Ways to decorate with pumpkins – for stand-out seasonal displays both indoors and outdoors

Whether you want to create a stylish or scary display this Halloween – decorating with pumpkins is a fail-safe way to celebrate Halloween and the fall season.

One of the most popular, enduring and traditional Halloween decor, you can't have Halloween without pumpkins, right?

From real pumpkins placed on your porch steps for outdoor Halloween decor, to faux pumpkin designs used indoors for more subtle fall decor, we have rounded up our favorite ways to decorate with this spooky squash.

Scare all the evil spirits away with a fabulous display of pumpkins for Halloween porch decor.

'I go all out when it comes to our fall porch,' says interior designer and author, Liz Marie Galvan, author of Create Your Own Cozy. 'My go-to secret is to fill this space with pumpkins and gourds. Pile and stack them, as if they’re spilling down the steps and overflowing from the garden. Add in a few knobby and multicolored gourds, dried cornstalks, and fall foliage, and you’re well on your way to an epic fall scene.'

You don't need real pumpkins to create a beautiful display, consider using handcrafted pumpkins instead. There's plenty to choose from – plastic, ceramic, wooden or felt.

These felt pumpkin hanging decorations and table decorations by Sophie Allport are ideal for a Halloween table design, with the pumpkin table runner also providing the perfect final flourish. We love this pumpkin runner design from Anthropologie.

From a dining table to a sideboard, coffee table, or shelving, petite pumpkin decorations can be placed pretty much anywhere in the home.

Whether you are shopping for the real thing, for stylish faux decorations, or both, incorporating a mix of different pumpkin designs and shapes will only help to establish a richer and layered look, perfect for a display on a porch or for fall table decor.

'Gathering for a celebratory meal is something very special,' says Chrissie Rucker OBE, founder of The White Company. 'I love to keep a seasonal table simple with beautiful linens and white china, and then add a few special touches – our pumpkins are a perfect way to add a touch of fall.'

The White Company has a beautiful assortment of pumpkin decorations to choose from, ideal for a more serene and simple Halloween look.

'For many, a fireplace acts as the heart of the home (especially in fall and winter), helping to provide a snug space to gather round and relax with friends and family, so when it comes to decorating your home for the cozy season, there is no better place to decorate with seasonal decor,' says Homes & Gardens' digital editor, Jennifer Ebert.

From a few pumpkins placed on your hearth to pairing pumpkins with pretty fall foliage for fall mantel, your fireplace is the perfect spot to get creative with plenty of pumpkin decor.

If you've been considering no-carve pumpkins, why not take a mess-free design one step further with paper pumpkin decorations?

Super versatile, paper or cardboard decorations can be placed on pretty much any surface, or they can be hung from the ceiling, light fittings, or curtain rails.

If the traditional orange shade of pumpkins doesn't really fit your interior style then look out for colors that perfectly complement your chosen room colors. From colorful faux pumpkins to styling your space with glorious gourds in a palette of warming natural tones, there are color options to suit spaces of all styles.

Or, for a fall craft, learn how to paint a pumpkin and create your very own, unique colorful design.

Light up a corner of a room with an eye-catching pumpkin lantern display. Choose a range of sizes and intermingle them with pillar candles and candlesticks – guaranteed to create a magnificent, glowing display at nighttime, as shown in this calming white living room design by Liz Marie Galvan.

You can also use pumpkin lanterns to decorate your outdoor spaces for Halloween to light up a porch, path, or outside steps.

Pretty pumpkin candles can not only act as stylish decorations and cast an inviting, warming glow in a space, but they can make your home smell like fall too. What's not to love?

This Large Pumpkin & Sweet Vanilla Gourmand Glass Gourd Candle from Anthropologie can bring a sense of seasonal cheer to wherever it is placed, perfect for decorating a dining table or coffee table.