When throwing a baby shower there are lots of things to consider. You have to send out invitations, clean the house well, wrap gifts for the mom-to-be. You have to decorate, come up with games to play and provide food for the guests. There’s one project you can do that not only gives you a unique centerpiece for the table but also provides a cool refreshment for a hot day. That’s right; when you make a watermelon baby carriage your guests will be impressed with the centerpiece but still enjoy it as a food.
The best watermelon to use for making a baby carriage is one that is oblong. Round watermelons aren’t ideal for the shape of the carriage. It’s also ideal if you use a seedless watermelon. Choose the watermelon for the project; clean the outside of the melon well. You might even want to oil it slightly to give it a shiny appearance. Simply rub the oil onto the clean and dry watermelon with a cloth or paper toweling. Wipe off any excess. Find a side of the watermelon that will allow it to sit still. You might have to turn the watermelon several times before finding just the right spot so that it doesn’t roll. If the watermelon rolls no matter how you position it you can always surround it with other things to keep it still. Set the watermelon in the center of the table then surround it with whole fruits. Or, arrange some lettuce leaves on a platter then set the watermelon on them.
You’ll need a large non-serrated knife to cut the watermelon. Begin cutting the watermelon as if you were going to cut it in half and have two long pieces. About two-thirds of the way through the watermelon stop cutting. Now, go to the top of the melon and cut downward toward the area where you left off cutting. Cut straight down until you reach the first cut. Remove the top piece of the watermelon and refrigerate it to eat later.
To make the wheels for the carriage take four slices from an orange. Make the slices approximately the same size. Position each orange slice in the wheel areas of the carriage and slide a toothpick or piece of a wooden skewer through the center of the orange slices and into the watermelon. If you want, you can skewers a cherry, grape, olive or even a marshmallow first, then skewer the orange, and insert the stick into the watermelon. If you have no wooden skewers or toothpicks you can also use pieces of clean, stiff wire. Instead of orange slices you can use grapefruit slices or make different wheels. Some choices for wheels include cardboard circles wrapped in tin foil (paint the foil black), painted margarine tub lids or even tires from an old toy vehicle.
You can cube the watermelon meat, if you want, then place it back in the baby carriage. Or, you can use a small melon ball maker to form small melon pieces that look attractive. By cubing or balling the watermelon you can make room for more fruit or other goodies. Place grapes, strawberries, orange slices, marshmallows or other foods in the watermelon carriage.
There are other things you can do to make the carriage even more attractive. For example, use hot glue to attach lace or eyelet material along the cut portion of the carriage’s hood and around the carriage opening. Or, use tube paints or paint markers to write on the side of the melon. Make the centerpiece much more impressive by attaching balloons to it. Tie helium balloons to strings and tie all the strings together. Use a bent piece of wire or something similar to insert into the hood of the carriage. Position the knot so that it cannot slip out from under the wire.
The watermelon baby carriage is the cutest centerpiece for just the cost of a watermelon. Having it be the centerpiece as well as a snack is even more economical. It’s a unique way to serve the guests while decorating at the same time. Everyone will remember the fabulous baby shower you through and they’ll especially remember that cute watermelon baby carriage!
Reference:
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