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Pumpkin Party

© Traute Klein, biogardener

Get together with friends and family for a pumpkin party. You can inspire each other to go crazy decorating pumpkins at a time when they are plentiful and cheap.

Plans

If you have a chance to plan a pumpkin party some time before Hallowe'en, you could make decorations for Hallowe'en at the party. When you invite your friends, be sure to tell everyone to wear work clothes. You don't want party clothes wrecked with paint. The supplies for your pumpkin party depend on what kind of pumpkin decorating you want to do. Let me give you some ideas, but feel free to think up your own. Here are some to choose from.

Real pumpkins: Either to be carved in the traditional way or decorated.

1. If you want to carve a traditional jack-o'-lantern, the lid is first cut out of the pumpkin, and then the pulp and seeds are removed. Let everyone pick out the seeds right away so that they can be baked on a cookie sheet and eaten the same evening. They are delicious while still warm. You can sprinkle the raw seeds with popcorn spices or other spice mixtures before they are baked. Bake them crisp enough to make the hulls edible. Shelling them is too much trouble.
2. If you don't want to carve the pumpkins, you can use permanent felt markers to decorate them. Set them outside the house on garbage bags filled tightly with raked leaves. After Hallowe'en, take the pumpkins inside to carve up for cooking.
3. Use acrylic paints or ordinary latex house paint instead if you have some left over from painting the house. Make sure you wash the brushes with soap and water right away.
4. If you intend to keep your pumpkins indoors, poster paint, i.e. tempera, is fine as well. It is not as showy but you won't be ruining your clothes or brushes, so this is great for children in the party.
5. Feel free to add decorative odds and ends, including wool for hair, cheap earrings or other jewelry, or even artificial flowers. You can pin them on.

Plastic pumpkins: Purchased at craft supply stores.

1. Decorate with permanent felt markers or acrylic paint.
2. Decorations like wool or jewelry have to be glued on. Goop is a good glue if the pumpkins need to stand up to the elements outdoors. For indoor use, white glue will work for light additions but not for jewelry.

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