Carving pumpkins is certainly fun, but it’s a bit sad to toss your creation in the trash after it inevitably decays at the end of the month. To solve this problem, consider carving a faux pumpkin that you can reuse year after year! With a few tools and an afternoon you can create your custom pumpkin!
Getting Started
To start, you’ll want to pick out the craft pumpkin you intend to carve. A hollow pumpkin made from foam will be much easier to carve, but as long as you can cut the material you can carve it! Once you have your pumpkin, cut out a hole in the bottom for the battery tea light so that you don’t have to go back and do this once the design is carved.
Pumpkin Prep
Print the stencil design for your pumpkin onto adhesive paper, then cut the stencil out and stick it to the pumpkin. The next steps depend on the material of your pumpkin. If it’s made from a low-density foam or another easy-to-cut material, you won’t need very heavy-duty tools; an awl, a small drywall/jab saw, and a bit of sanding paper will do the job! If your pumpkin is made from a denser material, you may want to consider using a drill and a rotary tool in addition to the drywall/jab saw.
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Drill and Carve
Just like carving a real pumpkin, it’s easier if you make holes along the design, so use the drill to make holes on the indicated dots on your carving stencil. Once all of the holes are drilled, go in with your saw and carve out the solid pieces, pushing them out as you go. Once you’ve carved out the design, gently remove the adhesive paper with water, drying the pumpkin completely before proceeding.
If the edges of your design are a bit rough or jagged, you can go back in with some sanding paper and gently sand the edges. If your pumpkin is made from a sturdier material, you might find that a rotary tool like a Dremmel is helpful for this task! When you’re finished, place the pumpkin over a battery-powered tealight and enjoy your Halloween decor!