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If you've ever carved a pumpkin, you should have no trouble with watermelon. Other than a few slight differences, it will be a very familiar process. The tips below will get you on your way to a perfect picnic centerpiece. And be sure to view the Summer Spirits section for patterns specifically geared to the season.
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#1 - Buy a carving kit
For detailed designs like those found here, the right tools are a MUST! They should come with a drill tool, a poker tool and a couple mini-saws. The saw with the smaller teeth is best for fine detail work.
Carvers who really take their art seriously might consider picking up a Pro Pumpkin Carving Tool Set.
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#2 - Choose your watermelon
Grab yourself a watermelon that is big enough to fit the pattern you want to use.
Hopefully your local market has the large oval ones, and not the wimpy round melons. Try to find a symmetrical one that barely yields to pressure. Give the side of the watermelon a good slap. A hollow thump will indicate a ripe melon.
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#3 - Cut open the bottom
Cover your table with a plastic table cloth to make cleanup easier. You can also cut open some large garbage bags and tape them down to the table. With a long kitchen knife, cut an inch or two off one end. This will give you access to the melon insides, as well as provide a flat base for the melon lantern to stand on when you're done.
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#4 - Scoop out the melon
This is where the process differs most from pumpkin carving. Unlike pumpkins which are somewhat hollow to begin with, you'll have a lot of juicy red flesh to remove from the shell. In my experience, an ice cream scoop works best. Have a very large bowl or pot nearby to drop the big melon balls into. Not only will you have a cool melon lantern when you're done, but you'll have a ton of melon you can eat.
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#5 - Drain the juices
You'll loosen up a lot of juice as you scoop out the melon. They are called watermelons for a good reason. Make sure you keep the open end upright while scooping, so you're not pouring liquid onto the floor. Every so often you'll want to dump out the excess juice (into the bowl or sink) so you can see what you're doing. Once you get most of the flesh out, you can also use a spoon or pumpkin scoop to scrape away the rest of the insides. You'll know you're done when the pink stuff is mostly gone and you can see the light green/white rind.
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#6 - Print and attach the pattern
When printed, the patterns should be about the size a standard sheet of paper. You can reduce or enlarge the pattern to fit your melon with a photocopier. With scissors, trim off the excess paper.
If you're having trouble getting the pattern to lay flat, you can pleat the pattern (or cut slits) in areas that don't detract from the overall image. This slight bit of overlapping paper with help the pattern curve over the rounded the surface of the melon. Once it's laying flat, tape the pattern securely around all the edges.
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#7 - Transfer the pattern
Use the poking tool or a push pin to lightly poke holes along the lines of the pattern. You don't need to go deep, just make sure to break the surface of the paper and the watermelon's outer skin. Depending on the level of detail needed, make your holes 1/8 to 1/4 inch apart.
When you're sure you've poked along every line, remove the pattern and save it for carving reference. If you have trouble seeing the dots after removing the pattern, you can rub flour over the design to turn the dots white, or connect the dots with a fine point marker.
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#8 - Begin carving
Placing the melon in your lap can help keep it steady. You should start by carving the smallest pieces first (eyes, teeth, etc). Hold your carving saw tool like a pencil and insert it straight into the melon, on one of the dotted lines. Begin sawing (up and down motion) along the lines, connecting the dots.
Use the paper pattern as reference as you carve. You'll be removing the pieces that are shaded grey. Generally, you will want to work your way out from the center, saving the largest areas for last, as removing large chunks will make your carving surface unstable.
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#9 - Keep on carving
Follow curved lines by gently turning the saw in the direction you wish to carve. For sharp corners, pull out the saw and reinsert at the new angle. Never twist the saw or it will bend or break. When cutting out the larger pieces, cut them into two or three smaller pieces to allow for easier removal.
You can leave the cut shapes in place until you are finished cutting all lines to give the surface added support until you are done. When a shape is completely cut out, gently poke out the piece with your fingers.
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#10 - Final touches
Once you've removed all of the cut pieces, look your design over and compare to the paper pattern. Placing a flashlight inside the melon will allow you to see the design more clearly. If some openings don't look right, you can use the detail saw or an x-acto blade to carefully trim the inside edges of any excess flesh.
Compared to pumpkins, there shouldn't be much touch-up work necessary. The melon rind is thinner than a pumpkin's, so you can cut clean accurate lines, even with complex designs. But because the rind is thinner, you should be a bit more gentle with your melon. If you accidentally break off a part of the design, you can reattach it with toothpicks.
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#11 - Preserve the melon
Like a pumpkin, your melon lantern will start to dry out and shrivel up. Coat the cut edges with generous layer of petroleum jelly (like Vaseline) or white glue. Use your finger on large openings, and a cotton swab to coat the tiny openings. This helps seal in the melon's moisture, extending its life to a week or more. You can also store it in the fridge when not on display.
If you need to transport it to a party, an oversized cooler will protect it and keep it cool. You can place a couple towels around the melon for padding. This also keeps the melon from coming into direct contact with ice, which could freeze and damage its skin.
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#12 - Light it up
Because you cut open the bottom, you'll probably want to place the melon lantern on some sort of plate or platter. Light a small candle and place your melon over it. Votive candles in glass candle holders are a pretty safe bet. Plain white candles will give off the most light. You might also consider cutting a 1 or 2 inch hole in the very top of the melon, creating a vent to allow heat and smoke to escape.
Or for a longer lasting (and safer) method of lighting your melon, you might consider battery operated lights, such as the Deluxe Rainbow Pumpkin Light or Artificial Candle Pumpkin Light.
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#13 - Photograph your masterpiece
Light your melon lantern and turn out any other lights. You'll want to turn off the camera's flash, otherwise it will over-light the surface of the melon and you won't be able to see the glow from inside.
Since you aren't using flash, you'll need to hold the camera very steady (a tripod would be ideal). A photo taken this way will show only the carved design. If you want to see the outside of the melon as well, illuminate it with an indirect light (dim lamp or candles), or photograph outside at dusk.
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