Pumpkin Hat

I am on a knitting streak! Not sure if it's the colder weather that caused this knitting bug or because it makes me feel productive while I'm watching TV. I just finished knitting the cutest little pumpkin hat for a new baby. It's so cute and just in time for Halloween and Thanksgiving. I found the pattern on Ravelry and you can find it on the Sonnentaler blog. It knitted up quickly in front of a movie one evening. I looked through a bunch of pumpkin patterns till I came across this one and I really think it's perfect!

Pumpkin Dip

Are you looking for new ways to use pumpkin puree? I tried out a new recipe today and yum, I thought it was delicious.  You know I'm a fan of anything sweet.  It was from the magazine Cooking Light - October 2003.

Ingredients: 
6 oz. of cream cheese (light version)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
2 tsp of maple syrup
1/2 tsp of cinnamon


Add first 3 ingredients to a bowl and beat until mixed.  Add remaining ingredients and beat till smooth. Serve with apples.  


I also used graham crackers to dip into the pumpkin dip and it tasted yummy too. My little guy liked it too.

Autumn Centerpiece

I'm trying hard to avoid getting the Christmas stuff out.  Don't get me wrong I love Christmas, but I think I would get tired of having it out after awhile.  I don't have too many things to decorate with for Thanksgiving and actually there isn't much in the stores for Thanksgiving.  They seem to skip it and go straight to Christmas.  I decided put together a centerpiece to put on our dining room table with some items I had on hand.  It's very simple and won't mold, since it's all fake.  I recently added some gourds to the mix and then a few days later saw that they were molding.  Ewww. So, off to the trash they went.

Sequin Pumpkin

I was recently over at a friend's house and they had an awesome glittery pumpkin on display.  I really wanted to make one of my own and since funkin pumpkins are on sale at almost every craft store right now it was a perfect time to try it out.  What makes it even easier is that you can pick up sequins on a roll.  They are already strung together and look really nice glued down.  It didn't take me anytime to finish this project up.  All you need to complete this project is a funkin pumpkin, sequins on a roll and glue.  I think the total cost was around $10 for the sequins and pumpkin.

Pumpkin Candy Dispenser - Tutorial

 
I wasn't sure if I was going to do a tutorial on this because it is a little difficult to explain, but I'm going to give it a shot. 


First step is to use a fake pumpkin and cut a hole into the top, just like you would with a real pumpkin.  Then you will need to measure the inside dimensions of your pumpkin.  This way you will make sure you make the mechanism that dispenses the candy to fit. Now you need to cut a hole on the front of the pumpkin so that you have a place for the candy to shoot out.  I marked where I wanted the face to go ahead beforehand so I wouldn't make a mistake on how high or low I wanted to place the mouth.

Here is the tricky part, the mechanism.  I constructed most of it out of foam core.  You will have to fiddle with the dimensions to get it right since not all the fake pumpkins are the same size.  Also, keep in mind the size of candy you want to dispense.  I did the mini candy bars, but you could definitely go up a size and increase the hole. I was able to put most of the mechanism together outside the pumpkin, but had to put a couple pieces together inside the pumpkin.  That is a little difficult and you might want to go ahead and cut a hole on the bottom to make it easier on yourself.

 

 Here is the mechanism shown outside the pumpkin.

As you can see, it is basically a box with a hole in the top for the candy to fall through. It will hit the block of wood and then you will use the knob to get the candy out.

 The knob is connected to a small block of wood by a metal rod.  Once the candy is pushed by the knob it  will fall and hit the slide and shoot out the pumpkin's mouth. If you would like a video showing this being done, please let me know and I will upload one.  Now you will need to put another layer of foam core over the entire mechanism so you can hold all the candy.

Go ahead and draw a face on your pumpkin.  Make it as spooky or as silly as you want.  I opted for silly.
 

 
Now it's candy time.  Fill your pumpkin up with candy treats.You can either put the lid back on our add a hat like I did.

Blackboard Pumpkins

Today I have my sister in-law, Liz doing a guest post for me. She's visiting us from The Edelspot where she writes a humorous blog about her family and daily life.  If you haven't ever been there, please stop by and visit her blog.  She will give you a good laugh.  Now on to her Blackboard Pumpkins.....

So I may have mentioned that October is my favorite month (ha). And one of my favorite things about October is pumpkin. Pumpkin patches, pumpkin pancakes (a seasonal treat at our favorite diner) and pumpkin carving. In fact, I used to host an annual pumpkin carving party each year -- a booze-filled shindig that went on hiatus the year I was pregnant, and which I just haven't had the energy to reinstate since (do you know how much work it is to prep for 30 drunk folks to wield KNIVES in your house? Add to that the interior guts of a pumpkin and you get quite a messy party).

So naturally, I've been really excited to share my pumpkin love with Kate. However, I've watched that chick with a fork and there is NO WAY she is touching a carving knife. And all the little stick-on kits I've seen at craft stores are for kiddos three and up. And while pumpkin PAINTING could have been an option, last time we used paint I ended up washing her mouth out with soap.

So, you guys, I swear on everything holy I came up with a craft idea ALL ON MY OWN. Yeah. THIS gal. Who can't bake bread, sew a button or build a spooky cookie house. And I'm pretty proud of it. Below is a tutorial on how to make Blackboard Pumpkins -- a decorating treat for the pre-preschool set.

Head on over to your local craft store and pick up a couple fumpkins (fake pumpkins) and some chalkboard spray paint (maybe the coolest thing ever invented).  You could probably use real pumpkins, but these are so light that Kate has taken to toting her pumpkin everywhere she goes, which is cuter than her dragging a rotting gourd around with her throughout the month. And PS, I have a picture of the spray paint can, but it is ugly, and if you can't figure out what chalkboard spray paint is when it says it RIGHT THERE ON THE CAN... you shouldn't be working with flammable materials anyways.

Prop your pumpkins on something so that you can spray underneath. These mini clay pots I found in my garage worked gangbusters. 

And spray! Make sure to coat them fully and then put on a second coat after 24 hours to ensure chalkboardy goodness.

Let dry for 24 hours and then let the kiddo loose!

I don't have a picture of Kate looking at the camera, because as soon as she saw the pumpkins and chalk she said "OOOOO" and we lost her for a good 20 minutes.

The artist at work.

Deep concentration is needed here. When your toddler has the attention span of a gnat and she focuses on something for more than 2 minutes, I would call it a success. Blackboard Pumpkins? SUCCESS.

Pumpkin Candy Dispenser

Here is the project I submitted for the pumpkin theme week on SYTYC.  

Wouldn't it be great if you had a candy dispenser you could leave out on the porch for trick or treaters?  We always seem to take turns on who passes out the candy and who takes the kids around trick or treating.  This year we can both take the kids trick or treating and leave the pumpkin to hand out the candy.

 You too can make this great candy dispenser using a craft pumpkin, foam core and a knob.  Then you can make the pumpkin as silly or as spooky as you like.  It is such a simple design and all the kids have to do is pull the knob and out pops a piece of candy. 

Here is the tutorial I promised.