Who knew that watermelon carving was such a hot art form?

Around here we tend to think in terms of pumpkin carving — especially at this time of year, with harvest winding up and Halloween just looming on the horizon.

But I’m entranced by the whole carved-radish culture of Mexico’s Night of the Radishes, naturally… and other weird and wonderful fruit and vegetable art makes an appearance from time to time…

Well, heck, why not watermelon sculpture too?

Jay Ball has even published a book on the topic, You Too Can Create Stunning Watermelon Carvings! “My style of watermelon carving lends itself well to the beginner, where you are guided by a pattern and it is more structured and easy to follow,” Jay explains. “And, unlike pumpkins, the insides make an instant delicious treat while you work.”

Of course the watermelon industry itself is full of crafty suggestions for their produce, with a particular eye to kids — cookie cutters, anyone?

And if you’re looking for even more inspiration…

Here (below) are some of the most elegant examples of watermelon art you’ll ever hope to see this week — take particular note of the overblown chrysanthemum flower, all done in fresh watermelon!

I keep finding these pictures all over the interwebs in different places, but so far without a note about the artist — my best dectective work suggests that these are the work of Japan’s Takashi Itoh, who certainly deserves lot of credit for his art!

Takashi Itoh says his watermelon sculptures are inspired by the art of Thai vegetable and fruit carving, which originated at the Loi Krathong (floating lantern) Festival in Thailand about 700 years ago. You can see more at his Watermelon Special Fruit Carving site, but here’s a sample of the artist’s work:

I don’t know that most of us are likely to reach these heights of watermelon sculpture… but Jay’s book is a good starting point.

You Too Can Create Stunning Watermelon Carvings guides you through preparing the melon for carving, and transferring the pattern.

Jay even includes 32 carving patterns, with themes around most of the major holidays in case you feel the melon decorating urge as part of your celebration — as well as different ways to sculpt a watermelon, by hand or with the aid of power tools.

And then, when you’re done, how to light, display and photograph your watermelon carving so its beauty will live on long after the melon itself has joined your compost pile!

If you try this yourself, want to send an email to let me know? Or drop your photo link in the comments, so we can all ooh and ahh at your artistic talents!

Pumpkin carving is a rather strange kind of seasonal tradition, when you come to think of it — but so much fun for all ages!

Our family likes to make a bit of a party of it, with a big pile of pumpkins of various shapes and sizes, one or more for every member of the family from Grandpa down to the toddler (with a little help from Mom). We usually do our pumpkin carving out on the porch or front lawn, to cut down on the mess in the house, then rush indoors to share a big jug of hot chocolate — good times!

Lowes Project Center offers a pretty good guide to making Jack-o-lanterns. It includes a tool list, tips for carving freehand or carving with the use of a stencil. Not only that, they’ve got a few full-size pumpkin-caring stencils you can download to print out, if you’re stuck for ideas.

Oh, one more tip — you can get some really cool effects if you pick some areas and don’t cut all the way through the pumpkin in those places. Just take off the tough outer skin, and then whittle away enough of the inner pumpkin flesh so there’s still a thin layer instead of a wide-open hole. The light inside your pumpkin will shine softly through this thin wall of pumpkin, making a diffused glow. It’s great for putting a blush on the cheeks of your Jack-o-Lantern, or giving him some complicated tattooes, or even doing an intricate abstract design.

Pick a Perfect Pumpkin

Start by choosing a pumpkin that’s firm, fresh, and not over-ripe. Avoid any with soft spots or obvious bruises. If you can, buy from a roadside farm stand to get the best quality in the best condition.

Ready to carve a scarey face?

Pumpkin Carving

Kraft Foods has some pumpkin carving tips and techniques for you, as well as free jack-o-lantern stencils.

And then there’s Me on a Pumpkin software that turns your favourite photos into “stencils for creating original and breath-taking pumpkin carvings,” so they say!

Children who are too young to handle a knife can be encouraged to create a painted pumpkin. Or the kids can draw on their Jack-o-lantern’s face with a marker and let a parent or other handy adult do the actual carving.

Keep your Jack-o-lantern fresh…

(In case you wonder why you’d want to bother, check out PumkinFresh.com for truly scarey pictures of a rotting pumpkin!)

Keep Halloween pumpkins in a cool place and don’t let them dry out. For example, you might wrap it in a damp towel and keep it in the fridge until you’re ready to carve.

(Pumpkin Masters say that you can revive a shrivelled-up jack-o-lantern by soaking it in water for several hours.)

Once they’ve been carved, pumpkins — any cut-up vegetables, for that matter — will last longer if they are kept somewhere that’s cool but just a little bit on the dry side.

We used to preserve our Halloween art by washing down the inside of the carved pumpkin with diluted bleach and then smearing on a thin layer of petroleum jelly.

Now there’s a new spray called Pumpkin Fresh that’s said to make jack-o-lanterns last longer by discouraging mold and insects as well as keeping moisture in — basically what we did with the old Javex and Vaseline.

Jack o’ lantern Leftovers!

Don’t forget to put those vegetable remains into the compost when Halloween is over.

Oh, and save those pumpkin seeds to roast for a tasty, healthy snack!

One way to prepare pumpkin seeds for eating is to wash and dry the seeds, then toss them with a small amount of olive oil and the seasonings of your choice and spread in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Bake at 300°F for about 30-45 minutes. Shake with salt, if you like. Let the toasted seeds cool before storing.