Friday, October 21, 2016

Pumpkin Problems. What to do, what to do...


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I went looking for a little Jack 'O Lantern inspiration and ended up on a three hour tour of everything pumpkin.  There were tips about cutting, cleaning, designing, cooking, and crafting.  The most helpful tip I think was to cut the pumpkin on the bottom rather than the top.  If you plan to light it at all, cutting the hole in the bottom makes it easy to light the candle or insert the corded bulb or even battery operated light if you simply place the pumpkin over top.

Other than that you can use just about anything imaginable to cut these guys.  Serrated knives, Key-hole saws, Dremel or drill or hammer and nails?  You name it, use what you have.  I think the RotoZip would be my first choice :0}

Check out some of the things I found...

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With a freshly cleaned gourd, you can stick with a traditional face or something new or abstract.  Here are a few patterns I found online in case you are looking.
Large Jack O Lantern Faces Stencil:

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These were the first Jack's I saw with hair!  What a great idea to add personality, lol!
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How 'bout a little Disney in your holiday?
I am DYING to go to Disneyland now that we live in the West again.  Please excuse my obsession, even in pumpkin form.
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{I can't find original Source.  This one will have to do}

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Chewbacca Pumpkin Carving

Love pumpkin carving and Star Wars? Try carving this pumpkin at home with this Death Star Carving tutorial. May the Force be with you …

Growing old is mandatory, growing up is optional.


You are in luck if you are a Disney fan too.
I found this site with TONS of free carving templates.  Check out the source below to see all the designs they have.
Over 100 FREE Disney Pumpkin Carving Stencil Templates from 4 The Love Of Family

Scenes
These scenes carved into the pumpkins are awesome.  I tried to carve a haunted house like the one below many years ago and it ended up dangling pieces with half of them piled at the bottom.  One wrong cut and your masterpiece is just a mess.   It's OK though, cause there are a couple of ideas down here that can be a great salvage of a mutilated gourd.
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This blog has a nice little explanation of how the Jack 'O Lantern tradition was started.  Did you know it is an Irish tradition???  And the first Jack 'O Lanterns were carved turnips, not pumpkins???


This village, as a vinyl seller, I adore.  You could totally use vinyl for that...or go the hard way and paint or sharpie them all.  I choose vinyl ;0}
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If you're in a hurry of a cool spooky pumpkin for your home, no need to worry!  This pumpkin carving project only takes up about 30 minutes. 
Get the tutorial at Finding Home Farms.

Um, YES!  Fairy House OBSESSED right here.  How cute!

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The neighborhood of pumpkin dwellers is so sweet.  Not everyone has space for a village, but it is totally adorable. 

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Mhm...as Cinderella's mom this pumpkin coach is a must do...minus the mice.
Cinderella isn't the only one  fit for a pumpkin carriage ride. 
Get the tutorial at Ursi's Blog »

Remember me saying one of these would be perfect for a pumpkin stencil fail???
This one!  I am totally enamored with the idea of a diorama inside the pumpkin!
So many ideas!!!
This is a much more sophisticated (and seasonal) take on the traditional elementary school project.
Get the tutorial at Country Living »

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What is Halloween without Charlie Brown?!?

Linus Pumpkin:

Prepare yourself for Pumpkin Overload!
These people took Pumpkin creativity to an extreme I have never seen.
We may just have to travel down to Texas and check these out in person!
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This one is Canada...Just amazing!
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WOW!  I would be totally spooked OUT if this house were on my block!
And a little afraid of a fire taking us all in the night.  
Crazy amazing though.  Seriously.  Think of how long that must have taken!

Orange halloween decorated house

Just Creative!
The next batch of pumpkins were just unique and creative.  
I LOVE that there are so many people out there playing with food!
A gourd's twisted stem works perfectly as a crooked nose. Plus this project skips the messy step of scooping out the inside. 
Get the tutorial at Woman's Day »

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This fun apple design would look perfect on a teacher's (or nutritionist's?) front porch, we think.
See more at Good Housekeeping »

Monogram junkie right here!
This takes that same initial idea from before and adds some rustic paint effects.
Get the tutorial at The Wonder Forest »

cool jack o lantern idea:

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No-Cut Pumpkin Fun
Not up for the mess of carving???  I don't blame you.  
Check out these ideas.  From trendy to kid friendly, I love them all.
Easy Painted Pumpkin Ideas for Halloween | Sweet Little Peanut:

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Whimsical Gold Script:

preppy monogram pumpkins...you can do this!:

Spray paint dollar store glass candle sticks black and add pumpkins for Halloween decoration:

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Check out these awesome pumpkins created by @jaderbomb Tulip glow in the dark paint is magical:


Minecraft Painting Party Birthday Party Ideas | Photo 3 of 20 | Catch My Party:

Halloween Pumpkins:

This witty painted pumpkin uses its stem as a convincing stand-in for Pinocchio's growing nose.  - WomansDay.com:

Haunted house Halloween scene painted on plastic by seinafowler, $49.00:

How to make Glittered Pumpkin Stems:

These are super fun to make! The most AWESOME idea about these pumpkins is they are TWO-SIDED! One side is for Halloween and one side is for Fall!! By Toni of Design Dazzle:


Pin for Later: 35+ Ways to Decorate Pumpkins Without Carving Henna-Inspired Use puff paint to draw on an intricate Henna-inspired design.:

Jeweled pumpkins would be cool for a fall wedding.. gives it a little elegant touch.. love that they are white too:

halloween decor (pumpkin in a stocking):

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Well, I hope you enjoyed that as much as I did.  
Now, to find the time to play myself!  It won't be today.  I talked MR. SewCakeMaker into driving to Las Vegas tonight!!!  Las Vegas Hot Air Balloon Festival here we come.  Totally a fall activity, right?

Novelty Print Quilt Pattern

I have had a hard time finding good quilt patterns for novelty prints the past couple times I purchased them.  I made up this pattern so tha...