As is tradition around this time of year, it’s time to break out the pumpkins and get to carving! Or is it? Sure, pumpkin carving is the standard Halloween decoration, but is there other things you can do with a pumpkin?
When I was growing up, every year like clockwork, my dad would go to the grocery store, pick out a pumpkin or two and purchase one of those carving kits containing patterns and various tools for the project. Growing up, I never did any of the carving, I just hovered over my dad as he worked and became excited to see the final product sitting outside our front door (just perched without guard as a tasty snack for the desert javelina).
This is what I typically think of when I think of carving pumpkins. I’ve carved a few of my own in a similar fashion, but as I’ve grown older, I’ve come to explore other methods of the annual tradition of decorating pumpkins. Here are a few great DIY projects for you and your pumpkin.
1. For a new take on the traditional pumpkin carving, try getting cookie cutters, carving tools (like those shown in the link for the carving kit), and a hammer or a mallet. Place the cookie cutter wherever you want it to be placed on the pumpkin and use the hammer/mallet to put the cookie cutter about halfway through the pumpkin shell. Then, take the cookie cutter out and use your carving tools to carve out your shapes!
2. Try carving a typical pumpkin (eyes, nose, etc), but make the mouth just a small square...or small enough so a pair of plastic teeth could fit in, creating a vampire pumpkin. Or if you have a small pumpkin, don’t even carving anything but the space for the mouth!
3. Cover your pumpkin in lace, or like this pumpkin, in pantyhose!
4. Paint is always a go-to medium to use. I used to do this a lot as a child so this is also a great child-friendly craft to do. Painting pumpkins gives you an infinite number of designs to try.
5. Bedazzle your pumpkin! You can paint the pumpkin first if you want (black and white look the best) and then attempt different designs. One cool idea that is very Halloween-esque would be making a web with your bedazzling.
These are just a few extra ideas to spice up your Halloween. Send pictures of your creations to me at fbreisbl@asu.edu!
