pumpkin

This Easy Pumpkin Keg Is Perfect For Your Halloween Bash

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This is one Halloween DIY you’re sure to enjoy: a pumpkin keg! Not only is a pumpkin keg easy to make, but it will look cute to have on display at a Halloween party.

“Today” posted a video that will walk you through the simple steps to bring this pumpkin keg to life. (And there are plenty of other tutorials online as well, like this one from No Spoon Necessary!)

You simply cut a hole in the top of the pumpkin and scoop out the seeds and guts to hollow out the insides. (It should be as bare and empty as possible inside before it holds liquid.) Then simply use an apple corer or a knife to create a circle for the keg tap. Make a hole that’s just big enough to fit the tap, as you don’t want to let liquid escape.

And there you have it. It’s as easy as that. Watch how it’s done here:

You can purchase a kit with a tap as well as a coring tool that make a hole the exact size you need on Amazon for $17.99.

Amazon

Once you’ve got the hang of it, you can create pumpkin kegs for the remainder of the fall season and then do the same thing with a watermelon once summer rolls around!

The best part of hollowing out your pumpkin is deciding what to fill it with—there are just so many delicious concoctions to choose from! You might prefer an adult beverage, such as red sangria, or opt for a kid-friendly version of spiced cider punch. Decisions, decisions…

Creating a keg isn’t the only way you can use pumpkins as functional decor at a fall party, either. For example, Everyday Dishes offers a tutorial for turning a pumpkin into an ice chest. Simply core out the pumpkin, add ice and you’re done.

Now you’re prepared to throw the very best fall parties. Enjoy!

Installation Of 3,000 Pumpkins Unveiled In London

Pumpkin Dioramas Are Halloween’s Most Creative Trend

Glitter pumpkins. Painted pumpkins. Glow-in-the-dark pumpkins. Been there, stenciled that. If you think you’ve seen just about every way to bring creativity to Halloween, then you are in for a surprise.

Pumpkin dioramas are the new way to take pumpkin art to the next level. Yes, art! How else could you describe something so epic?

The best part about this breath-taking trend is that it’s actually pretty simple! Forget painstakingly carving vampire teeth onto a pumpkin, or sweating up a storm as you try to lay a stencil on perfectly straight. No, with pumpkin dioramas, anything goes!

It’s safe for the little ones to be hands-on, so you don’t have to worry about them grabbing onto the sharp edges of the pumpkin cutter. Plus you don’t have to worry about cleaning up the mess, as these dioramas are made with plastic or foam pumpkins!

Check out this cool example from Eat, Knit and DIY:

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Seriously, how amazing is this? Your kids might not even want to go trick-or-treating when they have this creation to gaze at in awe.

How about this pumpkin diorama from Lone Girl in a Crowd?

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Lone Girl in a Crowd

Well, who are we kidding!? Your kids are definitely not going to want to miss out on the candy. But they will also love being part of this craft.

Here is how to get started:

1. Pick out an appropriately sized artificial pumpkin. Get one that is wide—you are going to be using it as your ‘stage,’ so you don’t want to limit yourself with too narrow of a space. Art of Doing Stuff recommends you use a serrated pumpkin-carving knife to cut a large hole in one side of the pumpkin, but you may need to experiment (carefully!) with a sharper blade like an X-ACTO knife if the pumpkin carver doesn’t do the trick.

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The Art of Doing Stuff

2. Do you want to paint your pumpkin? If so, now is the time to do it. Rich black and creamy whites make for a great background, but you can also do a pop of color like hot pink. Stripes are also a unique idea, like this one from Plaid!

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Plaid

 

3. Use a piece of cardboard or a flat small piece of plywood as the base of your diorama. You need something flat and level inside the pumpkin. You could even use a book or small notepad. Then cover the flat surface with fake grass, dirt, leaves, or colored sand.

4. Hot glue is your friend! If you do any sort of crafting, a hot glue gun needs to be in your toolbox of tricks. For instance, create a tiny disco ball (use sparkly nail polish and a small pebble or Styrofoam ball) and then hang it from the “ceiling” of your diorama with the help of a hot glue gun. You can also glue tiny pieces of black/white fabric around the diorama to create mini ghosts.

5. Consider the scene. Are you creating a spooky graveyard? Check out your grocery store’s baking aisle or the Halloween aisles at your local Target. You will probably find all manner of cake/cupcake toppers that will work perfectly in your diorama, from tiny skeletons to tombstones. Or, create your own with nothing other than a rock and black Sharpie! “RIP” is easy to write, and scrawled writing will just make it look more spooky, so don’t worry about making it perfect.

6. Don’t make it too complicated. Yes, you could spend hours gluing tiny bones and bats to your pumpkin, but you could also lay down some fake grass and put a Halloween cake topper inside. Or a spooky plastic haunted house would work just fine. Add sticky bats to the outside of the pumpkin. Or how about a chic woodland scene? Check out this one from Hello Lidy:

hello-lidy
Hello Lidy

So simple and so perfect. You will definitely be in the mood for candy corn and monster movies after making one of these!

via GIPHY

This Is Why You’ll Be Seeing Teal Pumpkins This Halloween

Every Halloween, kids dressed like black cats and SpongeBob Squarepants flood the streets, going door-to-door to find candy at people’s houses. For most, this is a special time to eat fun-sized candy as part of a fun-filled night.

For other kids, their food allergies keep them away from trick-or-treating because so many candies contain soy, wheat, chocolate, peanuts or gluten. But now these kids don’t have to worry about food allergies spoiling their Halloween fun.

FARE

The Teal Pumpkin Project, started in 2014 by the nonprofit Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE), helps these kids with food allergies have fun during Halloween rather than worry about the amount of candy in their bags. Participants in the Teal Pumpkin Project place teal pumpkins in front of their homes, which lets kids know that the house is safe for trick-or-treaters with food allergies.

“The Teal Pumpkin Project promotes safety, inclusion and respect for all those managing food allergies,” FARE Director of Communications Nancy Gregory told The Huffington Post.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BKli9OtDCSN/?taken-by=foodallergy

FARE has partnered with Michaels Craft Stores to spread food allergy awareness in their stores along with ideas for participants in the Teal Pumpkin Project.

The Project’s goal this year is to have at least one teal pumpkin on every residential block in the U.S. According to the FARE website, one in 13 children in the U.S. has a food allergy, and someone is admitted to the emergency room because of food allergies once every three minutes. Economically, food allergies cost $25 billion a year to treat.

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Getty Images | Drew Angerer

How To Participate

To combat this problem, you can help keep hospital visits to a minimum this Halloween by participating in the Teal Pumpkin Project.

You can either paint your own teal pumpkins, buy them online (or at your local Michaels Craft store), or print out a free sign from the FARE website.

https://www.instagram.com/p/9gi0OmFIuZ/?taken-by=foodallergy

On the day of trick-or-treating, you can put out one bowl of candy and another bowl filled with non-candy treats for those with food allergies. Some ideas for items you can put inside this bowl are bubbles, erasers, bouncy balls, Mini Slinkies and plastic spider rings.

bouncy balls photo
Flickr | Jeff Kubina

RELATED: 21 Non-candy Alternatives To Pass Out This Halloween

If you have more questions, like why the color teal (answer: it’s the color of food allergy awareness), check out the Teal Pumpkin Project FAQ page, and spread the word!