How To Drill A Pumpkin Lantern!

Last year my mom gave me a great idea when it came to carving my pumpkin.  Instead of the traditional jack-o-lantern we instead made a beautiful lantern out of a fantasy pumpkin.  This is such an easy project that yields a unique and beautiful holiday decoration.  Using a power drill and simply making holes in your pumpkin you can create whatever type of design you want.  It doesn't matter what size bit you use either.  Large or small works, and you can even use multiple sizes to create a fun look.  The best thing about this project is there is no right way to do it.  If you want you can create a design with your holes, make symmetrical lines or just make holes at random.

 
What you need:
A pumpkin
A Serrated Knife
A Large Spoon or Scoop
A Bowl
A Power Drill
A Candle



Using the serrated knife carve open the top of your pumpkin on a diagonal angel, this will keep the lid of your lantern from falling into the pumpkin once its scooped out.  Then scoop out the "guts" and seeds into your bowl.  Make sure to save your seeds so you can make ROASTED PUMPKIN SEEDS. Once you have removed all of the insides, using the side of your spoon try to even out the inside lining of your pumpkin.  This will help the light to escape later.

 
 Using whatever size drill bit you choose begin making holes.  Larger bits, are the easiest and will produce more light.  If you want a smaller more delicate look i would recommend making more holes. I used a 1/4 inch drill bit to make my holes in a random pattern going around my pumpkin.  If you want to be more methodical in your design I recommend using a marker to make a stencil on your pumpkin.

 

Once you are through drilling holes you will want to wipe of your pumpkin and remove any debris that may have fallen inside your pumpkin.

Now you are ready to light up your lantern.  I used a large votive in my pumpkin but you can also use one or more tea lights depending on how much light you want to shine through.

Now place outside for all your neighbors to see and be in awe of.

 

I didn't get a picture of my pumpkin lite up at night but here are some great photos of what drilled pumpkins look like!

How To Naturally Dye Easter Eggs!

It's that time of year again and why not try some natural methods for dying Easter eggs this year. Forget using harsh synthetic colors and dyes, natural coloring derived from food can produce sweet, subtle hues that are sure to please anyone.

There are three easy methods to dye eggs naturally.

1) Hot Dying Method (use uncooked eggs)

Using a saucepan, add 1 quart water, 2 Tablespoons of vinegar and dye material. Using cold (uncooked) eggs, make sure the liquid covers the eggs. Simmer slowly for 15 minutes before removing eggs to cool.

2) Cold Dying Method (Use cooked eggs)

In a saucepan add 1 quart of water, 2 Tablespoons of vinegar and dye ingredient.  Bring the contents of your sauce pan to a boil.  Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20-30 minutes.  Strain out your dye ingredient and cool.  Submerge hard boiled eggs into the cooled dye until the color strength you want is achieved.  Turn eggs occasionally to ensure even coverage.  Remove from dye and dry.

3) Silk-tie method: (Use uncooked eggs)

Textile fabrics like silk will release their dye when vinegar is added to the cooking water.

• Cut silk (like from a tie) into a square large enough to wrap around a raw egg.
• Place the printed side facing the egg, wrap the the silk around your egg and secure using twist ties.
• Cut a piece of white fabric larger than the silk piece to go around your egg, then lay the silk-covered egg on the white fabric, bring up the sides and secure again using a twist tie.
• Place eggs in a glass or enamel pan, cover with water and add 1/4 cup of white vinegar.
• Bring water to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes.
• Remove eggs from water using tongs and allow to cool.
• Remove fabrics from eggs and let them continue to cool on a rack.

For each color, use one of the suggested dye materials per 1 quart of water.  For amounts not provided below, use enough dye material to create the desired color.  Keep in mind that color of the egg will be lighter than the color of the dye bath.

Yellow:

• Orange or lemon peels, boiled
• 2 Tbsp ground tumeric
• Chamomile tea or Green tea
• 4 cups yellow onion skin (makes a yellow/orange color)

Orange:

• 4 Tbsp paprika
• Grated carrots
• 3 Tbsp chili powder (makes a red/orange color)

Pink:

• 1 cup chopped fresh beets
• Cranberries or cranberry juice
• 4 cups red onion skin
• Red grape juice or Red wine

Lavender:

• Purple grape juice
• Red tea

Violet Blue:

• Red wine
• Violet blossoms
• Red onion skins

Blue:

• 1&1/2 cups blueberries, fresh or canned
• 4 cups red shredded cabbage

Green:

• 1 cup blueberries (add grape juice for more intensity)

Gold/Brown:

• Dill seeds

Mocha:

• 1 quart strongly brewed coffee or strong black tea

TIPS:

You can make a drying rack by cutting up a paper towel tube into rings and allowing your eggs stand on rings to dry.

Give your eggs a glossy finish by rubbing a little vegetable oil on them using a paper towel once they are dry.

* Refrigerate your cooked eggs! You do not want to keep your eggs out of the refrigerator for more than 2 hours.  Throw away eggs that have been out too long, better safe than sorry!

What do you think?  Have you ever colored your Easter eggs naturally? Would you ever consider using natural ingredients to make dyes verse synthetic dyes you buy in stores?

10 Vinegar Life Hacks!

Beef Bones For Dogs!

I have some beef bones left over from a recipe and decided to up-cycle them into a new treat for my dog.  The bones weren't backed or broiled so they wont crack and splinter.  They came from a stew so not only are they still strong but they have flavor cooked in already.

I pulled them aside and then just boiled them in water to remove the rest of the marrow and meat that was attached

 

After I removed them from the water I rinsed them under running water to remove any pieces that were still attached.  I had pulled three large bones from my recipe to turn into dog bones but ultimately only kept two.  One of the bones had a lot of course splinters that could not be removed and would be harmful if my dog ingested them.  I DO NOT recommend giving your dog any bones that may break or splinter off.  The bones I kept were both strong, smooth and appropriate for his size.

It is a very quick and easy process and now Ozzy has two new beef bones that will keep him busy for a long time.  This is the first time I have "made" bones for him.. I think he likes them!

Would you up-cycle beef bones for your dog?

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16 Things You Can Turn Into Pesto!

 Came across a neat article today on Buzzfeed about ways to spice your ordinary pesto recipe!

 As long as you have all the basic components that make pesto *pesto* (cheese, nuts, olive oil, garlic), the central vegetable can be almost anything you want. And you can even skip the cheese or the nuts if they don’t fit into your personal diet plan. Have at it!

Check it out HERE

Creative Shoe Organizer!

Here is a neat idea I came across for storing and organizing your shoes :)

Cut

Bend

Twist

Cover with decorative duck tape

Hang

Enjoy!