by Ed Donner

Created on: October 14, 2009   Last Updated: October 15, 2009

Just about everybody knows how to carve a pumpkin to make a Jack O Lantern. Over the past decade the traditional craft of pumpkin carving has become more daring and intricate. Department stores and the internet market pumpkin carving kits, with specialized pumpkin carving tools, instructions and patterns that allow the entire family to raise their pumpkin carving game. But by this time, it's all been done before, and until they come up with a killer Elvis pattern-wait, I think I've actually seen one already- it's hard to come up with something truly original. Well, here's a fun way to up the ante and add some creepy crawly things, including a caterpillar, spider and ant, to your Halloween display-all made from mini-pumpkins.

Having a kid's party? Gather the supplies, make a few examples bugs to give the wee ones some inspiration, then let the kids go at it. There is no carving and no sharp, pointy steel objects involved, so the project is relatively safe. The supplies are all easily available at any department or craft store. Adult supervision is recommended because there is some "poking" involved. Don't fret it though. These bugs are so much fun to make you'll have a hard time keeping the adults away from the craft table.

These are the supplies you will need to make a collection of bugs:

Mini pumpkins. You can buy them by the bag in most grocery stores. Googly eyes (available at any craft store) Black pipe cleaners White paint for the bug mouth and black paint for the antennae. You can use poster paints, acrylics, or any easily cleaned paint of your choosing for the white mouths. You may want to 'pre-paint' the antennae using black spray paint, otherwise just paint them with your poster or acrylic paint. Black permanent marker to outline the mouth. Q-tips or wooden swabs with cotton tips, available at craft stores or at any doctor's office. Cut them to suitable length for Black fuzz balls (available at craft shops). Wooden skewers or toothpicks. Elmer's glue or, if you prefer, use a glue gun.

Tools:

Heave duty scissors, tin snips or wire cutters to cut the wooden skewers and the pipe cleaners. Paint brushes to paint the mouths.

Caterpillar
To make your caterpillar body, you should use at least 8 mini pumpkins. Stick the pumpkins together using pieces of the wooden skewers that have been cut into to 1 inch pieces. Make your caterpillar "stand'" by having three min-pumpkins stacked atop each other, and turning the top mini pumpkin into the head. Making the body

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