The original mumkin was such a hit that I decided it was time for a spinoff. 
Meet the mini mumkin. 

This petite mumkin makes the perfect centerpiece for any fall occasion.  I put together a few minis for my friend’s bridal shower this past weekend.  The mini mumkins gave just the right fall vibe.  The arrangement would also make a nice wedding centerpiece.

Thanks to pinterest the original mumkin has received a ton of traffic and a number of comments and emails.  I hope to answer your questions today with another tutorial.

Again, we start with a pumpkin and a fall plant of your choice.  The plant’s pot needs to be plastic, not the biodegradable papery type.  It also needs to be slightly smaller than the pumpkin.  In the case of the original mumkin, I used a large pumpkin and a 4 inch potted mum.  You could get crazy and get an extra large pumpkin and pair it with a 6 inch or gallon size potted plant.

I like the small version.  The mini mumkin is partnered with a pansy in a small individual pot.  This pot is larger than a market pack cell.   Should it be called a pankin?  pansy + pumpkin

Carve the top of the pumpkin slightly larger than the pot.  You have to scoop all of the pumpkin guts out.  And then scoop some more.  I use a spoon to “shave” the inside layer off of the pumpkin.  This is important because you want to eliminate as much moisture as possible.

Then let the pumpkin dry out.  I usually let it sit for just a couple of hours before adding the plant.  Again, it is about getting the moisture out of the pumpkin.  Once it is ready, I place the potted plant in the pumpkin.  Never take the plant out of its original plastic pot.  Direct contact between the soil and pumpkin will cause the pumpkin to rot quickly.  If you need to water the plant, remove it from the pumpkin and make sure it drains completely before putting it back in.

In the case of the mini mumkin, I added spanish moss to unite the pumpkin and the pansy.  You could slightly see the top of the pot.  The moss hid that and gave it a finished look.  The original mumkin just needed a bow to dress it up.  It is really your choice how you want to finish your arrangement.  I received questions about bows too.  More about that in a future post.

I received several questions about how long the mumkin should last.  Mine lasted exactly 2 weeks.  The environment the mumkin is left in directly influences this though.  I displayed mine in our sunroom which is cold and also covered from rain and direct sun.  The cool temperature preserves the pumpkin from rotting.  This is similar to putting produce in a refrigerator to lengthen its shelf life.  You may want to display it on a front porch under a roof.  Displaying your mumkin inside a warm home will definitely shorten its life.  If you choose to make mumkins for a table centerpiece for say Thanksgiving or a wedding, do it as close to the event as possible so they look fresh. 

Several readers said that they would make this arrangement with a “funkin”, a fake pumpkin.  That will obviously lengthen the shelf life.  I personally prefer the real thing.  I wonder what we would call a funkin mumkin.  A fumkin?  Fu-umkin?  These name choices are endless.

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