If you have children, making their holiday special is important and fulfilling. But, even if you have rugrats to supervise, there is no reason why you can’t partake in a little “you” time and carve some panache pumpkins. As an adult, you have no one telling you to not use a sharp knife or limiting any other creative resources you may be inclined to use to add some flair to your carving ideas.

For a quick and easy way to make your pumpkins into chic decorations, all you need is a drill and some Christmas lights.  Carve out the inside of the pumpkin as you normally do (make sure to save the pumpkin seeds to bake into delicious and healthy snacks)! Then, drill little holes, polka dots, all over the pumpkin or in a snazzy design. Either put a small chain of Christmas lights inside the pumpkin to make the holes glow brighter or even stick each light through the hole to give the pumpkin a whole new effect.

Or, you can save the mess and carve your pumpkin from the outside! Use a linoleum cutter to gently carve your own design on the skin of the pumpkin. You can get inspiration from your own home and use motifs found in your decorations, if you want to put your pumpkin inside. If you plan to put the pumpkin outside, you can carve images from nature such as leaves or create your own abstract design. Additionally, if you want the pumpkin lit and you have the time, scoop out the inside of the pumpkin from the bottom and put your light source inside like a normal Jack-o-Lantern.

Mix in the polka dot and carved pumpkins with Jack-o-Lanterns you or your kids made to create diverse décor!

-Emily Freeman