How to Carve a Smile on a Watermelon

Whether it's a present for a friend, or just to spruce up your house in time for a big summer barbecue, carving a smile and face into a watermelon is a great way to encourage a festive atmosphere. It's easy to do, and in just a few short minutes your carving will be done. Here is how to carve a smile into a watermelon.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Watermelon
• Carving knife
• Pencil
• Melon ball scoop

1. Slice a small piece off of the bottom of the watermelon. You simply want to even out the base so that the watermelon stands easily on its own and doesn't slide around as you try and carve it.

2. Draw a line around the top of the watermelon. Think of carving this watermelon the same way you carve a pumpkin at Halloween. The first step is to remove the top. So draw the line where you want the "top" to be.

3. Cut the top of the watermelon off. Following the line you traced, cut and remove the top of the fruit.

4. Take out the meat of the watermelon with the melon ball scoop. (Use this watermelon for a fruit salad.)

5. Sketch a smile, eyes, nose and whatever other features you would like to draw on the watermelon with your pencil.

6. Carve these features out with a paring knife. As you finish each feature, gently push the outside of the watermelon inside. This will knock out your cut inside the watermelon, which makes it easy for you to retrieve.

Tips & Warnings

• Make a fruit salad with berries and other melons and then fill the watermelon with the fruit salad.
• Consider using garden gloves so that you can maintain a good grip on the watermelon while carving.
• If you are attempting an elaborate design, draw it out on a piece of tracing paper first and then tape it to the watermelon. Transfer your lines and get to carving.
• Because of the sharpness of the knife, this is not a job for the kiddies. While they can certainly watch, encourage them to do different watermelon seed activities, like having a seed spitting contest.