The Pumpkin Patch & Creepy Carvings

Sunday we took all the sons to the pumpkin patch. Can I just say how thrilled I am every year that the teen-itis my older two suffer from hasn’t whittled away at their love of Halloween?! They still get a rush picking their own perfect pumpkins and turning them into masterpieces. For a mere $30 we left with all the pumpkins our family could carry. In total it was only 8 pumpkins, but these were some big pumpkins. In fact, Sons 2 & 3 were after the biggest pumpkins they could find. They took on the patch, and won. Challenge complete.

It was Son # 4’s first time cleaning out his own pumpkin. It was all fun and games until he actually had to touch the pumpkin goop. He was not a fan.

Here’s what Sons 2 , 3, and 4 have done so far with their pumpkins. We’ve still got 1 more to carve. Two to paint, and one to use as a baking dish/serving bowl. Halloween makes me feel like a kid at Christmas. I get giddy just thinking about all the impending craftiness. I also can’t wait until all the carving is finally done because (once the mess is all cleaned up) then we get to the seeds!

 

Both pumpkins were made using templates. The Cyberman from Doctor Who can be found here. Son # 3 drew King Boo from Super Mario World onto his pumpkin and then carved. The Thomas the Tank Engine is free-handed based off his profile. Son # 4 opted for a very petite pumpkin this year because it was ‘just so cute’, so we had a very petite Thomas.

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The Mummy Pumpkin

Son # 4 lovingly referred to this as his ‘Mommy’ pumpkin. I, of course, was tickled pink. It took some practice, but this year he’s having no trouble pronouncing the word ‘mummy’. I’m thinking to celebrate we will be seeing multiple Mommy, err Mummy, themed crafts this October.

When I found this easy, fun pumpkin craft on Martha Stewart’s website I knew we had to do it. I love carving pumpkins with the older boys (I spend a shameless amount of time scouring the web for the lates and greatest pumpkin template for them to choose from), but I wanted something different to do with the youngest son. Let’s save carving, you know pumpkin guts, tools, knives and all that, for at least a few more years. Please? That and if he needs a quick sensory lesson he can always stick his hand in his brothers’ pumpkins. Which he did…repeatedly.

While my version may not be as pristine, or authentic looking as Martha’s, it did the trick. I used what I had on hand in the house so it was budget friendly, and it was a quick craft to fit in before nap time.

The Mummy Pumpkin

• roll of gauze
• googly eyes
• black cardstock
• glue gun

Directions

1. Starting at any point on the pumpkin glue a starting edge to the pumpkin.
2. From their wrap the gauze around the pumpkin, continuing until you feel like it’s sufficiently covered.
3. When satisfied with the ‘look’, cut the gauze and hot glue down the end piece.
4. Glue two googly eyes on.
5. Cut a mouth out of the black cardstock and glue on.
6. Voila, you now have a pumpkin mummy.