Young House Love

Home Decorating & DIY Tutorials

| By | | 377 Comments

Drilling Holes In Your Pumpkins For Spooky Wood Snakes

Just to be clear, that post title is meant to be said in a Dr. Dre-esque fashion like he does in this song (aw yeah, $herdog still rocks out to the clean version of this 1999 classic). And now that we have that out of the way, let’s talk about something hardcore. Pumpkins, yo.

This year we got lumpy bumpy orangy-red ones instead of the usual smooth yellow-orange guys just for kicks. The coolest thing about them is that they have stems on the bottom and top, which is kind of fun. Pretty much as soon as we got them home we got to work hollowing them out, and I directed John to make a face like a serial killer (am I the only one who types cereal killer and then has to backspace and correct myself every time?) and we got this stellar shot. In John’s defense, he does look awesomely creepy… so… mission accomplished.

Pumpkin1

Mmm, pumpkin seeds. Those were all eaten before these photos were even uploaded. What does that say about us? Either we’re sadly slow bloggers or just very hungry for seasonal delicacies. I’ll go with the latter. And now, just because I’ve been having fun with “___, there it is” lately…

Scoop, there it is.

Pumpkin2

Once we had both pumpkins hollowed out we got to break out the power tools. Yeah buddy. I told you these pumpkins were gonna be hardcore. We actually came up with this crazy idea in bed a few days beforehand (wait, that sounds wrong, we were just doing some horizontal brainstorming, wait that sounds wrong again – we were just thinking about pumpkins before bed, ok?).

Pumpkin3

We were saying how it would be fun to do something wormy for our worm-loving Clara (like carving holes and then sticking gummy worms into all of them so they looked like they were creeping out) when we realized that we still had these wooden craft store snakes that I painted last year.

Halloween Decor6

And since Clara loves these wiggly little snakes just as much as worms, we realized we could combine them with pumpkins for a snake-tastic Halloween effect. And thus, the idea of using the more snake-sized bit on the drill to make the holes was born. I loved how the drill made little ribbons of pumpkin as it went through.

Pumpkin4

Oh snap. Those are some bad a$$ pumpkins. Mixed in with some pretty sinister ceramic animals. You totally wouldn’t want to run into them in a dark alley, right? Let’s get a little closer…

Pumpkin5

Aw yeah, there it is. A lumpy wart-ish double-stemmed pumpkin that has been infested with snakes! And then a ratty old crow came down and landed on it. That’s some tough luck for Mr. Pumpkin, eh? Bummers for you dude.

Pumpkin7

Here’s the other guy. All holed up and snaked out.

Pumpkin9

And I couldn’t help myself so I rearranged my printing block letters that spell LOVE to say EVIL (I drew in the “I” on the back side of the O a few years back here) along with adding a few other you-shouldn’t-be-surprised things like…

Pumpkin8

… ceramic animals! Holla. Don’t they look awesomely creep-tastic when they’re grouped with a crow, some snakes, and two gnarled old pumpkins? I love how the frog and the pumpkins both have warts.

Pumpkin11

I even grabbed our white ceramic rabbit from the deck because for some reason he seemed like he could be a little “rabidly scary” in the right setting. I think it works. Plus, if you were a ceramic bunny, wouldn’t it be a little bit thrilling to end up displayed with other tougher creatures like snakes and crows? It’s like he gets to take a walk on the wild side for a hot second before ducking back over into cute fuzzy bunny territory the rest of the year.

Pumpkin6

I kinda wished I could paint “blood” in drippy red paint over the word “love” in the art, but that would be permanent, so maybe I’ll cut out the letters from red construction paper and delicately stick them on with poster putty or something. Or I’ll just leave it and ignore the uplifting and happy quote above my spooky little table of Halloween goodness.

Oh and we still have to frame our skullified selves (made a few years back thanks to Photoshop) in the hallway frame wall. This baby comes out every year and we play the “slip it into a frame grouping and see who notices” game.

Halloween Scary Wedding Pic

Speaking of ghosts of Halloweens past, we have nearly a dozen Halloween posts on our Holiday project page, complete with a bunch of creep-a-delic projects, tablescapes, and more – so if you’re looking for puffy painted pumpkins, maniacal monograms, batty bid-ness, or bloody candles, we’ve got you covered.

Thumbnailshalloween

What are you guys doing to spook things up at home? Does it involved ceramic animals and a power drill? If it doesn’t, $herdog strongly encourages you to reconsider. Ya heard?  *mic drop*

Psst- John misses you guys and is sorry he hasn’t blogged for a few days. He’s been working on our powerpoint presentation for our talk in Cincy this Saturday (I’ll pause while he mimes pushing his glasses up his nose and putting on his pocket protector) but he’ll be dropping in later and tomorrow with those posts for ya!

