Halloween Entertaining

Halloween Inspiration!

Mwah ha ha happy Halloween from T&G - we've dusted off the cobwebs on our most fun and useful party accessories for serving up healthy treats to make sure 31st October really comes to life this year

How to prepare your pumpkin

1. Before you start make sure you have a large wooden chopping board to protect work surfaces and catch all the bits!

2. Cut from the bottom not the top

3. Scoop out all the pulp - save for later and make some delicious soup

4. Sketch out your deisgn or use a template

5. Start by making rough cuts

6. Be careful with knives, you could use cookie cutter shapes or even paint the pumpkin as an alternative!

7. Light up your pumpkin...with battery tealights or traditional tealights.

With fearsome faces and coloured lights, these scary squashes will impress all trick-or-treaters....here are our top tips for giving your pumpkin a touch of magic...

1. Choose your pumpkin wisely

The lines on the skin could form a witch's wrinkles, while a misshapen squash could provide a ghoulish look.

2. Use a template to perfect your spooky design

Create your own or find inspiration from somewhere else. Secure your chosen template to the front of your pumpkin, then carefully trace the image by poking holes along the lines. Once finished, remove the template and carve. Voilà!

3. Create some eerie shadows by carving another pattern into the back of your pumpkin

Place next to a wall, light from the inside and watch your design come to life.

4. Put flame-retardant coloured tissue paper just behind the front face of your pumpkin to create a coloured filter

Make sure you're lighting your pumpkin with a torch rather than a naked flame though!

5. Try shaving parts of your pumpkin rather than cutting all the way through

This will give your design a two-tone effect and add depth.

6. Use everyday items from around the house to bring your pumpkin to life

Create a face from nuts and bolts, use white reflective tape as bandages or simply chop off the top and add some colourful flowers for your own spooky vase!

8. Shun the traditional orange pumpkin for a ghoulish green variety... or try your hand at transforming a watermelon

The process is the same, but it will certainly make your neighbours look twice!

9. Make your pumpkin shine from the inside out

Use multicoloured Christmas lights to add a new dimension to simple styles, or try using a red bicycle light, set to flash, for a really sinister touch.

10. Funny faces and ghoulish grins not your thing?

Try making simple shapes like stars or spooky creatures with cookie cutters, or use an apple corer or drill bits to add polka dots for a more grown-up pumpkin.
Wondering what to do with the leftovers of your creation? Put them to good use in our perfect pumpkin recipes.

Like our ideas....please share and shop online to get your claws on everything you need.

Apple Bobbing....	Get carving....	Sorcerers Hat...	Wooden chopping boards...