Every Hubbard squash, with its bluish green skin and peculiar form, definitely has a menacing critter inside. Carve as many of these antennae-sprouting creatures as you like and let them keep watch, peering this way and that, to ward off spirits more ghastly than they. There are no airholes for flames, so use battery-operated lights inside.

You need:
• Hubbard squashes
• Long twigs
• Battery-operated lights or outdoor-approved light sockets with 25- to 40-watt-bulbs

To make:
1. Cut a door from the bottom rear of each squash and scrape out the seeds and the pulp. You will need to thin the walls behind where the eyes will be – the thinner the flesh, the brighter the glow.

2. Mark the half moon outlines of the eyes. Then mark smaller curves within the eyes for the pupils, making sure that each critter is looking in a different direction. With a paring knife or a utility knife, cut 1/4 to 1/2 inch, straight down, all the way around the outer outlines of the eyes. With a linoleum cutter or a small chisel, scrape away the skin and 1/4 to 1/2 inch of flesh for the whites of the eyes, leaving the skin within the pupil outlines intact.

3. Drill two small holes into the top of each head. Insert twigs into holes to form antennae.

4. Insert a battery-operated light or an electric lightbulb inside each squash, positioning it beneath the eyes (it should sit on the interior floor of the squash).

Shell out Halloween party favours in these decorative bags: Halloween loot bags.

Check out our guide to ultimate Halloween fun here.


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Excerpted from Pumphin Chic: Decorating with Pumpkins and Gourds by Mary Caldwell (Hearst Books, 2002).