Leafy pumpkins: five ways to bring the season's most iconic motifs alive in simple, elegant displays for outdoor decor

Sunset, Oct, 2007 by Jess Chamberlain

Glowing vines

Meandering patterns add a whimsical storybook appeal to your arrangement.

STEP 1 Cut out top of pumpkin and scrape the interior clean (see instructions on page 117).

STEP 2 Using a real vine or a vine pattern, transfer design onto pumpkin. (To create your own pattern, use varying sizes of your favorite leaf shape, then draw a vine between the leaves.)

STEP 3 Carve leaf shapes by cutting completely through the pumpkin or by scraping a shallow relief. You can combine the two methods, as shown here on the smallest pumpkin.

STEP 4 With a scraping tool, carve vine stem about 1/4 inch deep, being careful not to break all the way through the pumpkin in flesh.

Foliage band

Encircle a few pumpkins With slender carvings to add a subtle glow to your doorstep.

STEP 1 On a piece of paper long enough to wrap around your pumpkin, trace leaves (ours are eucalyptus) in a band design. Flip leaves occasionally so stems point in different directions; keep the space between leaf shapes relatively equal.

STEP 2 Cut out top of pumpkin and scrape the interior clean (see instructions on page 117).

STEP 3 Transfer design onto pumpkin, adjusting paper every 6 inches or so to follow the curve of the pumpkin. Check results after the first leaf and, if needed, use a pencil to retrace design directly onto pumpkin flesh.

STEP 4 Once design transfer is complete, carve leaf shapes using a carving tool.

Silhouettes

Create a centerpiece-worthy embossed effect with no candle or seed scooping required.

STEP 1 Using a large leaf (or a leaf pattern enalarged to fit your pumpkin), transfer design onto the center of an intact pumpkin.

STEP 2 With a pencil, draw a complementary shape to frame the leaf design preferably leaving at least 1/2 inch of space on all sides of leaf edges.

STEP 3 Use a scraping tool to peel away flesh between leaf shape and its frame. With the same tool, carve leaf veins in a freehand pattern.

STEP 4 Arrange multiple silhouetted pumpkins along the center of an outdoor table. Add stones or leaves to complete the setting.

Harlequin leaves

Repeat a single leaf shape for a quilted look on hollow pumpkins (see instructions at right).

FRONT left With a small paring knife, cut long, thin grooves at a 45 angle into pumpkin, being careful not to break all the way through the flesh. Repeat in vertical rows as shown

CENTER Intersperse vertical rows of two (eaves with rows of a single leaf, reversing the direction of leaf stem in each row. Along top and bottom of single-leaf rows, cut out triangular notches and depress slightly.

Back right Cut out leaf shape in two parts, leaving center vein in place, or use a scraping tool (see instructions at right) to peel away rind inside the design, leaving center vein exposed (we used both techniques on our pumpkin).

RELATED ARTICLE: How to carve a pumpkin

CHOOSE Select a variety of pumpkin shapes, sizes, and colors. For added personality, select ones with unique stems.

PLAN Before carving, group pumpkins in desired location and map out each one's design.

DESIGN Trace real leaves onto paper, or use patterns from botanical "clip art" books (available at bookstores and art-supply stores). Experiment with leaf size and arrangement.

HOLLOW With a saber saw or pumpkin-carving tool, cut out the top of each pumpkin. Scoop out seeds and strings with a sturdy metal spoon. Then use a pottery tool called a loup, a small metal ladle, or a melon baller to scrape out as much of the interior as possible, especially where you plan to carve (this will make carving easier and allow for better illumination).

TRANSFER Before copying a design onto a pumpkin, clean the entire surface with a damp towel, then wipe with another towel until exterior is completely dry. Secure paper to pumpkin with masking tape or pushpins. Use a pushpin, embroidery needle, or metal skewer to prick your design onto the pumpkin.

CARVE Cut along transferred design lines using a saber saw, pumpkin-carving tool, small paring knife, or linoleum-cutting tool (similar to a box cutter). Shorter blades allow more control.

PRESERVE To keep your designs looking fresh, apply a thin layer of petroleum jelly or vegetable oil to the pumpkin's carved crevices.

LIGHT To get the right amount of glow in a pumpkin lit by candles, use multiple tea lights.

Twinkling branches

Orange twinkle lights illuminate our vignette.

step I Draw or photocopy a branch design to desired size. Make sure your design has an open pattern with no overlapping limbs,

STEP 2 Cut Out top of pumpkin and scrape the interior clean(see instructions at left).

step 3 Transfer design onto pumpkin. step 4 Carve design, first making shallow cuts with a small blade at a 45 angle for precision, then making larger cuts with a serrated carving tool.

step 5 With an electric drill fitted with a small bit, create holes at branch tips for a berry effect.

step 6 Cut a small hole for an electrical plug in the back of pumpkin, near its base. Through top opening, place indoor-outdoor twinkle lights inside pumpkin, feeding the cord and plug through the hole in the back. From interior, poke individual lights into berry holes, keeping the remaining lights inside pumpkin or trailing out the back if desired.