Halloween Pumpkin Man

                                                                                               Pumpkin Man is a great idea that I got from a magazine last fall and wanted to use it again this year.  Last year, I set him up early October and by Halloween he was leaking rotten pumpkin juice all over, so I decided to do it a little later this year.   This year I also made my “Man” a “Woman” by adding a cute little flower on top.   I just hot glued the  acorns on so we can just pop them off and carve our pumpkins the day before Halloween if we want to!  (My husband said we could get some more to carve…I think he really likes her on the porch…especially for Halloween:)

There are many different variations of the “Pumpkin Man”.  Here’s last years' (in it’s gooey, “melting” stage…just a little gross, but it made it a little more spooky).  I etched out the facial features and buttons all the way down, but didn’t hollow the pumpkins out so light could come through as described in this tutorial on etching pumpkins.  I think it could also look amazing with a black top hat and cane…dress it up or down!

I saw another idea on Studio 5 that took this similar stacking form, but they etched in their address.  A number on each pumpkin working down.  I thought that would be cute if you had a lot of people coming for a Halloween party.

Here’s an image I found on Martha Stewart – they used gourds!  I thought it might even be great to spray paint some of the pumpkins black and etch in a scull and cross bones to make it in a more spooky form.  The possibilities are endless people!!

SUPPLIES:

-  3 - 4 Pumpkins (graduating in size, like a snowman)

-  a couple dowels (get a good strong thickness)

-  etching tools, acorns, flowers (whatever you want to give your pumpkin man some character)

-  small screw driver or ice pick

-  hand saw

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Use the hand saw to cut off the stems of the bottom pumpkins so they can stack more evenly on each other.

2.  If you are etching, do it now before you put the Pumpkin Man together!

3.  Cut small holes with the small screw driver in the top and bottoms of each pumpkin so the dowels will easily slide into each pumpkin. Slide the dowel all the way through the top and bottom of the 2nd to bottom pumpkin first, then feed the stick into the bottom pumpkin. This is a little difficult – just work with the angles so the pumpkins will be held together with the dowels.  (Mine still has to lean against the house to stay upright.) Depending on how long your dowel is and how tall your Pumpkin Man is, you may have to have two dowels (the second to start half way up).  

4.  Add embellishments such as hats, flowers, etc.  To give your Pumpkin Man its character.

TIME:

1-3 hours (Depending on how you choose to decorate it!)

PRICE:

$14-25

Last year we picked pumpkins from a field and they were MUCH more expensive – it probably didn’t help that it was early October.  Now, they are probably on sale everywhere.  I got mine this year at Wal-Mart for $3 a piece – all sizes.  I didn’t pay per pound there.