Thread: Crazy-cheap pumpkins???

Tweet

I would love to get real. But it will still reach the 80s throughout much (if not all) of October here and my "patch" is in full sunlight. I can never make even uncarved pumpkins last.

I did consider papier mache and may still do it...thinking about it...I don't know whether I have the patience this year for this sort of thing or not...hmmm. I know it would be cheaper.

Oh, also...I wasn't really looking for realistic; that's just what I found. I actually wanted to find maybe a couple dozen of those plastic WalMart ones and turn them around. I'm not sure why I started looking early as I know our Wally World doesn't have their Hween stuff out yet (for the most part).

I found these cool Funkin-style knockoffs at OT, my very favorite company in the world. :inlove: Still not uber-cheap (I mean I'm hoping to find a bunch of $2 or $3 plastic cheapies somewhere, somehow) but I couldn't help but notice the price difference between these and Funkins! They don't look as realistic and I don't know how they "carve," but I've never carved a Funkin either. Anyway, just noting this in case anyone else is on the Great Pumpkin Hunt!

get those cheap trick or treat buckets turn over cut out face and latex and unrolled cotton balls and latex and for vines and subscribe lots of good info there

^^ That is brilliant...thank you!

Funkins are thicker than the other fakekins. They're a different type of foam too, more like standard, airy, styrofoam, the others are much thinner, more like thin foam insulation & carve easier, especially with a woodburner knife.

You can also make vines out of brown duct tape over newspaper. Michael's has all sorts of colored duct tape, get the light brown, roll some paper, wrap it in the tape & you've got a vine. Hit the dollar stores for the cheap leaves & there you have it!!

I agree with you & others on the 99cent pumpkin buckets, just use the other side. Also now they have them in various colors too, from purple to green to basic orange.

I know you said real isn't an option due to heat, but perhaps you could try this with a few "up-front" pumpkins.
Soak your carved pumpkins in hydrated lime, (dissolved in water of course) overnight. If the flesh is quite thick you may want to soak a few days.
Just fill a plastic container that is large enough to hold your pumpkins, with water. Then mix in the lime a little at a time, until it won't dissolve anymore.
You can get the lime at a gardening supply.
Dry off the outside and inside surfaces with a towel. Even then you may have to go back and buff away some lime deposits.

These soaked pumpkins will last FAR longer than untreated ones.