great idea to turn your leftover pumpkin guts into a versatile puree that can be used in some projects. To make your own pumpkin puree, you’ll need to get the guts out of the pumpkin by either slicing or scooping, remove all the seeds you can, and blend, blend, blend. You can place the puree in jars or cans and store them, keeping them on hand for future needs. Be sure to refrigerate the puree for use in recipes either to be eaten or used as a topical cream or scrub. Pioneer Woman has a great puree method to try if you need some help getting started!
As you can see, there’s plenty to do with your leftover pumpkin seeds and guts. Just because Autumn is wearing on does not mean that pumpkin season is quickly evaporating. On the contrary, once October has blown away, there’s still plenty to do with your leftover pumpkins, as well as their juicy innards to last you the rest of the season.
