first you start with ornamental gourds and the tiny pumpkins you start seeing before Halloween...
then you need to mark where you'd like to have the holes for the candles. i recommend using a glass tea-light holder and tracing around it with a marker.
next you need to carve out the holes, a small sharp paring knife works wonders. just a forewarning though, the skins on the gourds are extremely hard so please use caution when cutting (i'm truly surprised i did not cut or stab myself lol). they also have a tendency to crack if you are over zealous while cutting. once you have the hole cut, trim the sides to make sure the tea-light holders fit and the edges are nice. scoop out enough of the insides so the holder fits nicely inside.
last but not least, put candles in and enjoy =)
a very simple yet festive addition to any decor =)
our Thanksgiving was wonderful. mom made turkey (so moist and yummy!), homemade stuffing (always wonderful), sweet potatoes with pineapple and garlic (delicious), 2 pumpkin pies & 1 pecan pie (i make the pie crusts and she does the fillings, works out great).
our friends Brandace, Matthew, Sophia & Alex came over to eat with us, always good company. we also made a to-go plate for our security friend Nick =)
it was really nice being able to share the holiday with friends & family again, it's been a long time <3
(courtesy of my little Picasso)
