We celebrated michaelmas and now we’re already in October, slowly inching towards halloween and it’s time for some cosy crafts to do during these autumn days. And what is more autumnal than carving a pumpkin?! Our friend Nomi had to give it a sweet little twist, and because we want our little fairies to celebrate the season too, she decided to make them a cosy pumpkin house. 

This is a craft for parents and children to do together.

(Supervision will be needed around sharp objects)

What you need: 

• Large pumpkin.
• Sharp pointy knife. 
• Lino carving tool.
• Hot glue gun.
• Something to scoop out the pumpkin seeds, I prefer using a sturdy ice cream scoop (not the mechanical kind). It’s got the right angle and is strong enough not to bend and to use for scraping. 
• Sticks for the door and windows ( I used hazel and curly hazel from our garden, but any kind would work)
• Secateurs to cut your sticks to size
• Some foraged seasonal items, such as moss, berries, acorns, oak leaves, ears of dried wheat etc. 
• Slices of wood to make a little staircase. 
• Candle

Begin by selecting your sticks for the door. Cut them at roughly the same length and Lay out your door design on a flat surface. Once you have a design you like, glue the sticks together with the hot glue (make sure you have adult supervision here) and reinforce the front and back of the door with some cross bars made out of sticks that you have split lengthwise, so that they sit flat.

Once the glue is dry, shape the top and straighten the bottom of the door with your secateurs. You can also add a wooden bead or berry as a doorknob. 

Next use the knife to cut a circular section around the stalk of the pumpkin and lift it off. Scoop the seeds and loose fibrous parts out, making sure it is nice and smooth inside. 

Mark the size and shape of your doorway on the front of the pumpkin by using your door as a template. Cut this shape out with your knife. (It is better to start a bit too small and adjust, than start out too big!)

You could even use cocktail sticks on the top and bottom on one side of the door as a hinge, to make it operational. Of course you can skip the wooden door and just carve a doorway out of the pumpkin if you prefer. 

Add a doorstep or a little staircase from slices of wood if the curve of the pumpkin doesn’t allow your door to rest at ground level. 

Carve two windows out on either side of the door and find some interesting sticks to use as window frames.  

I used an oak leaf cookie cutter to gently push into the skin of my pumpkin and a lino carving tool to scrape out just the top layer of pumpkin. Depending on the thickness of your pumpkin or how deep you make these shapes, this can create a magical translucent effect if your light source is close enough to your pumpkin skin. Otherwise it adds a nice bit of interest and you can create as many patterns as you wish using this technique. 

Decorate your pumpkin with additional sticks, moss, berries and little bits of harvest for your fairies. Light a candle inside and then gently invite them in just before nightfall. If you’re really quiet I’m sure you can even hear them sing a little thank you song!