Life DIY
Pumpkin Carving Ideas to Inspire You This Halloween WRITTEN BY COCOA LANEY
O
CTOBER IS HERE, which
means Halloween is just around the corner — and perhaps it’s time for a trip to the pumpkin patch. No matter your age or skill level, carving pumpkins is a time-honored way to celebrate the spookiest season of the year. In need of a little design inspiration? Read on for some easy yet eye-catching ideas that are sure to impress this Halloween night. It’s impossible to go wrong with a classic jack-o-lantern, but if you’re in the spirit to shake things up, we’re here to offer your porch some alternatives. Before getting started, here are a few handy carving tips to bear in mind: • Pumpkins have a long shelf life, but they begin to decompose as soon as you cut into them. To ensure your jack-o-lantern stays fresh, wait til right before Halloween to start carving. • You can also prolong the life of a cleaned-out pumpkin by soaking 20
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it for an hour in a solution of bleach and water (1 teaspoon bleach to 1 gallon water). Alternatively, give it a quick spritz with diluted peppermint dish soap. Step away from the kitchen knife! Keep things simpler (and safer) by purchasing a pumpkin carving kit from the store. Pumpkins also benefit from a skin care regime, and to prevent wrinkles, rub its insides with vegetable oil or petroleum jelly. It’s also advisable to refrigerate your pumpkin when it’s not in use. Use an ice cream scooper for added ease when cleaning out your pumpkin. Save, wash, and toast your pumpkin seeds for a delicious seasonal snack.
Practical pumpkins Carved jack-o-lanterns traditionally contain candles, but have you ever thought about what else a pumpkin could hold? Think outside the box
and your gourd could serve a purpose beyond its usual task of greeting the neighborhood on Halloween night. Make it: Carve your jack-o-lantern with an extra-large mouth, fill it with sweets, and voila — you have an alternative candy bowl that’s sure to delight trick-or-treaters. Planning a Halloween party for grown-ups? You can chill wine inside a pumpkin by carving a large oval into its side and pouring in ice. For something even simpler, place a bouquet of flowers into the top of a hollowed-out pumpkin for a seasonal and stylish botanical display.
Polka dots and power drills If traditional carving utensils aren’t quite your style, have you considered swapping them for power tools? It’s a lot less extreme than it sounds, and drills can be used to create a variety of designs ranging from kooky to downright elegant. Make it: Hollow out your pumpkin and use a small-diameter drill bit to
