A fun and creative alternative to a fruit salad bowl is this carved watermelon Mouse. It's simple to make and ideal around the holidays.

Materials

1 watermelon, seeded or seedless and the longer the better
Kitchen and paring knives
Chopping board
Green dry erase marker
Toothpicks
Wooden skewers
Melon scoop
Channel knife or the top of a vegetable peeler will also work
Black licorice string

Watermelon Moose
Watermelon Moose

Instructions

  1. It is best to throughly read all instructions before starting.
  2.     Rinse, cut and drain the juices from your fruit salad before putting it in the carving.
  3.     Remember when cutting out the flesh to keep it in as big pieces as possible to that it can be used for other things.
  4.     A green dry erase marker pen is best for drawing your design as it can be wiped off later.
  5.     Rinse your oblong watermelon and then thoroughly dry it.
  6.    To create a stable base, cut off 1/4" from one side, being careful not to cut too deep into the white rind so that liquid will not seep out.
  7.     About 1/3rd of the way down, width ways, draw a line that goes over the top of the watermelon and about half way down.
  8.     Where these two lines stop draw a line so the two points meet that comes out diagonally towards the other end of the melon. Look at the picture as a guide.
  9.     Carefully using a large knife cut out the section you have marked in one large piece. Hollow out the inside of the fruit, leaving a layer of red flesh as this is more visually aesthetic than revealing the white rind.
  10.     Use your pen again to design the oversized mouth and teeth of the moose.When you are happy with it use a paring knife to create the definition between teeth. To give them a lighter color that look more like teeth, scrape away the top layer of dark green rind to expose the lighter rind.
  11.     Thicken the horizontal line between the upper and lower teeth making the cut deep enough to just expose the red flesh of the fruit from the inside.
  12.     From the piece of rind that we previously removed, draw two matching antler designs. Make them thick enough not to break but not so thick that they are too heavy.
  13.     Eyes can be made by cutting out two triangular pieces and securing half pieces of grapes to them with a toothpick. Licorice string can be used for eye lashes.
  14.     Fill the watermelon moose with mixed fruit salad including the watermelon that you removed.