Here’s an Easy Way to Carve Pumpkins + Sunday Favorites!

Here’s an easy way to carve pumpkins + Sunday favorites with my friends Mary Ann and Cindy! Carving pumpkins is something we stopped doing once the kids were too old and too busy. I still bought them as part of my porch decor for fall, but just stacked them up, filled planters and that was it. Check out these posts to see our front doors decorated for fall! Here and here.

Then I saw the Martha Stewart Living October issue and had to try and replicate the idea of using cookie cutter shapes with different color pumpkins. Martha calls them “wicked cute” and they are adorable, but hard to replicate, trust me. If I had better quality cutters (as she recommends), I think it would have gone a little smoother. We made two and then quickly moved to power tools.

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Watch this short video to see how we used power tools to carve pumpkins!

Let’s try Power Tools instead of Cookie Cutters!

I like the pumpkins where we used power tools because you can use a candle and who doesn’t love an illuminated pumpkin? Here’s what we did:

Here’s how we carved pumpkins using power tools

1. First, draw a circle aroud the stem to give you a guide to use the jigsaw to cut out the lid.
2. Use a drill to make the first hole (just inside the drawn line) so that the jigsaw blade can be inserted.
3. Use the jigsaw to cut around the circle and then remove the lid or top.
4. Remove flesh and seeds.
5. Using a Sharpie make X marks to help guide you as to where you want to cut holes.
6. Attach a drill bit and cut holes around the pumpkin going all the way through. Then Release the flesh from the drill bit and continue cutting holes.
7. We used large holes for larger pumpkins down to smaller for the sugar pumpkins but you could get way more creative and mix it up!

The Power Tools We Used

1. Cordless Power Drill

2. Jigsaw

3. Different Size Drill Bits (1 1/8″, 3/4″, 3/8″)

Other Supplies Needed

1. Sharpie Marker

2. Scoop or large spoon

3. Kitchen Knife

4. Newspaper or Paper Bags

Here’s what else I found this week for Sunday Favorites!

Serena & Lily

Serena & Lily is always one of my top favorite brands and right now they are having a sale! Everything is 20% off! Here are a few of my favorites from their new fall collection.

This super cozy pillow, and this one too! This Winslow bedspread is a look from years ago…I think I have one somewhere! That’s what I love about Serena & Lily, they bring back classics and make them look modern and fresh!

This scalloped wicker pendant would look amazing above my white Saarinen table. Both were very popular in the 1960s and could not get any more timeless! You can see the corner where I’m considering using the scalloped pendant in this post.

American Giant

As I mentioned in my latest fashion post, my wardrobe is small. I mean, really small. If I worked where I went into an office, my coworkers would think I wore the same thing almost every day! I would be okay with that! I love great quality basics, so when I discovered American Giant, I was instantly intrigued. I ordered a pullover and a pair of black pants to try. I’m never sure of sizing, so I went with my usual sizes and was thrilled that both pieces are perfect and true to size!

American Giant makes durable, not disposable clothes. Simple, not complicated clothing that’s made in the USA! They have stores in California and New York City, but even if you can’t make it to a brick-and-mortar shop, ordering is easy and both pieces I ordered (a top and a bottom) run true to size.

A Biergarten Dining Table

My son Patrick is living in New York City with two roommates, and they have an outdoor space. They have no idea how lucky they are to have this extra space. They were more than happy to let me help them get it set up for entertaining! We hung a long shelf on one wall (like we did here) to use as sort of a bar. They would have loved an outdoor sectional, but since kids have a way of moving every year when they are young, I was not convinced this was a good idea. We settled on this portable Biergarten table. It arrived in a flat box and it’s already assembled. All we needed to do was unfold each leg and set it up. It’s the perfect thing to take to a park if you have a wagon or an SUV.

Letra Bags

I fell in love with these colorful market bags last summer when I saw my friend Nancy Sharpe with one! Nancy is an artist and has the most amazing creative style. I’ve had my eye on them ever since. I just ordered this one and can’t wait to take it for a spin!

Let’s go see what Mary Ann and Cindy found this week!

Classic Casual Home

Cindy Hattersley