A Little Night Magic take FLIGHT Like most moths, the carved beauty here is drawn to the light. And it has space to spread its wings, since we sliced off the pumpkin’s bottom and hollowed it out from below (a trick that also gives it a level base). To fashion our fluttering vision, print the template (at martha stewart.com/pumpkins-17), cut it out, tape it on, and transfer the pattern with an awl. Then scrape off the outer skin between dots using a gouge, and add a battery-powered candle. THE DETAILS: Assorted paper moths, gardenaura.etsy .com and mothandmyth.etsy.com.
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MYSTERIOUS AUTUMN SKIES—AND ALL THE THINGS THAT SPARKLE, SWAY, AND FLUTTER ACROSS THEM AFTER THE SUN SETS— INSPIRED THESE SPECTACULAR PUMPKINS. SOME ARE EASIER TO CREATE THAN YOUR AVERAGE JACK-O’-LANTERN. (IF YOU CAN GLUE IT, YOU CAN DO IT!) OTHERS ARE CRAFTY SHOWSTOPPERS. BUT EACH ONE IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE YOUR HOME SHINE BRIGHT ON A COOL HALLOW’S EVE. PHOTOGRAPHS BY TED CAVANAUGH TEXT BY ELENI N. GAGE
BRANCH out
see
STARS
Our foreboding tree “shadow” casts a pall over this foyer bench, and would look just as bewitching stacked on your porch steps. First, pile some eerie pumpkins—for a truly ghoulish vibe, go for specimens with a naturally greenish tint, including the knobby Hubbard variety. Draw the outline of a leafless tree over several of them with a grease pencil, then fill it in using a brush and matte black paint. To throw extra shade, add a faux crow to the haunting scene.
If you want a stellar display, this one’s got astronomical potential. Hollow out a pumpkin from below. Punch holes in the shapes of constellations with a drill, and connect the dots with a gouge. (If you want to be more exacting, print our template at marthastewart.com/pumpkins-17 and tape on the formations you want.) We brightened the night by placing the individual bulbs of an LED strand in each hole. For a faster finish, use a single battery-powered candle to light the way. THE DETAILS: Stargazer copper twine lights, $48, shopterrain.com.
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A R T D I R E C T I O N BY J A S PA L R I YA I T A N D DAW N S I N KOW S K I
shoot for the
MOON
This lunar look has a sweet secret: To decorate these white Baby Boo gourds, all you need is rock candy, sugar crystals, and clear caulk—no carving knife (or spaceship) required. First, break up the rock candy into chunky pieces. Spread the caulk on top of the gourds, and cover them with the sugar and candy. Then sprinkle more “moon rocks” around them. It’s a few small steps for you, but one giant leap for your dinner table’s ambience.
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go
GALACTIC
Make a big bang with a tumble of pumpkins studded like the starry bands of the Milky Way. Pick a few to be part of the interstellar arc, then hollow them out from below and punch holes in them using a drill and two different-size bits. Have fun with the placement of your planets and stars—random patterns have universal appeal. Arrange them with a few uncarved gourds, tuck battery-powered candles inside, and imagine a galaxy far, far away.
Created By Katie Covington Crane, Lauren Dumler & Tanya Graff
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