Creative Homeowner Hacks to Give Leftover Halloween Pumpkins New Life

Homeowners understand these days that nothing can go to waste. There’s no time for frivolous spending with costs so high—and celebrating Halloween is no exception. Candy prices are at an all-time high, as are utility prices, meaning keeping those inflated skeletons going all night long is going to cost you. But according to recent USDA data, the U.S. produced 1.45 billion pounds of pumpkins in 2025, so the country’s love affair with iconic orange gourd is alive and well. But what happens to those pumpkins when those jack-o'-lanterns are extinguished for good?Before you fill your garbage bin with has-been giant squash, we've got some ideas for ways to recycle them. 1. Treats for backyard critters and birdsThese days, we could all use more of the comical distractions of bushy squirrels scurrying about or perhaps the pretty songs of a nightingale to soothe our anxiety. Those jack-o'-lanterns are perfect for enticing (cute) backyard critters.Uncarved pumpkins will work, too, but you can speed things up by cutting them in half. Of course, not all critters are welcome. The National Wildlife Federation says large animals such as bears might be attracted to your yard if you put out pumpkin...