Just to be clear, that post title is meant to be read in a Dr. Dre-style cadence—think classic hip-hop bravado. Now that we’ve set the tone, let’s get down to something suitably hardcore: pumpkins.
This year we picked up a couple of lumpy, bumpy, orangey-red pumpkins instead of the usual smooth, classic orange ones. The most entertaining detail was that each had stems on both the top and bottom, which made them feel extra quirky. As soon as we brought them home we got to work hollowing them out. I told John to carve a face that looked like a serial killer—he pulled it off and ended up looking delightfully creepy. Mission accomplished.
And the seeds? Gone. All of them were eaten before I even uploaded the photos. What does that say about us? Either we’re painfully slow at blogging or we were just really hungry for seasonal treats. I’m leaning toward the latter.
Scoop, there it is.
Once both pumpkins were emptied, we brought out the power tools. Yep—these pumpkins were about to get hardcore. The idea actually came to us in bed a few nights earlier: we were brainstorming Halloween decorations before sleep took over. At first we were thinking of something wormy, since our daughter Clara loves anything that wiggles. We imagined carving lots of little holes and tucking gummy worms into them so it looked like they were crawling out.
Then we remembered a couple of wooden craft snakes we’d painted last year. Since Clara adores those wiggly snakes as much as she likes gummy worms, we realized we could marry the two ideas: carve snake-sized holes into the pumpkins and have the wooden snakes poking out. The drill bit left neat little ribbons of pumpkin as it cut, which was oddly satisfying.
When they were finished, the pumpkins looked tough—like something you wouldn’t want to meet in a dark alley. We staged them with a few sinister ceramic animals for extra effect. Up close they felt appropriately threatening for Halloween, especially with snakes slithering out of their bodies and a crow perched on one like it owned the place.
One pumpkin looked particularly dramatic: lumpy, warted, double-stemmed, and infested with snakes. The other one was equally gnarly, full of little tunnels and snakes poking through. They made a perfect pair.
I couldn’t resist rearranging the carved block letters that normally spell LOVE so they read EVIL instead. Years ago I added a little “I” detail to the back of the O, so flipping them into something sinister felt fitting. To complete the scene I added a handful of ceramic creatures—a crow, a frog, and a white rabbit—so the display felt like a miniature world of creepy characters. The frog and pumpkins both had bumps that made them look like they belonged together.
I even grabbed our white ceramic rabbit from the deck. In this spooky setting he takes on a different personality: not just cute and harmless, but a little wild-eyed and intense for the moment, as if he’s enjoying a brief stint on the darker side before returning to fuzzy bunny territory the rest of the year.
I briefly thought about painting dripping red “blood” over the word LOVE to make it more sinister, but that felt too permanent. A less permanent route would be to cut red letters from paper and stick them on temporarily with poster putty. For now I’m content to let the cheerful word hang above my spooky table; the contrast is part of the charm.
We also still plan to swap in our “skullified” portraits—an old Photoshop project we made a few years back—into the hallway frame wall. That framed version makes its annual appearance every Halloween, and we enjoy slipping it into the gallery grouping to see who notices the switch.
If you’re looking for more Halloween ideas, we have a whole collection of past holiday projects on our site—puffy-painted pumpkins, playful monograms, bat-themed decor, bloody candles, and more. Between tablescapes and DIY crafts, there’s plenty to inspire a spooky setup.
What are you doing to spook up your space this year? If it doesn’t involve ceramic animals and a power drill, consider giving it a try—sometimes the oddest combinations end up being the most memorable. Mic drop.
P.S. John sends his apologies for not posting lately—he’s been busy preparing a PowerPoint for our talk in Cincinnati this weekend, but he’ll be back with new posts soon.