Decorative Uses

• Pumpkins aren't just for Halloween décor. Along with gourds, they're a beautiful natural decorative item for your fall table and can be a perfect centerpiece for Thanksgiving. You can use the whole pumpkin as a display by itself or get more creative. For example, you can cut off the top part of the pumpkin, scoop out the insides, and use the "shell" for a vase to hold fall flowers. If you have a larger pumpkin you can hollow it out and use it as a beverage cooler for a fall-themed party. Hollowed-out pumpkins can also be used as vessels for soup or even potpourri. If you have mini pumpkins, consider fashioning them into floating candle holders. Just cut off the tops and create a space for the votive where the stem used to be. Then place the pumpkin in a bowl of water.
  
  

Cosmetic

• The Vitamin A and Beta Carotene found in pumpkins make it a naturally healthy ingredient for facials and lotions. A pumpkin facial can be made using a combination of 2 tsp. of cooked pumpkin, ½ tsp. of honey and ¼ tsp. of milk. Apply the facial for 15 minutes, then rinse your face and pat dry. Or make your own pumpkin exfoliate. Combine ½ cup cooked pumpkin, ½ cup brown sugar and ¼ tsp. of cinnamon for smoothing and moisturizing your face and body.
  
  

Culinary

• You can use fresh, whole pumpkin that has been cooked as a substitute for canned pumpkin in any recipe. Cook pumpkin by slicing it up and boiling it in water for 20 minutes or by roasting it in the oven for an hour. Be sure to remove the skin after it's cooked -- it should peel off easily. The flesh of the pumpkin isn't the only edible part -- roasted pumpkin seeds have a high nutritional value and can be livened up with spices and flavored salts. Pumpkin recipes aren't limited to pies and breads. Your pumpkin can also be used as an ingredient for soups, custards, stews and milkshakes, among other treats. In addition, cooked pumpkin is believed to help dogs and cats with digestive problems.
  
  

Miscellany

• Above and beyond creative uses for pumpkin include making it into a birdhouse. Use the bottom half of a hollowed out pumpkin, drill three holes around the edge, add bird food and tie it with string to a tree branch. Martha Stewart suggests using a pumpkin for potpourri. Carve the pumpkin as you would a Jack-o-Lantern, then rub spices and cloves in the inside of the pumpkin. Insert and light a tea light candle, for an aroma similar to a baking pumpkin pie.