To make this festive centerpiece, we punched holes in the pumpkins, painted them silver, and then added some Christmas lights and crystals.
Make a hole in the bottom and top of all three gourds and remove the entrails. In the bottom of the gourd, make the hole a little to the side so that the light strand plug can go through. Do not cut the hole near the stem in the top pumpkin. The hole should be big enough that you can reach in and pull the light strands through the holes.
Use a dry-erase marker to make small circles where you want the pumpkin bulbs to come out.
Use a serrated knife or drill to cut out the circles. Check the size again by inserting one of the bulb sockets (pull the bulb out to test). Enlarge the hole until the socket can fit through, but not too large, you don't want the bulb to slide out.
Lay the pumpkins out on a tarp and spray them with shiny metal paint. Let them dry.
Check that the lights are working, and then remove all bulbs from their sockets. This will make it easier to thread the string through the gourds.
Starting with the bottom gourd, pull the sockets through the holes, then screw in the bulb to hold it in place. Be sure to leave enough strand to come out of the bottom of the gourd and plug it into an extension cord or outlet. Make your way to the pumpkin and then climb out of the top to move on to the next pumpkin. Leave a little wiggle room in between.
Wrap glass strands (cut to size if needed) around the bottom, middle, and top of the gourds to give the topiary a little extra glamour.
