Not up for hosting another costume party this Halloween? Mix it up by throwing a BYOP (bring your own pumpkin) carving party.

Taste of Home magazine has great ideas for turning your garage or backyard into a pumpkin carving workshop. You can dazzle your kids' friends with fun music and finger foods that are appropriate for the messy fun.

What You'll Need:
• Several sturdy tables covered with newspapers
• Cleaning gear
• Old T-shirts or smocks
• A pumpkin-carving kit for every three people
• Sharp kitchen knife
• Large, strong spoon or ice-cream scoop
• Sharp-tip water marker
• Screwdriver or drill with varying bit sizes
• Thin-blade serrated saws
• Bucket for seeds
• Decorating supplies for kids: paint, stickers, etc.

Wherever you decide to do this, be highly prepard for a mess. If you can, collect all pumpkin waste for composting (or pumpkin seed roasting); also have garbage cans around for the newspapers and paper towels.

You can create a Halloween mood by decorating your workshop with hay bales, finished jack-o-lanterns, gourd displays and more. Top it off with some spooky Halloween music.

You'll probably only want to have three kids working on pumpkins at a time. Since it may take up to an hour to carve a great pumpkin, have some face-painting kits, scarecrow building supplies, party games and mini pumpkins available for painting. You know kids need to be constantly doing something--or they get bored.

What are you doing to get in the mood for Halloween? Comment below. 

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