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Pumpkin Carving {DIY Lighted Eyes}

Posted by  ·  September 5, 2013  ·  Last Updated: September 5, 2013
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We love us some pumpkin carving at our house. This year I wanted a way to really liven up our carved pumpkins. I thought big lighted eyes would do the trick!

pumpkin with lighted DIY eyes

I love the carvable pumpkins at Michaels. It is never to early to carve a pumpkin! To make the eyes grab some ping pong balls and battery operated tea lights and googly eyes. The heated knife made carving the pumpkin super easy!

Pumpkin Carving Supplies

First cut a hole in the ping pong ball.

DIY lighted pumpkin eyes

The hole needs to be just big enough to fit on top of the tea light.

DIY lighted jackolantern eyes

Hot glue the ping pong ball to the top of the tea light. Glue a googly eye to the top of the ball or draw a black circle with a Sharpie. You can get creative and add veins with a red Sharpie.

lighted eyes for pumpkin tutorial

Cut a hole in the pumpkin to the bottom of the tea light just fits inside.

pumpkin carving tutorial

Next carve a mouth or any other embellishments you desire. I cut out a mouth shape and placed it on the pumpkin with glue stick, then cut around the paper.

pumpkin carving stencil

Cut a hole in the bottom of the pumpkin so you can easily turn on and off the eyes without having to remove them. It also makes it easy to set the pumpkin over a battery operated tea light to light the mouth.

pumpkin carving ideas pumpkin carving with lighted eyes lighted ping pong-ball-eyes

For more pumpkin fun for the whole family …

  All Michaels locations are hosting a Great Pumpkin Event on Saturday, October 5 from 1 p.m.-3 p.m. For only $6 (which covers the cost of a 9” carveable pumpkin) kids can create their own pumpkin design and a free face painter will also be on hand. A great weekend event for the whole family!

Michaels carving event

Did you know that Michaels offers custom carved pumpkins that can be personalized with a variety of designs and names? Prices start at $19.99 and you can them order at all Michaels locations, just make sure to place your order by Oct. 13 so that it will be completed by Halloween. Visit www.michaels.com/custom-carved-pumpkins for more information.

pumpkin carving

 

Michaels sponsored this post, all ideas and opinions are my own.

14 COMMENTS
Filed Under: Halloween  |  Tagged as: , , , ,

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Comments

  1. amy
    Monday, October 27th, 2014
    Love it, thanks! How do you get the eyes to stay in hole? Would it work with a natural pumpkin?
    Reply
  2. Amy@theidearoom.net
    Wednesday, October 8th, 2014
    Love those big googly eyes! Super cute! Pinned!
    Reply
  3. Joanne
    Monday, October 21st, 2013
    Cindy, You idea for lighted eyes is too cute!! Thanks for the clever project.
    Reply
  4. Jane
    Monday, October 21st, 2013
    Is theheatedknife from a wood burning kit?
    Reply
  5. Kim @ The Celebration Shoppe
    Thursday, October 10th, 2013
    Absolutely LOVE this idea Cindy and my kiddos will too!
    Reply
  6. Heather - Chickabug
    Tuesday, September 17th, 2013
    I think this is very cute! I love the way you used the ping-pong balls to make the eyes! : )
    Reply
  7. Suzanne
    Thursday, September 5th, 2013
    Definitely a great EYEdea.
    Reply
  8. Tausha
    Thursday, September 5th, 2013
    This is such a clever idea! I love that I can get the look of a carved, glowing pumpkin without dealing with the guts and gunk of a real pupmkin. You are a genius!

    Thanks for sharing!
    Happy Thursday!
    Reply
  9. Crystal @ MyRubyGirl.com
    Thursday, September 5th, 2013
    These are darling! Very clever idea with the tea lights and ping-pong balls! Question: Did you use the heated knife to cut the ping-pong balls as well as the pumpkin? Or did you use something else to cut the ping-pong balls?
    Reply
    • Cindy Hopper
      Thursday, September 5th, 2013
      Thanks Crystal! Yes, I used the heated knife to cut the ping pong balls too. The ping pong balls did put off fumes. It would be safest to cut the balls with a regular exacto knife... you could also use scissors. The heated knife did cut the pumpkin like butter!