Carving a Heart in a Watermelon

In a matter of minutes, this humble fruit will be a stunning jaw-dropper.

Setting up for a party is a big job that can make or break your guests' first impression of your event. While a standard tablecloth, matching plates and some table glitter will do the trick, a beautifully decorated table set with a watermelon carving centerpiece ups the ante in an unbelievable way. Don't shy away from watermelon carvings if you're not usually crafty or artistic. These amazingly cool masterpieces are deceptively simple to make and require only minimal tools and ingredients.

Things You'll Need

• Watermelon
• Long knife
• Permanent marker
• Small carving knife
• Melon baller
• Toothpicks
• Other fruits, optional

Instructions

1. Slice a small, thin section off the bottom of the watermelon (about one-eighth-inch thick) to make the fruit flat so it doesn't roll. This side will now be the "cut" side, while the top half will be the "non-cut" side.

2. Stand up the fruit on one end and cut the watermelon in half lengthwise.

3. Place the cut side down on the table and reserve the non-cut side for later.

4. Scoop out the fruit from inside the watermelon using the melon baller and reserve the balls for later. Repeat with the non-cut half of watermelon.

5. Take the non-cut half of watermelon, which should now just be an empty rind, and trace a large heart shape with a marker on the top.

6. Trace a second, smaller heart inside the first one.

7. Cut out the two hearts using the carving knife.

8. Attach the hearts to the cut half of the watermelon by placing the large one on the edge of the rind, in the center, and attaching it with a toothpick. Place the second heart inside the large one on an angle, so it juts out, and attach it with a toothpick.

9. Fill the empty watermelon rind with the melon balls and other fruit, if desired, such as berries, cantaloupe, honeydew and pineapple.

10. Decorate the edges of the rind by cutting small hearts from the leftover rind and attaching them with toothpicks.

Tips & Warnings

• There are many other ways to carve a heart in a watermelon, so feel free to experiment with them all. The easiest would be to simply make a heart shape with a carving knife on the outside of a watermelon, but the above method is definitely more impressive.

References

• National Watermelon Promotion Board: Watermelon Carvings
• Bubba's Silver Spoon Catering: Carved Watermelon with heart design
• Fabulous Foods: How To Carve a Watermelon Heart Basket