DIY Long Lasting House Number Pumpkin

So let's say you get a little gung-ho about carving pumpkins...and your carved pumpkin is rotted before it's even Halloween. A little too early this October I asked the husband to power drill dots in a cute blue green pumpkin like the one you see below. It was adorable when illuminated in a kind of colonial tin-punch way. But that sucker is long gone at this point. That's the problem with carved gourds. They don't last very long! Carving skin from the pumpkin however, keeps the insides air tight, mold free and will last well past the trick or treaters.  

For this easy DIY I had design husband pick a nice typeface for our house numbers and I carved away to expose the gold flesh.  

Things to consider when carving a DIY House Number Pumpkin: 

• Pick a pumpkin that fits your design. If you have a long house number, you'll want a squatty pumpkin, or you'll want a tall pumpkin to go vertically. 
• Pick a typeface that has thick solid areas. This means you have more room to create designs on the inside. 
• Print off your numbers from your computer. Use a pushpin to create the outlines of the numbers as a guide for carving. 
• For carving I used an Exacto knife but you could also use a blade designed for carving rubber stamps.
• Once finished, wipe the cut areas with white vinegar to kill off any mold growth.  

Ta-Da! You still get to carve and enjoy but now you have a long lasting and functional pumpkin!