How to Carve a Flower from a Cantaloupe!
Ever wonder how folks carve fruit into flowers and such? After a bit of practice, I learned how to carve a flower out of a cantaloupe! Want to see how I did it?
My sister is a real social butterfly. And a great party planner. Every year, she throws the annual family Luau which consists of lots and lots of fancy tropical-like food, games and great music. And when you show up at her house, it is like being transported to an island oasis as she goes all out on the decorations. It is always a big hit every year.
This year in an attempt to make me more social, she has been sending me email after email about all the games and competitions she has planned, trying her best to get me to commit to something. A treasure hunt? Nah, I’ll just watch. An eating contest? Really. I’ll pass. How about a belly flopping contest? Seriously? I think not.
There was a pause in emails for a few days and then she hit me with, “A fruit carving contest”? Well, we have certainly thrown down the gauntlet here. She knows I can’t pass up a crafty challenge. She knows me pretty well. So after some research, here is my official first try at fruit carving.
For this project I used:
Carrot Peeler
A sharp knife
Lazy Susan (you know, besides me)
A bunch of patience
Start by using the carrot peeler to take the outside skin off. This was actually a lot easier than I thought it would be.
Slice the bottom off to create a flat area for it to side on.
Place a towel on your Lazy Susan and then the cantaloupe on top. Begin by using a sharp knife to cut a circle into the top of the cantaloupe.
Cut deep little notches into the center of the circle to mimic the center of a flower. Then use the knife to draw an outline of the first row of petals. Then at each petal, start digging out cantaloupe, stopping at the line of your circle. If you’re looking for different kinds of decorative knives, visit this website at ubaahaus.co.uk.
Do this all the way around.
Draw an outline for your next row of petals and repeat the process.
Don’t be afraid to dig in pretty deep to get good contour. You’d be surprised at how workable a cantaloupe can be.
Ralph is a huge fan of cantaloupe. I didn’t have to worry about picking up any errant pieces. They never had a chance to hit the floor.
To make the petals stand out as individual petals, cut underneath the top petal, and then cut a small notch out of the petal underneath.
And there you have it. It looks a little more like a yellow pinecone to me than a flower, but it does look pretty awesome.
Fruit carvings make a great fancy addition to a fruit tray for special occasions. I think they are a great idea for weddings and such. If you decide to make one for such an occasion, I would suggest that you carve it no sooner than the day before the event as once carved, fruit only lasts so long. I did mine on Sunday and stored it under wrap in the refrigerator and it still looks pretty good. As for actually eating it, well my hands were all over the thing, so I’d say it just makes a great decoration. But that is just me.
Congratulations, this post was so popular on last week’s Wonderful Wednesday blog hop that it will be featured THIS week! 🙂 We go live Tuesday evening 7pm EDT. Hope to see you there. ♥
Thank you so much for your kind words! I think fruit carvings would be beautiful for a bridal shower! As for serving it, I would suggest just using it as decor. I suppose you could use gloves while carving it, and then cut it open to eat. But keep in mind that the inside of it still has the seeds and all. Hope that helps!
suzy
Hi there! Visiting from Crazy Frenzy Friday. Your carving looks so pretty! Thanks so much for sharing this!
That looks incredible! If you carve it with gloves on you could still eat it, lol. We would love if you’d share your amazing tutorial at our Thursday Favorite Things Blog Hop! Found you on Wow me Wednesday and you sure did wow me 🙂
I am absolutely STUNNED! This is beautiful and I would never have guessed, when I first saw the picture, that this was a cantelope. We have a family bridal shower coming up this summer and I want to learn how to do this. How would you suggest serving it?
Pinning, sharing, bragging about your post! ♥
that is gorgeous!
You make this look so easy! I don’t think I would have the patience to do it.
I love that kind of art! This looks amazing. I will try that!
I don’t think that I could ever create something this lovely, but I do admire your skills.
Wow! This is amazing! What a yummy recipe! I would love for you to share this at my link party Making Memories Mondays going on now! 🙂
Cathy
Love this!
Belissíma
I love when I see watermelon carvings. There's such variety of color, green, red, pink, and white. You did a great job on your cantaloupe!
Suzi-boo, genius as always! My mom even made me stop so she could read the how to!
Loved your post so much I featured you this week at my Weekly Link Party
Feel free to stop by and grab a button!!
xoxo
Allison @ House of Hepworths
Hi, I featured you at my blog today Blue Bird Sews for Eat, Grow Sew. Thanks for linking up, and hop over to grab a button if you'd like 😉
Thank you so much for linking up this amazing carved cantaloupe! You are being featured tomorrow at the start of our new What I Made Wednesday Linky Party! Congrats! Come and grab a button & link up your latest & greatest!
Alisa @ Sweet Peas and Bumblebees
sweetpeasandbb.blogspot.com
This is very impressive. I am amzed that it has kept so well. It would be a beautiful centre peice for a dinner party. Well done! Kate x
Awesome! you have to love a little crafty competition! Thanks so much for sharing with the Pink Hippo Party.. can't wait to see what you share this week!
Such a cool idea. I'm featuring it at this week's Craftastic party:)
I'm so impressed with your craftsmanship! Wow!
Like I said before: Love it!! 🙂
I will be featuring this at tomorrow's linky party!
Thank you so much for linking to {nifty thrifty things} last week!
I hope to see you again tomorrow!
xoxo,
Vanessa
Magnifique bravo!
