Holiday Planning & Ideas Halloween Halloween Projects & Crafts Halloween Pumpkin Ideas Fairy House Pumpkin Let the ghouls and goblins knock on everyone else's door while you spend the evening hanging with the fairies. To invite them in, transform a pumpkin into a cozy hollow. By Martha Stewart Editors Martha Stewart Editors Facebook Instagram Twitter Website An article attributed to "Martha Stewart Editors" indicates when several writers and editors have contributed to an article over the years. These collaborations allow us to provide you with the most accurate, up-to-date, and comprehensive information available.The Martha Stewart team aims to teach and inspire readers daily with tested-until-perfected recipes, creative DIY projects, and elevated home and entertaining ideas. They are experts in their fields who research, create, and test the best ways to help readers design the life they want. The joy is in the doing. Editorial Guidelines Updated on September 5, 2018 Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: NGOC MINH NGO Before you begin, learn how we created these textured effects using a carve-by-color technique. Opt for any kind of pumpkin, squash, or gourd that seems fitting for fairyland's most coveted real estate. Get our helpful tips for picking a pumpkin that will last through October. This project calls for three essential pumpkin carving tools: a keyhole saw, scooper, and linoleum cutter. The first is used for its sharp teeth, which can slice through a pumpkin's tough shell and its flexible blade, which allows for curved cuts. The second is used for scooping out seeds and flesh for a clean interior better to reflect the light. The third is used to carve detail into the surface of a pumpkin (like trim and faux bois grain in the door) with great accuracy. The pumpkin picture here is cut from the bottom and hollowed out, then illuminated with a battery-powered candle. Get our editor's tricks on how to safely light a pumpkin. For more ideas, scroll through our best collection of pumpkin carving and decorating ideas. What You'll Need Materials Fairy House template Pumpkin Keyhole saw Scooper Tape Needle tool Linoleum cutter Sponge mushrooms (Pictured: Dried Decor sponge mushrooms on pick, $17 for 6, drieddecor.com.) Twisty branches T pins Battery-operated candle Instructions Place pumpkin on its side on a flat, stable work surface. Use keyhole saw to cut a circle through the base of the pumpkin. Scoop out seeds, stringy pulp, and a thin layer of flesh from inside of pumpkin wall until it's about 1/4 inch thick. (A clean, smooth interior reflects light best.) Turn the pumpkin right side up. Download and print template. With scissors, cut away white part of template. Tape template onto pumpkin, using a needle tool to prick every 1/8 to 1/4 inch along outlines of template. (Tip: You may need to cut slits around the template and overlap so it conforms to the pumpkin's roundness.) Remove the paper and connect the dots with a linoleum cutter, scraping in the same direction in each section to keep the lines uniform. For the fairy house windows, apply enough pressure to cut out the panes; everywhere else, use a lighter hand. Using T pins, add shelf mushrooms for front steps. Do a little landscaping: A couple of T-pins secure a twisty branch for a homey arbor. Set a battery-operated candle inside. Once the pumpkin is lit, you may want to do a few touch-ups: If the light shines unevenly, the flesh may be thicker in some spots; simply scrape away a little more wherever it appears darker.