When fall rolls around, I always get excited!

I love everything that this beautiful season brings. Inspired by my family's love for frolicking in pumpkin patches and warming up with a cup of apple cider, I decided to host a fall themed party and accompanying craft: DIY pumpkin patch greeting cards with decorations made from Nellie's Free Range Egg cartons.

Finding fun and creative ways to repurpose packaging was a great opportunity for the kids and I to practice making conscientious choices for the environment while enjoying some quality time together. We also created a pumpkin spice cupcake recipe, which includes all the supplies you need to turn the sweet treats into adorable edible scarecrows.

I set up a snack table and made it festive by adding pumpkin plates to match the fall theme. I used real pumpkins and gourds as centerpieces, plus a darling pom pom felt garland for a pop of color. For our backdrop, I created a balloon garland and added gold glittered fall leaves from my local craft store. I also picked up a faux gold pumpkin, added a a bit of purple paint, and covered it in purple sprinkles to add texture. It made the perfect cake topper and completed the whole setup.

Fall themed party treats

At the table, the kids enjoyed cake, scarecrow pumpkin spice cupcakes, and apple cider—we made the most of these delicious seasonal flavors. Ready to incorporate them into your own fall themed party?

Scarecrow Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes

It's all in the details with these cream-cheese-frosting-topped pumpkin spice cupcakes. To really bring them to life, I recommend adding some scarecrow accessories. Here's what I used:

Hats: wafer cookies
Hat detailing: orange decorating gel
Eyes: mini candy-coated chocolates
Nose: candy corn
Mouth: chocolate sprinkles
Hair: toasted coconut flakes

For the cupcakes:

3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
2-1/2 cups sugar
3 large Nellie's Free Range Eggs, room temperature
1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin
2-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 cup buttermilk

For the frosting:

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
4 cups confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

To make the cupcakes:

Preheat oven to 350F. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Add eggs one at a time to butter and sugar mixture, beating well after each addition. Add pumpkin and beat until fully combined.
In a separate bowl, combine flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, baking soda, and ginger. Stir to combine, then add in 3-4 additions to wet ingredients, alternating with buttermilk and beating well after each addition.
Fill 24 paper-lined muffin cups. Bake 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cupcakes cool completely (about 30 minutes) while you make the frosting.

To make the frosting:

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Add confectioners' sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon, and beat until frosting is smooth. Frost and decorate cupcakes once fully cooled.

DIY Pumpkin Patch Greeting Cards

Keeping the kids happy and entertained during a party is always my top priority, which usually means incorporating a craft or activity into the festivities. In this case, the kids had tons of fun creating their own pumpkin patch greeting cards, and just in time for Thanksgiving!

Suggested supplies:

Empty Nellie's Free Range Egg cartons
5" x 7" blank cards
Orange paint
Paint Brushes
Green Pipe Cleaners
Construction Paper
Crayons
Scissors
Glue

After the kids were finished their pumpkin patch cards, they wrote "thank you" notes inside for someone special. They can't wait to hand the cards to Nana and Papa, who are coming to town to spend Thanksgiving with us!

I hope you are as excited as I am about this beautiful season of fun, family, and festivities, and can create sweet memories with your own children soon!

Did you throw a fall themed party? Tag your photos with #nelliesfreerange so we can see! Or click here to see our other themed parties in the series. And don't forget to check out Twinkle Twinkle Little Party for more inspiration.