What to Carve Instead of the Traditional Pumpkin

Halloween is upon us my ghouls and you know what that means! Yes, it’s time to get out the knives and scoopers and carve those pumpkins. However, if you are like me, you probably squeal at the sight of all of that horrific pumpkin guts and slimy seeds. These pumpkin guts can turn your carving station into a spooky mess. Plus, some Halloween enthusiasts out there are not too keen on the smell of fresh pumpkin. Then there's also the fright of having to throw away all of your hard work after Halloween has ended. You could always paint your pumpkin instead. On the contrary though, then you wouldn’t sense the bootiful illumination that comes with the freaky fun of lighting it up on Halloween night by placing a candle inside. So what’s a resourceful witch like you to do? Fear not as here is a guide on what to carve instead of the traditional pumpkin.

Paper Bags

Paper bags are more than just stuffing trick or treat goodies in on Halloween!

Method 1. Since some paper bags are made of thin material, the most fearful thing that you will need is a marker. Simply draw a face or any Halloween themed design of your choice on one side of the bag. Then you can place a LED candle (not a real one as we must remember that paper is flammable ) inside the bag and watch as the paper bag illuminates itself behind your spooktacular drawing.

Method 2. On the other hand, if you choose a paper bag that thinks and doesn’t allow light to shine through, all you have to do is reverse the process by cutting out your Halloween design instead of drawing it. This reversal allows your Halloween image to be illuminated by the candlelight just like it would have been if you had carved it out on your pumpkin.

Mason Jars

Another good and mess-free jack o lantern idea includes these useful jars. For this easy and devilishly good craft, all you need is your handy permanent marker, a jar, a candle and your creativity. After you have gathered all of your needed materials, just simply follow the instructions to method 1 that was described in the previous pumpkin substitute idea. A good thing about mason jars is that they come in many different shapes and sizes which can allow you to truly personalize your alternative jack-o-lanterns in so many different and monsterific ways. A favourite design of mine requires you to glue googly eyes to your jar and then wrap it up in gauze to create an authentic mummy jar. The possibilities are eternal, just like a vampire!

Fruit

Although fruit jack-o-lanterns does require the same amount of effort as it takes to carve a pumpkin, it does, however, have a less spooky smell as well as a slightly cleaner nature. Some fruits that are favourites to carve include pineapples and oranges but hey, if you can manage to scoop out the insides of any fruit and still keep the peel intact then I applaud you and I also highly recommend that you experiment as much as you want. In fact, since oranges are similar in colour to pumpkins, you can easily draw a face on one to slip into your lunchbox for a hauntingly good snack! The only downfall to this would be that some fruit does tend to be harder to carve than a usual pumpkin. So, are you up for the challenge?