Carved "Pumpkin" Beauty

I love, love, love Halloween. And I love carving pumpkins, too. Every year I want a more intricate design than I had the previous year. I am always bummed that they rot so fast. Then there is the issue of our squirrel and their cute, fluffy, twitchy tails. They are fierce about eat everything remotely edible in my yard, which always includes my pumpkins. As a purist, I have sworn away from the fake pumpkins, but was lured in this year. I succumbed! I caved! I wanted to have a pumpkin like Martha Stewart's and I wanted it to last more than a few days.

I love the lacy ones and I am absolutely smitten by the porcupine (or are those hedgehog) pumpkins. I WANTED ONE! After reading the comments that go with her instructions I decided I would go the foam pumpkin route. One commenter said it took her 2.5 hours to get the lights in the holes (let's not even talk abut how long it took to get the holes poked out)and then many of them would not work because they were wet from have gone through the pumpkin - crazy making - I tell you!

I started out with visions of porcupine pumpkins dancing in my head (imagine Danny Elfman of "Nightmare Before Christmas," music playing lightly in the background). But those visions were soon dashed - no, shattered. I had a steep fake pumpkin carving learning curve ahead. Here's what I learned:

* The foam is the thinnest in the very middle section of the pumpkin. It is very easy to crack, or even break pieces off. I started my design at the top of the pumpkin and moved down. That was a mistake. Start in the middle while that section still has uninterrupted support around it.

* You will find that the pumpkins were made as two parts that were glued together. Those sections where the halves were glued together are super hard to cut out. You are better off avoiding them by planning your design accordingly.

* Brass or cooper tubing makes great shape cutters. Just be sure to wear leather gloves unless you relish giving yourself pressure blisters from poking out so many holes.

* It is fun to add glittery swirls on the surface. Fabric paint works really well to adhere to both the fake pumpkin and the glitter.


* No matter what you do, it seems nei impossible to get the lights to stay sticking out of the holes. Neither glue nor duct tape worked so I had to give up on that idea.

* Strings of holiday lights seem to heat up really fast if left in an untidy, orgy type fashion in an enclosed space. Seriously folks, I am pretty sure it would become a fire hazard very quickly.

* The best way to light up the inside if you are using a string of holiday lights is to wind them around a very small jar (like a spice jar), being sure to secure them in place with tape ( I didn't even need the duct tape for this bad boy!)

* Be sure to cut a hole in the bottom of the pumpkin that is large enough to fit the jar with the lights wrapped around it. Forget about having any hope of reattaching the bottom cut out piece and having it work like a door. I tried and I was denied!

* Try to be flexible, let go of your grand vision, embracing what ever lovely creation you devise - after all, only you know what your exact vision was.

Here's to Halloween fun and beauty - thanks to a tacky but useful fake pumpkin, fabric paint, glitter, a spice jar, some holiday lights and a little tape.

I'd love to see what you make.