HOW TO CARVE: A WATERMELON MOUTH

Thus far in my career as an amateur watermelon carver, I’ve crafted a watermelon helmet, a watermelon hedgehog and a watermelon T-Rex. I’m happy to report (and I hope you’ll agree) that my skills have improved with each carving. That’s why I’ve decided to undertake something a little different: a watermelon mouth.

Unlike the previous three carvings, which were fancy-looking vessels for dispensing chunks of watermelon, this one is purely ornamental. Of course, that won’t stop me from devouring it moments after I snap a few photos.

MATERIALS NEEDED

1 large, oblong watermelon

Several knives of various sizes

1 small utility knife (for the detail work)

1 fine-tip dry erase marker (a regular marker will also do)

1 potato peeler

Wash the watermelon thoroughly and cut one to two inches off one end (into the red flesh) to create a flat base for the watermelon to rest on.

Using the dry erase marker, draw a wide-open mouth shape and teeth in the center of the watermelon. This photo shows the main cut, which looks more like an eye than a mouth. I’ve added a dotted line to show the lines I drew for the lips and teeth. Scoop out the red flesh inside, leaving plenty of red flesh intact to make the inside look like a mouth.

Make a shallow cut – just through the outer green rind — along the edge of the upper and lower teeth and lips. Using a small knife, carve away the outer green rind. This will take a little while. Also carve slightly deep grooves at the top of the teeth and the top of the lips to help these pieces stand out a little more.

Carve away the space between the teeth. I carved all the way through the rind to help separate the teeth. I also rounded off the teeth a little to make them more “tooth-like.” And that’s it! Feel free to fill your odd-looking watermelon mouth with various goodies.