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    Home » Mom Life » Entertaining » Fun Party Decor Idea : Carved Watermelons

    Published: Jun 6, 2022 · Updated: Jun 6, 2022 by Sharon Garofalow | This post may contain affiliate links. See the privacy policy linked in my footer.

    Fun Party Decor Idea : Carved Watermelons

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    A carved watermelon being held by a woman's hand.

    Jazz up your summer parties with a carved watermelon! With a few simple tools, you can create a fun party decoration in just minutes! It’s a unique and creative way to bring a natural and quirky element to the look of your party.

    A carved watermelon that says "Let's Party".

    I love to entertain and geek out over including unique details to delight my guests. On a girl’s trip to Palm Springs, my friend Carole made this awesome carved watermelon and I had to share the idea with you!

    It’s easy to recreate and is a cute decor element that I can’t wait to include in all my summer parties!

    Jump to:
    • Carved Watermelons Are Awesome
    • Supplies
    • How to Make a Carved Watermelon
    • Related Posts
    • How to Carve a Watermelon as a Party Sign

    Carved Watermelons Are Awesome

    Pumpkins aren’t the only thing you can carve! Carved watermelons are quite easy to make and will be the star of whatever party you showcase them at.

    While the idea of carving a pumpkin might make you think of a jack-o-lantern, these decorative watermelons are not that.

    Using more of a scraping technique to remove the top layer of skin, these fruit signs are a really cool way to use a whole watermelon in a totally new way.

    They can be made ahead of time and will add a pop of whimsy to any type of party.

    Supplies

    • Whole Watermelon
    • Carving Tools
    • Design to trace, if needed

    A large watermelon will give you the most space to create your design but you can also create carved watermelon signs in a variety of ways.

    Putting one letter on a small watermelon to write out a whole word would also be a cute display.

    You don’t need expensive carving tools and can probably even use whatever pumpkin carving tools you already have. The ones that my friend used were actually for carving clay and these are easy to find in most craft stores.

    If you can free-hand a design, you can draw it right onto the watermelon. Or you can use a computer printout or a hand-drawn template (shown below) to get the design onto the watermelon.

    How to Make a Carved Watermelon

    A watermelon with a napkin taped to it with a drawn message that says "Let's Party".
    1. Prepare the design

    The most important part of planning the design is that it fits well in the area of the watermelon you want to carve.

    Carole wrote out “Let’s Party” on a napkin in marker and taped it to the front of the watermelon to work from.

    A woman using a tool to carve a sign on to a watermelon.

    2. Trace the design

    Using a pointed tool, you will use small dots to trace the outline of the design. This is a technique you see in many pumpkin carving books.

    A watermelon with words traced out in dots.

    You can see here that the dots are close enough that connecting them will be super simple and not require you to have a super steady hand.

    A woman carving a message into a watermelon.

    3. Scrape off the watermelon skin

    Next, you’ll remove the top layer of the watermelon skin. Carole used a tool that looks like a small ‘u’.

    With this, you will follow along the dotted line and remove the skin, but not go through anything more than the dark skin. You aren’t cutting out whole chunks as you may when carving pumpkins.

    You can see from the picture above that she is aiming the tool more sideways rather than into the watermelon.

    A carved watermelon with words on it on a party table.

    4. Let it dry

    While it might take a few minutes to do, it is really easy. Once you are done, you want it to have a chance to dry out a bit. We left this one out overnight and by the next morning, it looked like the first image in this post.

    The carved portion turns a little bit lighter and it makes the words pop. Aren’t they fantastic!

    Close up of some fresh rosemary with a woman carving a watermelon in the background.

    Just think of all the creative designs you could do! I’m so grateful to have creative friends who are willing to share their talents with me! Thank you, Carole!

    Carved watermelons are a great idea for signs at your parties. You can use them on buffet tables, as centerpieces and just about anywhere else!

    You can make these, not only with words but images too (as long as you have the skill to follow a printed design).

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    • How to Make Ruffled Streamers out of Plastic Tablecloths
    A carved watermelon held in a woman's hand.

    How to Carve a Watermelon as a Party Sign

    This fun DIY will show you how to easily carve a Watermelon to create a fun sign or decoration for a party.
    No ratings yet
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Craft / DIY
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Dry time: 8 hours
    Total Time: 8 hours 15 minutes
    Servings: 1 sign
    Author: Sharon Garofalow

    Equipment

    • Carving Tools

    Ingredients

    • 1 watermelon, whole

    Instructions

    • Tape design to the front of the watermelon.
    • Using a sharp, straight carving tool, trace the design by making small dots very close together along the outlines.
    • Use another tool (like one with a small "u" channel) to scrape off the top layer of the watermelon skin without punching through to the hollow center.
    • Allow the watermelon to sit for several hours to dry out a bit. This will dry out the carved area and it will turn a lighter shade making the design stand out a bit more.

    Notes

    See the images in the post for a better visual example of each step. 
    You can freehand words or a design or use a printed template.
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    About Sharon Garofalow

    Sharon lives in Southern California with her adorable family. She loves to share ideas to make mom life easier and encourage busy gals to make time for themselves too! Sharon's "me" time often includes watching Hallmark Channel movies, sipping sauvignon blanc, trying not to eat Salt and Pepper potato chips, and planning girlfriend getaways.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Carrie // cue the confetti says

      October 09, 2014 at 2:52 pm

      CUTE!

      Reply

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    Based in Southern California, I am the mom to two amazing boys and married to the raddest man in all the land. Cupcakes and Cutlery is your resource for simple solutions to help you be an awesome wife and mother and not lose yourself in the process. Email me at cupcakesandcutlery@gmail.com

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