Non-Perishable Pumpkin (Get a Head Start for Halloween 2015)

Due to mild weather in October, this year’s pumpkins, carved at the beginning of the month, succumbed to mold a measly two weeks later. In order to have something decorative to put on the front porch for Halloween, I made this wooden pumpkin that certainly will not go bad. Enjoy, and remember to be Inspired!

Tool Variations

Of course, there are many other ways to make the pumpkin – the table saw might be the most comfortable, but certainly not the only one. Jigsaw and circular saw are the most obvious alternatives, and both should be able to also cut the mitre, that is the 45° angle.

Another alternative would be the band saw, even though it is less than ideal due to the limited width of the pieces ot be cut. Another possibility to achieve the mitre would be the router, preferrably in a router table. This mainly depends on the size of your mitre bit (see also my scrap box).

Instead of the forstner bits you could also carve the pumpkin using brad point bits, even thopugh with these the danger of drifting is much higher when trying to overlap holes. To counter this you could use a scrollsaw or a coping saw. Frill one or more holes for the saw blade to pass through and then saw out the desired shape. Of course you could also use a jigsaw for that, so long as you can secure the board properly.

Material Variations

The floorboards have the advantage of a readily finished surface on one side, but that does not mean that the wooden pumpkin would not look great when made from other materials, too. Starting with “ordinary” boards over plywood for the pumpkins with raised stability concerns to OSB for a special texture, anything is possible. And no matter the material, cou can easily paint your pumpkin – or let the kids do it.

I think pallet wood would make these pumpkins especially rustic, but for those I would forgo the mitres and instead butt the boards up to each other.

Why the Pumpkin is late

Of course I tried to get this video published in time for Halloween, so that anyone who wanted to make such a pumpkin had sufficient time to do so. But unfortunately, I caught a cold which rendered my voice incompatible with the task of doing voiceovers, so here I give you the first video for Halloween 2015. I am fairly certain that nobody will be earlier than this.

Thanks for reading and watching, and remember to be Inspired!