• Scarecrow's friendpumpkins image by Vonora from Fotolia.com
  
  Yes, you love the pumpkin, that oddball fruit---everyone does. Pumpkins are big, bright orange and as fun to look at as autumn itself. Everyone recognizes a pumpkin, from its tough, green handle at the top to its evenly lined girth. Kids love to draw them, and youth and adults love to carve them. As a naturally grown decorating item, the pumpkin is hero from before Halloween until after Thanksgiving.
  
  

Imprisoned Octopus

• Needs a pumpkinoctopus image by Daniel Wiedemann from Fotolia.com
  
  Carve the top off a large pumpkin and clean out the insides; save the top. Carve a round circle on the front of the pumpkin, large enough to represent half the pumpkin's "face." Carve a small hole at the back of the pumpkin, just large enough to pass an electrical plug. Push toothpicks shallowly and equidistantly into the top inner bevel, approximately seven to 14 toothpicks. Twist a new, disposable tall plastic kitchen trash bag, twining it lengthwise into a long, tight "tentacle," and apply a retaining ring of wrapping tape at each end, and another directly in the middle. Repeat this seven more times so that eight long "tentacles" may be placed around the top of the pumpkin, with about 2 inches entering the "head."
  
  Place a string of single-color Christmas lights inside the pumpkin, with the cord extending out the rear opening of the pumpkin. Arrange the lights inside so that they fill the interior. Ideally, the lights should blink or change colors. Place the pumpkin top firmly upon the circle of standing toothpicks, ensuring that the octopus does not escape.
  
  Eyeballs may be placed in the center circle of the pumpkin, and bubbling sound effects can be played behind the pumpkin. The tentacles can be creatively twisted and turned, "grabbing" smaller pumpkins or protectively guarding treats or pies.
  
  

Pumpkin Menorah

• The seven lightsmenorah, close-up image by Stasys Eidiejus from Fotolia.com
  
  Gather and form a line of seven pumpkins, arranged with one large pumpkin in the middle, slightly smaller pumpkins on each side, slightly smaller pumpkins on each side of these, and finally smaller pumpkins at both ends. Gather seven candles, one large candle and six slightly smaller candles. Near each pumpkin's "handle," trace a slight pen-line around the base of each candle, with the largest candle designated for the largest pumpkin. Carefully carve out these traced circles and fit a candle into each pumpkin. These are perfect for holiday lighting.
  
  

Pumpkin Family at TV

• tv in room with remote control 7 image by chrisharvey from Fotolia.com
  
  Carve off the top and clean out the insides of one very large pumpkin, and carve a large rectangle on the front. Fill the interior of the pumpkin with preferably blue Christmas lights (to represent TV glow). Place two small jack-o'-lanterns inside and near the edge of the large pumpkin's rectangle. These two interior jack-o-'lanterns can be lit with two different-colored glow sticks. Before the "TV," place three or four very small jack-o-'lanterns, all lit with glow sticks.
  
  Additional decorating ideas: The two interior jack-o-'lanterns can be the theatrical face masks, Drama and Comedy. Or a theme can be taking place on the "TV," such as a murder mystery. All the watching jack-o-'lanterns can be happy, or they can all be sad.