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 Halloween
punch and the
punch bowl its served in can be as
much a decoration as it is a treat for your guests. We came up with
this idea to add a very spooky
effect to the way our Halloween punch is displayed.
It
does require that you have a clear punch
bowl so that the light will shine up through
the punch, but it looks great. For ours we used the "Skeleton Party
Punch Bowl Set" because its clear, has
matching cups and ladle, and looks great for Halloween with
its creepy skulls.
 To create this
effect we use a Pumpkin Light. These great lights come in
two different versions. The first is the
"Amazing Rainbow Pumpkin Light"
that can
display seven different colors or be set to rotate between
them all.
The second version is the
"Artificial Candle Pumpkin Light"
that flickers
just like candle. Both versions of the
Pumpkin Light measure approximately 3-3/4 inches in diameter
including the on/off button and are 7/8 inch tall.
 Unfortunately, the rim on the base of most punch bowls is
usually not deep and/or wide enough to hold a Pumpkin
Light and still remain stable enough for the punch bowl to sit on.
To deal with this problem we built a simple base for the
punch bowl to rest on and hold the light using a 11-7/8
inch diameter by 7/8 inch tall white Styrofoam floral disc.
These are available at most craft stores, floral shops and
some department stores that have a craft section.
 The first
thing we need to do was to cut a hole in the center of the
Styrofoam floral disc to hold the Pumpkin Light unit. We
found that the easiest way was to use an 11.5 ounce coffee can with the
right inside diameter and press out the hole, just make sure
the end you use does not have an inner lip or it will
not cut through the Styrofoam correctly.
Just place the open end of
the coffee can on top of the disc in the very center as
shown in the picture to the right and push down until it
presses out a hole in the disc.
 Next, we
paint the Styrofoam disc with gloss black silk flower
spray paint. We used gloss black so that it would reflect
some of the light emitted by the Pumpkin Light. Don't use regular spray paint as
contains acetone and will melt
the Styrofoam.
Be sure to cover the disc with enough paint
so that the light won't shine through
the Styrofoam. If you want to add some extra decoration to
the base you can sprinkle a small amount of glitter over the
disc before the paint dries. Let the paint dry for a day
before using.
 Set the punch bowl
base
on your serving table and place the type of Pumpkin Light
you are going to use
to illuminate your punch into the hole in the center of the base with the desired
special effect switched on. Now, mix up your favorite
Halloween punch
recipe in your punch bowl and set it on top of the
base directly over the Pumpkin Light for a really eerie
special effect that will amaze and impress your guests.
Below are
some of our favorite combinations
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Pumpkin Punch
What can we say about the color orange,
its the official color of Halloween. To
create a beautiful and mysterious effect
of twinkling lights shining through the
punch just
mix up enough orange flavored Kool-Aid
to fill your punch bowl.
For orange colored punch we like to use
the "Artificial Candle Pumpkin Light"
that flickers like a real candle. Be
sure to place the punch bowl directly
over the Pumpkin Light. You can't see it
in the pictures, but the light is
twinkling through the punch! |
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Vampire
Punch
For a bright blood like and very sinister looking punch
just mix
up enough cherry flavored Kool-Aid
for your punch bowl and place an "Amazing Rainbow
Pumpkin Light" set to the color red in the hole of
the base to illuminate the punch from below. Place the
punch bowl directly over the Pumpkin Light. |
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Zombie
Punch
Green colored punch looks really ghoulish, particularly
when its glowing. Just mix up enough lemon-lime flavored
Kool-Aid for your punch bowl
and use an "Amazing Rainbow
Pumpkin Light" set to the color green. Place the
punch bowl directly over the Pumpkin Light. |
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Witches
Brew Punch
Yellow
colored punch has the advantage of transmitting most
colors well. Just mix up a batch of Lemonade flavored Kool-Aid
for your punch bowl. For
yellow colored punch we like to use the "Amazing Rainbow
Pumpkin Light" set to rotate between all seven colors
for a very eerie effect. You can't see
it in the pictures, but the light is
slowly changes colors through the punch! |
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