Hi Jenny,
Do a search for fruit carving on utube.com. There are lots of videos on technique!
suzy
OMG…..this is great…..and I mst try it. Thank you for a very clear tutorial and making it look like left-handed me could do it.
That is so AmAZiNg!!! I've been looking for a good fruit carving tutorial for ages and now I can't wait to try it once I get home!
Do you know what style of fruit carving this is/where to learn some more carving techniques? 😀 😀
oh this look so tasty! i'd love if you came and shared something at my link party! its open all week 🙂
Also if you're interested in doing a guest post I would LOVE that too!!
That is amazing! I saw the thumbnail on the Yesterday on Tuesday craft party and figured you were a professional 🙂 Thanks for posting this tutorial… I just might try it
That looks fantastic! So how can anyone eat something that looks so good?
wow really great job! incredible and it looks kind of fun to try
kathryn
http://www.thedragonsfairytail.blogspot.com
twitter: kathblogger
Okay, I am seriously impressed here! You did an amazing job! Jen @ http://www.icantstopcrafting.blogspot.com
This is so pretty! Would be perfect for a table centerpiece. I want to try something like this but I think I would just make a huge mess!!
Wow! That is so pretty! Thanks for posting a tutorial with that. I found you on Not Just a Housewife. mylilpumpkinpatch.blogspot.com
WOW!!! This is amazing!!!! Thank you so much for linking up and giving the tutorial. I love this.
xoxo Hanna
thanks for linking to Take-A-Look Tuesday – I just featured you on my FB page
You did such a great job! If I tried that I'd be getting stitches at the ER, I dont get along well with knives!
wow, great job! i've always wanted to get into fruit and vegetable platters so that I could make gorgeous healthy platters instead of cake, but have yet to really find the moment, or the sources for projects! Did you know that you can buy a whole set of Japanese vegetable carving tools? Thanks so much for sharing on Craft Schooling Sunday!
I bet that is one contest you'll win! Your flower is so nice. I've always wanted to carve fruit like that, but the task seems really daunting. I admire your guts and talent to make a beautiful piece of art.
Your canteloup flower – pinecone looks brilliant! So what will you carve for the big contest???
Thanks for linking to a Round Tuit!
Hope you have a great week!
Jill @ Creating my way to Success
http://www.jembellish.blogspot.com/
Beautiful! My mom has this art mastered, but it is so intimidating to me. You make it look super easy – thanks for sharing 🙂
gorgeous!! love the look 🙂
Jackie
http://jaclyndesigns.blogspot.com/
Oh! That`s AMAZING!
Wow! That is amazing! The carved fruits were one of my fav things when my hubby and I went on a cruise. Thanks for showing us how easy they actually are to do:-)
Totally awesome. I'm 'pinning' this for future reference!
this is so beautiful! nice job! I love your description of patience needed, and little Ralph waiting for the scraps. Thanks for a great tutorial and to linking with Eat, Grow, Sew!
suzy dear…. u rock. luv ur work.
Love it! I'm always amazed at the carved fruit I see. I am featuring this today at somedaycrafts.blogspot.com.
This is amazing!
that melon looks crazy pretty after it's carving session…i don't think i would have the patience or talent to achieve these results but i love that you shared your skill at fridays unfolded…hope you'll be back next week to join the summer block party!
alison
stuff and nonsense
Beautiful… I'm amazed at your work!
Have you watched this on Food Network – I mean contests doing this? I always watch and am amazed and then because I'm kind of a freak I always want to go try it. I never have though. Now I want to.
Yours looks so great! Good job.
Gorgeous! And you are SO not lazy! 🙂
WOW…that's inspiring. Can't wait to see what you do with other fruit. =)
Love your sense of humor too!
Every great sculptress needs a muse like Ralph. Too cute!
How beautiful! That would look great on any table!
It looks wonderful. I don't know if I would have the patience to try it myself though.
Omgosh Suzy, that's incredible!!! you did an beautiful job!
Very cool!
Wow! This is SO pretty! Love it!
xoxo,
Vanessa
WOW! My mom gave me one of those food garnish carver sets several years ago and nothing I butchered, I mean attempted, came close to looking like this. Stunning!
That is beautiful! Have you ever seen the book "Play With Your Food" by Joost Elffers? (Yes, that is his real name.) You would have such fun with it! Thanks for sharing!
Ha HAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!! I knew I would hit something eventually to get you in the luau spirit, hee hee hee! I knew you would be awesome at that!!!!
Now I can't wait to see what you come up with for the party. By the way, the categories for prizes are: Best overall, best hawaiian theme, most difficult and funniest. You're sure to win in one of those categories, probably most difficult, hehehehe
That is absolutely amazing! It reminds me so much of old Judy Garland movies 'Let's put on a show', except in your case it's 'Let's carve a beautiful flower out of a cantelope.! WOW.
You are just the queen of detailed crafty things! I think I need a little more of your patience. Then my crafts would come out beautiful like yours instead of slapped together. Stop coming up with such great ideas! You're making my To Make list WAY too long. It's getting unreasonable.
That is amazing. Did you major in fruit carving in college? 😉 I wish I was ambitious enough to try that!
Wow that is just SO pretty!
OMG !!!!!! I'm so impressed!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I think your fruit carving is excellent. The look on Ralph's sweet little face as he waits for the cantaloupe to drop is too cute.