Carve a Disco Ball Pumpkin
A disco ball pumpkin is an unusual way to welcome those trick-and-treaters this Halloween––they're bound to stop and look again. The disco ball pumpkin is also a really neat addition to a party table, as a centerpiece or decoration in your home. This tutorial offers two versions, both of which are easy and look spectacular when completed.
Steps
Drilled pumpkin disco ball
Just be sure you're comfortable using an electric drill before embarking on this epic (but simple) pumpkin carve!
- Choose a suitable pumpkin. The pumpkin should be medium to large in size and as round as you can get it––think disco ball when selecting it!
- Apply the usual pumpkin choosing requirements when selecting––choose a healthy, non-bruised pumpkin. Carve it just before your display date to avoid spoilage.
- Cut the lid off the top of the pumpkin. Scoop out the flesh using a strong spoon or other implements. Discard the flesh (or make something vaguely tasty out of it if you're brave––the seeds can be roasted if desired).
- Check the base of the pumpkin at this stage. The pumpkin should sit flat. This may necessitate removing some of the base but remember that if you do this, it'll affect where you can place the pumpkin for display or will require a surface for it to sit on (non-flammable surface if using real candles).
- Mark the pumpkin drill holes. Work around the pumpkin from top to bottom (or bottom to top) placing dots at evenly spaced intervals in rows around the pumpkin. These are your markers for drilling the holes next.
- Drill out the holes. If you want to be really fancy, there are drill bits designed to do this but really, any electric drill should do the job. The size of the holes is up to you––you can enlarge them by using a "carving" action with the drill as you make the initial hole and simply working at it until the hole is large enough.
- The best look will come from trying to keep the holes the same shape all the way around. But don't despair if a few are lopsided––it'll still work.
- Don't forget to also drill holes in the lid. It completes the look.
- Place the pumpkin on the surface where it will be displayed. If using live candles, make sure the surface it sits on is non-flammable.
- Add the lighting. Either use tea light candles with real flame or use battery operated versions (LEDs). Make sure it is well lit, as this is a disco ball pumpkin after all!
- Finished.
CD pumpkin disco ball
If you're not keen on drilling, try this even simpler version! There's no need to carve the pumpkin at all, so this is a quick fix for the last-minute pumpkin preparer.
- Clean the pumpkin. Remove any dirt or marks from the surface and allow to dry before gluing.
- Cut up the CDs into jagged pieces of different sizes and shapes. Wear eye protection and gloves when doing this, to avoid being cut by any potential shards.
- Alternatively, if you have the time and patience, cut them more evenly to look like the real pieces of a disco ball but be aware that doing this will be time-consuming and potentially frustrating.
- Glue the CD pieces to the pumpkin. Apply them all over the pumpkin, leaving small even gaps between the pieces but don't worry too much about making the pieces appear as if they fit together (unless you're doing the very finicky version).
- Use the silver liquid glitter to make a ring around the base of the pumpkin stem.
- If anywhere looks naked on the pumpkin, add a few squirts of liquid glitter to infill but this is optional.
- Place the pumpkin on display. The CD pumpkin disco ball looks best when light is reflected off it, so place near other lit pumpkins or in the glare of some light, such as a lamp, room light or other light sources.
Things You'll Need
Drilled pumpkin disco ball
- Pumpkin
- Knife
- Scooping spoon/implement
- Electric drill (and optional drill bit made specifically for this purpose)
- Display stand/plate/surface, etc.
- Tea light candles and matches or battery operated tea lights/LEDs
CD pumpkin disco ball:
- Unwanted CDs––the amount depends on the size of the pumpkin; miniature pumpkins only require one CD, while a large pumpkin will require many
- Scissors for cutting CDs
- Eye protection (goggles or safety glasses) and flexible gloves
- Craft glue or hot glue gun
- Liquid glitter in silver