Comments

  5. Ainhoa@ALittleBite says

    That is such a cool idea! Great job!
    We don’t celebrate Halloween here in Spain (at least we didn’t use to when I was a kid – we’ve received calls from several kids who were trick or treating these last few years and I keep seeing Halloween stuff pop up randomly at stores lately, so it might be a new thing) but I love seeing stuff like this! We don’t have those lumpy pumpkins either. They look more real than the others, somehow.

    Reply

  7. Kathryn says

    Love the post BUT Next Episode had to have been way before 2006. I remember it as being one of the first songs I downloaded on Napster, I think in 2000?

    Reply

  9. Mekenzie @ Interiors By Kenz says

    I love this super simple idea. I feel like lately everyone has been trying to see how much MORE over the top they can get with their pumpkin decor. I think you guys simplified it perfectly.

    Does Clara love it? What are Clara and Burger going to be for Halloween?

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Aw thanks Mekenzie! She does love it and she and Burger have a costume pairing that they can’t wait to share! Pics soon I hope! This year I’m attempting to DIY her costume instead of buying it off the rack, so we’ll have to see how it turns out. Could be questionable… haha!

      xo
      s

    • Kathryn says

      This comment made my day. I thought I was the only one who went there immediately when I saw the rabbit in the context of the display. “Well, that’s no ordinary rabbit! That’s the most foul, cruel, and bad-tempered rodent you ever set eyes on!”

      I go a bit crazy this time of year hunting down pumpkins to carve. They’re not as readily available here in Dublin, and my Irish husband just doesn’t understand this American girl’s NEED.

  13. lizaanne says

    Super super cute!!!! I love punkins that don’t look like typical punkins.

    Small suggestion – sometimes they like to get a little weepy in a warm house, so you might want to put a dish under them so they don’t weep all over your cool new dresser. :-) My mom ruined a beautiful piece of furniture one year that way when I was little – it was not pretty.

    Reply

    • DawnSC says

      So wish I had seen this comment approximately 3 years ago, great idea! We’ve had terrible luck with the weeping in warm temps: after 3 years of every. single. pumpkin. we carved completely collapsing in a disgusting mess on our porch (one really bad year on our kitchen table before they even got put outside, yuck) out here in SoCal “fall”, we’ve given up on carving them. So sad. :( A small pie pumpkin has volunteered to be the victim this year to see if it holds up to being decorated but not carved…

  15. Emma (Broke Ass Home) says

    Oh! I got a little creeped out looking at those guys.

    I did my porch (which I think I already posted the link here)
    http://www.brokeasshome.com/2012/10/bit-by-bug.html

    and then the other day I made a little fall photo wall.
    http://www.brokeasshome.com/2012/10/i-take-it-back.html

    I’m loving this whole having a house to decorate for the seasons thing! Just a few more things to do before Halloween! I’m hurrying to get my new dining table refinished for the party. No rest for the home obsessed.

    Reply

  18. geneva says

    Really? Evil? I don’t know about bringing that into my home…you may be opening a can of worms…uh snakes? I guess what concerns me is that we don’t want our children to be afraid and then we decorate or celebrate “evil.” You know? I prefer to make it a fun holiday!! ;)

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Not to worry, Clara can’t read yet (or see those letters since her eye line is the side of them) so I just couldn’t help but have some fun with letters/printing blocks. I just love spelling words out with them – they’re like magnetic refrigerator letters to me!

      xo
      s

    • kate says

      I don’t think it’s scary at all! I am admittedly not a halloween fan – I’m too much of a wuss. In my humble opinion it’s more silly than scary, which is how I like it!

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Aw thanks Kate! Clara definitely digs all the little critters up there. The girl loves worms – so snakes and frogs and bunnies and birds are all things she wants to pet and name too! She has no fear. Haha.

      xo
      s

  19. Carrie says

    If you all have any extra time in Cincy and you have Clara with you…you should consider going to EnterTrainment Junction. It’s the bee’s knee’s for train loving kids.

    Reply

  22. Ashley@AttemptsAtDomestication says

    Such a good idea! I haven’t blogged about them yet, but we did some pumpkin carving over the weekend as well!

    It was my husband’s first time ever carving a pumpkin and we had a blast! He made a storm trooper and I did an R for our last name.

    Reply

  23. Shari says

    I have been anxiously waiting for this post ever since I saw your instagram photo of the pumpkin seeds. I always enjoy seeing what you come up with your pumpkins every year. Just yesterday I was thinking…”I wonder when they’re gonna get around to that pumpkin post.” I’m not even kidding. I’m as serious as a warty pumpkin…cuz they mean bizz-nass.

    Reply

  24. Piper says

    Looks great, but you actually really just made my morning with your Dr. Dre reference! Thanks…right back to the ol’ college days=)

    Reply

  25. Melissa says

    Target has those Gel Window clings with dripping blood & handprints :) only $3 a pack! They look great on our mirrors :)

    Reply

  27. Pam C says

    Hm…could you cut the word “blood” out ]of red vinyl and stick it on the print? I think the static would hold it? Or just red cardstock with a bit of the poster-hanging tacky putty stuff?

