I’m not usually known for my crafting skills but when it comes to my daughters I’m always willing to go the extra mile. Since Layla was born in the fall we decided to mark her first birthday with some autumn-themed party invitations. I was placed on pumpkin duty.

We planted our pumpkin patch in the spring and Myah and I took care of it all summer.

By the time fall rolled around we had some decent-sized results.

The next step was to decide which pumpkin had the best shape and create a stencil for it.

I attached the stencil with scotch tape and then carefully cut using a sharp utility knife.

Once the outline was complete I took off the stencil to make sure it looked the way I wanted.

Then I carved out Layla’s name even further, being careful not to cut too deep.

Next we set the scene and took the photo for the invitation. How cute is my pumpkin? (The one in the middle is my favorite.)

– Scott