Halloween Pumpkin Disco Ball

How to Carve a Disco Ball Pumpkin

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit
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!

1. 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.
2. Cut the lid off the top of the pumpkin. Scoop out the flesh using a strong spoon or other implement. Discard the flesh (or make something vaguely tasty out of it if you're brave––the seeds can be roasted if desired).
3. 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).
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. 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!
8. 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.

1. Clean the pumpkin. Remove any dirt or marks from the surface and allow to dry before gluing.
2. 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.
3. 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).
4. 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.
5. 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

Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Carve a Disco Ball Pumpkin. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

Halloween Rising Zombie Cupcakes

How to Make Rising Zombie Cupcakes

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit
You'd better beware, the zombies are out there. And they're trying to be cute when placed on top of cupcakes but watch out, it's just another way to snatch you! Here's how to add a few rising zombies to your Halloween cupcakes.

Ingredients

Rising finger zombie cupcakes

• Cupcakes, at least a dozen; make using your favorite cupcake recipe, although rainbow cupcakes have a certain panache at Halloween time
• Chocolate frosting
• Marzipan
• Sugar and water paste or clear frosting for edible glue

Rising hand zombie cupcakes

• Cupcakes (as above)
• Chocolate frosting
• Sugar paste, fondant or similar edible paste that can be molded

Steps

Rising finger zombie cupcakes

1. Make extra wide cupcakes using large cupcake papers or muffin pan holes. This will allow enough space on top of the cupcakes for the fingers to be attached, so that they appear as life-life as possible. If you would prefer smaller cupcakes, that's okay but the rising fingers won't be as realistic.
   • You can even use metal pie dishes to get the size right for these cupcakes.
2. Frost each cupcake. Chocolate frosting is best because it looks like the dirt of the ground the zombies will be rising out of. Dust thickly using cocoa. This is just more "soil".
3. Make the fingers. Roll the marzipan to the same thickness and length as your own fingers (an easy guide to follow). Pinch them in a bit more though––zombies have been stuck in the ground for a while and things have shrunk. You're after a "spindly" look to these fingers. And don't forget the shorter, broader thumb for each hand.
   • Some fingers should be a little bent over, to give the impression of grasping their way out of the soil, while other fingers can be reaching for the sky.
   • Score some of the back of the fingers with a knife, to give the impression of knuckles.
   • Make as many fingers as needed for four fingers and one thumb per cupcake.
4. Carefully slide a toothpick through the base of each finger in the center, about half way up the finger. This will help the fingers to stand upright when inserted into the cake.
5. Glue on the fingernails. Make an edible glue paste using water to which you've added a little sugar. Or use plain frosting. Glue each almond flake to the top of each finger to make the fingernails.
6. Using the base half of the toothpick, insert each finger into the cupcake soil. Space evenly to make it realistic. The thumb should be around the corner of the fingers, as is the case on your own hand.
7. Either leave things as they are, or pipe on a little red piping gel for added gore. Done.

Rising hand zombie cupcakes If you're not so keen on fiddling with a bunch of fingers but you're good at a little cake art sculpture, try making a single rising hand for each cupcake instead, as explained here.

1. Make the cupcakes following the recipe. These cupcakes can be normal size or large, depending on how large you intend to make the hand decorations.
2. Frost with chocolate frosting for the dirt. Dust with cocoa for the "soil".
3. Mold the hands from the sugar paste, fondant or other edible paste you're using. Note that this step may need to be done before making the cupcakes and frosting them, depending on how much time the hands need to dry before adding to the cupcakes. In most cases, it can't hurt to make these at least a day ahead. To make:
   • Roll enough balls for the amount of cupcakes (for example, a dozen balls).
   • Press the end of each ball to flatten into a cylinder.
   • Flatten one end into a rounded shape.
   • Carve out the thumb, followed by the fingers on the flattened round part.
   • Mold the fingers and thumb to look realistic. Use a knife and toothpick as molding aids.
   • Use a toothpick to create the impression of a fingernail on each finger and thumb.
   • Most importantly, aim for the entire hand to be bent to look like a claw.
   • Continue until you've made all the remaining hands.
   • Allow to dry.
4. Push a toothpick into the base of each hand, enough to stay embedded in the hand and enough to poke into the cupcake and be anchored. Push a hand into each cupcake. Sprinkle with more cocoa if needed.
   • At this point, add any further embellishments needed, such as candy insects, red piping gel for blood, etc.
5. Display and serve.

Things You'll Need

• Baking gear
• Cupcake cases (or pie pans, etc.)
• Toothpicks
• Display plate/stand
• Carving knife
• Non-stick surface to make hands and fingers on (for example, parchment paper, wax paper, silicon sheet, etc.)

Related wikiHows

• How to Bake Black Bat Cupcakes
• How to Make Saint Lucia Buns or Bread (Lussebullar)

Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Make Rising Zombie Cupcakes. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

Halloween is almost here!

Well, since it is close to halloween, I will be adding Halloween holiday recipes and crafts. There are Hallowen items if you can ignore the Christmas decorations that are already for sale! Unbelievable! Not even Halloween or Thanksgiving yet, and Christmas stuff out already. Ok here come the Haloween fun and yummie stuff! t.