What do you get when you cross pumpkins, power tools, and LEDs? Hack-O-Lanterns! Nicole, Ryoko, and I did some experiments today with different tools and techniques for carving pumpkins with unusual tools. Our favorite discovery was using the hole saw to cut into the bottom of the pumpkin. It provides just the right space for resting the pumpkin over a color-changing LED tea light and keeps the stem end intact.
Below are two of the pumpkins we hacked. The first pumpkin's mouth was cut using the hole saw and a knife to make teeth, and the eyes were etched with a dremel. The second was mostly etched with the dremel, and the insides were scraped out with a spoon to let the light from the LED candle through.
We're going to continue to experiment with these this week and will post updates about what we discover!