Lace-Patterned Pumpkins

Not all pumpkins are orange, nor are they necessarily destined to become leering jack-o'-lanterns. The designs used on these pumpkins, carved freehand, mimic the lacelike openwork of 18th-century pierced creamware dishes, and turn any pumpkin (especially a pale Lumina) into an intricately patterned lamp.

PHOTOGRAPHY:

Martha Stewart Living, October 1994http://www.marthastewart.com/265580/lace-patterned-pumpkins

Steps

Select a pumpkin or squash such as Lumina, spaghetti squash, or Blue Hubbard. For this project, small pieces of pipe can also be used to make cuts and punch out circles from the gourd.
Cut an opening in the bottom of your pumpkin. Scrape out the seeds and most of the flesh. Place a length of masking tape around the circumference of the gourd as a carving guideline. Start cutting.
The going gets easier once you've circled the pumpkin with a pattern -- just keep following it, adding more bands of cuts. If you carve a small, simple design that doesn't feed the candle much air, make an air hole on one side to help it burn.

Materials

Pumpkin or squash
Wood-carving tools

Tip: When choosing carving tools, bear in mind the shape of the perforation your tool will make, and choose those that produce unusual punctures. For example, top and bottom cuts with a V-shaped gouge leave a diamond form.

Ombre Spiderweb Pumpkins

PHOTOGRAPHY: MIKE KRAUTTER

Steps

Using the thinnest tape from the patterning tape set, tape off a spiderweb onto your pumpkin.
Using a foam pouncer and Martha Stewart Crafts Satin Paint in Marmalade, lightly pounce in an up-and-down motion to begin painting in the middle of your desired area, decreasing your coverage as you work your way out.
Using a foam pouncer and Satin Paint in Sweet Potato, lightly pounce in an up-and-down motion from the outer edges of the Marmalade paint and decrease your coverage as you work your way out to create an ombre effect.
Peel off tape immediately before the paint dries.