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Tuesday, October 28

5 Creative Pumpkin Carving Ideas - A Sara Jane Post

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Note: The content for this post is courtesy of my new contributor Sara Jane {CLICK HERE to meet her}.  

Sara Jane shared these great ideas on our local TV show Studio 5! CLICK HERE to watch the video.

Each Halloween my husband & I enjoy a good, healthy pumpkin-carving contest {this tradition goes all the way back to one of our first dates}. Unfortunately he usually puts my carving to shame. This year, my approach is simple & creative: thinking outside the stencil & incorporating other materials that I have on hand at my house.

. . . like ping pong balls!

Instructions: Split ping pong balls in half. I found creepy ping pong balls with Halloween eyes printed on them. Place hot glue around the cut part of the ping pong ball & adhere it to the top of a tea light.  {To ensure the tea light fits, place it against the pumpkin & trace around it with a dry erase marker. Any lines from the marker will easily wipe off with a towel.}

. . . or Christmas lights

To create a true jack-o-lantern, I used a drill to make holes that perfectly fit Christmas lights. I drilled down the pumpkin creases for a staggered pattern. Then I carefully inserted each light into the holes. It felt like I was playing Light Bright! I used two 15 light battery operated Christmas light packs from Hobby Lobby {only $1.19 each}.  To top the lantern, I used a cottage cheese container, some Oasis floral foam, & some fall leaves & flowers collected from my yard for an autumn bouquet.

Toothpicks . . . 

The mummy is always a crowd pleaser. At first glance, this guy seems a little intimidating. But after taking a stab at carving him, I can assure you he's pretty simple. I used my favorite carving secret weapon - my electric turkey carving knife! I sliced the pumpkin in 1 1/2 inch rings {don't worry about keeping your cuts straight - the imperfections give the mummy character}. After the pumpkin was sliced, I rearranged the rings & secured them with toothpicks. Two black olives made great eyes.

Cookie Cutters . . . 

Hey, hey before you think I am skipping I am skipping Thanksgiving & heading straight to Christmas - this pumpkin design was inspired by Disney's Frozen. When I was a little girl, it was very important to me that my pumpkin matched my costume. With the popularity of the movie this year, I felt a Frozen pumpkin essential. I used a metal cookie cutter & a rubber mallet to cut out the perfect snowflake {it took a few taps to get the cookie cutter secure, but once it was stable & through the skin of the pumpkin - it was very simple}. After the snowflake shape was cut, I took the pumpkin outside for a coat of high-gloss white spray paint. While the paint was still wet, I sprinkled it with white glitter. I then used four blue glow sticks instead of a candle to give it the Arendelle glow!

Q-tips . . .

Carve a cute scar face in your pumpkin. Using a skewer, puncture pairs of holes opposite each other 1/2" apart along the length of the scar. Then snip the cotton ends off your Q-tip & soak it in water for 30 seconds to make it more pliable. Bend the Q-tip into a U shape & press each end into a pair of holes opposite each other. Continue until the holes are filled. Press olives onto half toothpicks & press into eye holes. 

Looking forward to getting the big "W" this year against my hubs for the best carved pumpkin! Let the best carver win!

Oh wow Sara. What spectacular pumpkins! Thank you so much for sharing these amazing ideas. "May the odds be ever in your favor!" 


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