‘Tis the season for all things pumpkin. Pumpkin spice, pumpkin bread, pumpkin lattes … you get the idea, fall means pumpkins are everywhere. I love fall and pumpkins, so I’m okay with the overload. Jack-O’-Lanterns and fall displays are super fun for families to create and then watch the light glowing later. I’m not the world’s best artist, so I’m not down with intricately carving a pumpkin. I think it’s tedious and there’s always the chance of cutting your hand. This week on Charlotte Parent we featured pumpkin carving the easy way.
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| Easy Pumpkin Carving! |
The Effortless Girl pumpkin carving technique takes much less time and is far safer than those sharp knives and a trip to the emergency room. Grab a drill and let’s get started on some Power-Tool Pumpkins. This is not rocket science. You do need to go outside for this task, it can be extremely messy. You’ll need a drill with bits in several sizes, a knife, and a spoon — plus your pumpkin.
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| Materials |
Remove the top and the guts of the pumpkin in the normal fashion. Some people save and roast the seeds. Seeds are great on salads or for snacking. Larger pumpkins work better for carving. I purchased several sizes, and the small one this year nearly gave me a meltdown trying to cut the top. It was too thick and hard as a brick. Thank goodness for my brother-in-law or this column might be very different.
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| Scoop out center & seeds |
Once the pumpkin is cleaned out, select the size drill bit you want. I started with a 1-inch bit. Drill holes spaced evenly in a row around the pumpkin. Now go up an inch or two and do another row of holes around the pumpkin. Then drill another row below your original row. I used a smaller bit to drill smaller holes in between the large holes.
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| Drill Holes |
The entire pumpkin took about 5 minutes to drill. You could also choose to drill an intricate design or a shape. After you’ve drilled all the holes you’d like, place a candle or two in the center of the pumpkin.
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| Voila! |
The effect of this technique looks like a disco ball with lights coming from the holes in the pumpkin. I think candle light is very soothing and this idea is novel and simple. Special thanks to Miss P for being such a great pumpkin helper! Happy fall y’all!
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| Happy Fall! |