DIY Network

Harvest Party: Stacked Pumpkin Topiaries This elegant pumpkin topiary will add a sophisticated touch to your home's entrance year after year. From "Weekend Entertaining" episode WKE-306

In this segment host Jeanne Benedict carves and stacks the craft pumpkins to create a pumpkin topiary to decorate the fireplace. Twinkle lights are hung inside the pumpkins and the outside is decorated with bittersweet artificial vine.

Hourly Breakdown

Total Prep Time -- 8 hours

Stacked Pumpkin Topiaries -- 2 hours to make 2

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Make these charming pumpkin topiaries for your Harvest Party.

Materials for each topiary --

3 carvable pumpkins, varying sizes
Versa-Tool Heated Craft Knife
Pliers
Pencil
Fall leaf
Large brass cup hooks
1 strand twinkle lights
Footed urn
Sticky clay or sticky wax (optional)
T-pins
Artificial bittersweet vine or garland

	Figure A
	Figure B
	Figure C
	Figure D
	Figure E

Stacked Pumpkin Topiaries

1. Decide the position of each pumpkin, bottom, middle or top.

2. Beginning with the bottom pumpkin, draw a circle around the top of the pumpkin that is only large enough to fit the bottom of the middle pumpkin. Use the heated knife to cut out the pumpkin top (figure A).

   Note: Artificial pumpkins are hollow. They can also be carved using a sharp serrated knife.

   Note: To make the topiary, you will be carving a circle out of the bottom of the top pumpkin, then cut a circle out of the top and bottom of the middle pumpkin, and finally carve a circle out of the top of the bottom pumpkin.

3. Trace roughly around the fall leaf onto the bottom pumpkin in several areas, turning the leaf in different directions to resemble falling leaves. The leaves only need to cover the front 3/4 of each pumpkin.

4. Using the heated craft knife, cut out all leaf shapes (figure B). It is necessary to occasionally tighten the band on the heated craft knife with pliers to prevent the blade from pulling out of the tool handle.

   Expert Tip: Carvable pumpkins are a great option to live pumpkins because they are not going to rot and you can save them to use year after year.

   DIY Tip: Save the cutout shapes because they can be used on other craft projects.

5. On the middle pumpkin, draw a circle around the bottom of the pumpkin that is only large enough to fit the hole cut in the bottom pumpkin. Draw a second hole around the top or the pumpkin that is large enough to fit the bottom of the top pumpkin. Cut out these two circles.

6. Draw a variety of sizes of swirls on the front three-fourths of this pumpkin. Cut out the swirl shapes with the heated craft knife, tightening the blade as necessary.

7. On the top pumpkin, draw a circle around the bottom that is big enough to fit the top hole of the middle pumpkin. Cut out this circle.

8. Again, draw a variety of sizes of swirls on the front three fourths of this pumpkin. Cut out the swirl shapes with the heated craft knife, tightening the blade as necessary.

9. On the inside of the top of the top pumpkin, screw a large brass cup hook (figure C).

10. Fold the strand of twinkle lights into equal sections so that it is about the same length as the height of all three pumpkins. Allow some extra length for the plug end.

11. Gather the folds opposite of the plug end and place onto the cup hook.

12. Feed the hanging lights through the middle pumpkin (figure D), resting the top pumpkin on top of the middle pumpkin. Place the middle pumpkin onto the bottom pumpkin, hanging the lights inside the bottom pumpkin. Reach into one of the back leaf cutouts and pull the plug through.

13. Place the bottom pumpkin, with all pumpkins stacked on top, onto the urn. Use sticky wax to secure each pumpkin.

14. Starting from the bottom, wind garland around the pumpkins (figure E) using T-pins.

    Expert Tip: When you go to a party, it is often common that people worry about what they are going to talk about. The most important thing and the best conversationalist is the best listener.

Carving Tip from Jeanne: If you are free-handing a design on a pumpkin, you need to use a dry erase marker. That way if you mess it up, you can wipe it off and start on a clean slate.

RESOURCES :

Create for Less
Website: www.createforless.com

Fabric.com
Website: www.fabric.com

All Occasions Party Rentals
Website: www.alloccasionspartyrentals.com

Earth Fare
Website: www.earthfare.com

Zwilling Cutlery
J.A. Henckels, Inc.
Website: www.jahenckels.com

GUESTS :

Harry Schwartz
Culinary Expert
PO Box 1320
Yarmouth, ME 04096
Phone: 207-846-8881
E-mail: chefharry@chefharry.com
Website: www.chefharry.com

Debbie Lee
Culinary Expert
President
Paragon Events and Catering
1620 Broadway #H
Santa Monica, CA 90404
Phone: 310-453-8023
E-mail: debbielee@paragoncatering.com

Wade Wesson
Event Planning Expert
Dazian, LLC
124 Enterprise Ave., S.
Secaucus, NJ 07094
Phone: 877-232-9426
E-mail: E-mail: info@dazian.com
Website: www.dazian.com

Marta Monahan
Etiquette Expert
Vittorio Media, Inc.
11601 Wilshire Blvd., 5th Floor
Los Angeles, CA 90025
Phone: 818-907-5488
E-mail: marta@martamonahan.com
Website: www.martamonahan.com