Autumn aglow: three ways to decorate with pumpkins for Halloween

Sunset, Oct, 2004 by Mary Jo Bowling, Jil Peters

1 Pumpkin lantern pathway

Lead trick-or-treaters to your door with flickering 'Sugar Pie' pumpkins. Simple cut-out shapes create these pretty, festive luminarias.

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MATERIALS

* Pumpkins

* Small saber saw

* Scraper or spoon

* Paper and masking tape

* Pushpin

* Tap lights or tea lights

HERE'S HOW

1. Use saber saw to cut a hole in the base of each pumpkin. Hollow pumpkins with scraper.

2. Draw a pointed oval or an elongated S shape on paper; cut out to use as a template.

3. With masking tape, mark off evenly spaced vertical sections on pumpkin. Center template in each section and prick design onto rind with pushpin. Repeat until you've circled pumpkin with design.

4. Use saber saw to cut out design, partially cutting out each oval or S at first, then going back and finishing.

5. Light tap or tea light and lower pumpkin over it.

2 Painted polka dots

Put a twist on the traditional orange jack-o'-lantern by giving it a coat of paint and scraping--instead of carving--designs. This technique doesn't require a steady hand, so it's easier for kids to help with.

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MATERIALS

* Pumpkins

* Small saber saw

* Scraper or spoon

* Pushpin

* V-shaped gouge

* Trimming loop or other small circular scraper, such as a grapefruit spoon

* Paintbrushes

* Exterior high-gloss paint

* Tap lights or tea lights

HERE'S HOW

1. Follow step 1 for pumpkin lanterns (page 149).

2. On paper, make rings and circles (we created huge lowercase o's and periods on a computer and printed them). Cut them out to use as a template. Place template on pumpkin and prick design onto rind with pushpin. Repeat until you have circled pumpkin with design.

3. Outline design by scraping it with V-shaped gouge (available at craft stores); do not make a hole in the rind, just a scrape. Use trimming loop (available at craft stores) to remove the rind within the outline.

4. Use small brush to paint around designs.

5. Paint rest of pumpkin with larger brush.

6. Lower pumpkin over tap light (if using tea light, cut a hole behind stem at rear of pumpkin to allow candle to vent).

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3 Pumpkins on the vine

You can conjure up a pumpkin patch with a few gourds, textured paper in a leafy green shade, wire, and twine.

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MATERIALS

* Green paper-covered wire

* Pumpkins

* Large leaf

* Textured green paper

* White glue

* Green twine

HERE'S HOW

1. Wrap a length of the paper-covered wire (available from craft and florists' supply stores) around each pumpkin stem. Twist one end of each wire around pencil to make a coil, mimicking the tendrils of a growing pumpkin.

2. Using leaf as a template, trace and cut out paper leaves, creasing each lengthwise down the middle to mirror the vein of a real leaf. Glue the straight length of wire to the underside of the crease.

3. Tie a length of twine between pumpkin stems to create vine effect.

PHOTOGRAPHS BY BROWN CANNON III