    Love your pumpkins! Trader Joe’s had a great selection of “non-traditional” pumpkins.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Barring any technical difficulties! Haha. Already sweating about that! What if we get up there and it goes blank and we’re like…. uh, ok now I’m going to tap dance for you.

      xo
      s

  31. Cristina says

    At first glance I read the title as “Hold up” with Dr. Dre’s voice in my head, so mission accomplished $herdog! :)

    Horizontal brainstorming? LOL

    Digging the pumpkins though! Interesting spin by using the bumpy ones that everyone seems to pass up in favor of the smooth, pretty ones. Great idea!

    Reply

  32. Ellen says

    Another twist would be to carve a traditional jack-o-lantern face with the snakes coming out of the mouth, eyes or nose like they had eaten the brains out.

    Reply

  33. EmilyThompson says

    My sister-in-law and I have been brainstorming t-shirt ideas for when we go to your book signing in Ft Lauderdale, now we have a new one: *mic drop*
    I love when you write like this!

    Reply

  35. Stephanie says

    Does candy count as Halloween decorating? No? Darn. Because I’ve got a total hershey kisses addiction going on. They’re in a pumpkin bowl if that helps!

    The only “fall” decorating I’ve done is put “Pumpkin Tree” branches in a couple vases (they’re from trader joes!). My roommate laughed at me because I cleaned out a couple pumpkin beer bottles and used those as vases. It was just too hard not to. The colors were PERFECT.

    They are the cutest thigns EVER. I’m obsessed.

    Reply

  38. Jamie F says

    A comment for John…have you ever heard of the software “Prezi, The Zooming Presentation Editor”? Its like PowerPoint, but 100 times more awesome!! (I am in no way affiliated with this software, a friend just showed me a presentation he did with it for work and it…was…amazing!)

    Reply

  39. liz says

    Love the pumpkins! What about a clear shelf paper or window film to put over your art so you can throw some blood on it?

    Reply

  41. Jamie says

    Sherry! Draw drips with red puff paint on something glossy like glass, wait for it to dry and peel off an place on letters. It won’t be permanent!

    Reply

  43. sarah says

    I think they look great! I was just wondering how you keep your pumpkins from getting moldy/mushy/gross before Halloween. I tried a few years ago to carve mine a week or so before Halloween and in just a weekend they were covered in mold inside and rotted on the bottom. Did I just have a bad pumpkin?

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Hmm, I think if they get really warm that happens, so maybe just try to keep the house cool (we don’t pump the heat and love to throw open windows for nice fall breezes!

      xo
      s

    • Meg says

      I was wondering the same thing. Once carved, my pumpkins never last more than 5 days or so (and if it rains, even less). I have my pumpkins and am just enjoying them whole for now. The carving has to wait until the weekend before Halloween. Here in Japan, real jack-o-lantern type pumpkins are a fairly big splurge!

    • Maggie says

      I’ve read (but haven’t tried) that you can use those little silcone baggies (that come in packages or shoe boxes – the DO NOT EAT kind, haha) in the bottom of your carved pumpkin to absorb any extra moisture that might speed up rotting. Worth a shot!

    • cameron says

      We never do them more than three days before Halloween, or they just turn into globs of mush.

    • amanda says

      This happened to me last year too! I hadn’t carved a pumpkin since childhood and didn’t know this would happen, well now an antique family table has a big stain on it where the pumpkin was. I do live in Texas here and it’s usually warm around Halloween so we do have the AC going and the pumpkin was kept inside. Makes me a bit scared to carve one again.

  44. Brenda says

    My pumpkin carving was kind of a fail this year, but I was with friends while we all carved, so it was still fun.

    I wouldn’t want a bumpy pumpkin for traditional carving, but those looks amazing with the snakes coming out! I love the deeper color, too.

    Reply

  45. Amy says

    That is quite funny – my friends and I are having our annual pumpkin-carving party on Sunday. I forwarded this post to the hostess with the idea that “powertools and pumpkins might be fun, or a big mess, or both.” Both our significant others were in the military and between the us we have a LOT of powertools…

    I have a feeling there will be a lot of “I wonder what this one will do…”

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Hahahhah! The funny thing is that the smaller pumpkin was tougher so it shot things more when we drilled while the first one was so chill (a bit softer, so it didn’t shoot pumpkin at all). It was all sort of a hilarious experiment.

      xo
      s

  46. Wendy says

    If John needs a break, here’s a cool race to look at…

    http://www.runsanta.com/

    The video is worth a laugh or two!

    Hub and I will be volunteering and maybe running. Not sure if they make pregger Santa suits, so that may opt me out as the race is 2 days before our little lady is due.

    Reply

Stuff We Love

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *