Tag: pumpkin

Everlasting Jack O’lanterns

We love Halloween at Heathlands! Dressing up, carving pumpkins and caramel apples are all favourites.

The thing about pumpkins though… they don’t last forever. So! We thought we’d share with you how you can make an everlasting pumpkin!

You will need:

  • 1 piece of A4 orange card
  • 1 piece of A4 green card
  • Two split pins / paper fasteners
  • Scissors
  • A ruler
  • A hole punch or something to make holes in your card
  • A pencil
  • A black felt tip pen

How to make your pumpkin:

  1. Along the long sides of your orange card make marks in 3cm intervals and join them up using your ruler.
  2. Cut 8 strips of orange card.
  3. Cut a piece of green card for a stalk. We have put a picture below to show the S shape we used.
  4. Put holes in each end of every strip of card and in one end of the stalk.
  5. Put the stalk onto a paper fastener first and then thread all of the card board strips on at one end. Spilt the pin and flatten it out.
  6. Use the other paper fastener to connect together all the other ends.
  7. Twist / turn the layers out to form your pumpkin.
  8. Use your felt tip to give your pumpkin a face!

Terrifying Tassels!

Do you remember a while back we shared a post showing how to make tassels? We thought we’d re-visit that idea to make some terrifying Halloween decorations!

You will need:

  • Yarn (white for ghosts, orange for pumpkins)
  • A piece of cardboard (ours was about 17 x 7 cm for the ghost and 9 x 7 cm for the pumpkin)
  • Scissors
  • Felt scraps
  • Glue (PVA or fabric glue is best)
  • Yarn or thick thread

Step 1.

Cut your cardboard to size, the length of your piece of cardboard determines the length of the tassel.

Step 2.

Begin wrapping your yarn around your cardboard.

Step 3.

Keep wrapping! The more wraps you have the thicker your tassel will be.

Step 4.

Cut a piece of yarn or thread and slide it under one half of the wraps. Tie the wraps tightly together at one end. Leave the ends of the yarn you’ve used to tie it up to hang the tassel up with

Step 5.

Cut the wraps at the opposite end of the cardboard.

Step 6.

Cut another piece of yarn and use it wrap a section of the tassel about 3 cm from the top to make a head.

Step 7.

Cut eyes and a mouth from the felt and stick them onto the ‘head’ to make a face.

Step 8.

Hang up your spooky creations and enjoy!

Hallowe’en Pumpkin Soup

This warming soup is spooktacular for hallowe’en night. It’s also lactose and gluten free! If you can’t get a pumpkin, you can substitute with butternut squash.

Ingredients:

1 medium or large pumpkin depending on how many you are cooking for

1 white onion

2 carrots

1tsp salt

1tsp ground ginger

1tsp ground cinnamon

Vegetable stock cube

1 tbsp  olive oil

200ml coconut milk / lactose free cream

Method:

  1. Finely dice the onion and start to gently fry with your olive oil in a large soup pan.
  2. Prepare your pumpkin by removing seeds, ect and skin, dice and add to the pan.
  3. Peel and dice the carrots and add to the pan. Keep stirring as you fry and add your spice, cook for around 5 minutes.
  4. Boil a kettle and add water to the pan, so that the vegetables are covered by 1-2 inches of water. Simmer for 1/2 an hour.
  5. Blend your soup using a food processor or stick blender.
  6. You can add coconut milk or cream for a little luxury and if you’re feeling fancy, why not try a spiders web like in the picture!