This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Community Corner

Pumpkin-Carving Tips and Tricks

Carve out some time to explore eclectic pumpkin-decorating inspirations.

Americans love pumpkins: 46.3 percent of them will carve and light one for Halloween this year. Many others are adorning their front porches and homes with the pretty, straight-from-the-vine orbs, according to the National Retail Federation's 2010 Halloween Survey.

At in Troy, you’ll find a selection of decorative squash and pumpkins that have been “flying off our shelves,” reports Maggie Bahler, Whole Foods spokeswoman. “People use them for cooking, carving and decorating." Check out some pumpkin recipes on the Whole Foods blog.

You can find a variety of shapes, colors and sizes at , reports  spokeswoman Colleen Maiura. She’s especially excited about some of the ideas the Lowe’s creative team has come up with for decorating and carving pumpkins

Find out what's happening in Birminghamwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

“We’ve got inspirations for everything from carving and scraping to painting and adding hardware to pumpkins, she says.

Pumpkins also are plentiful at and   in Birmingham, and you can also pick one up at the – but hurry, because this is the last weekend the market will be open. 

Find out what's happening in Birminghamwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

and in Bloomfield Township also can help you go gonzo for gourds.

There is also where the children can have some fun in the maze before or after choosing a pumpkin.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?

More from Birmingham