Create this brilliant watermelon robot. Not only is a creative and original table centerpiece but it is also a great way of serving fruit salad.

Materials

1 seeded or seedless watermelon - slightly oblong is best
Kitchen and paring knives
Chopping Board
Marker pen
Toothpicks and wooden skewers

Pieces of hardware to be used for features and decoration:

Pliers
Two 3/8" cap nuts and two 1/2" lock washers attached to a 3/8" hex bolt to use as eyes.
One 5/8" hitch pin clip to use as the mouth

Two 11/16" hitch pin clips to use as the antennae

Two 7" pieces of metal conduit for arms, use pliers to stretch the and make them flexible
Two 1/2" hex bolts with 1/2" wing nuts for hands, attached to the conduit arms.

Four 3/16" X 2" cotter pins - loop two pins together to make each leg.

Two 1/4" spring nuts (with springs removed) for feet.

Three or more 5/16" tee nuts to use as decoration on the front of robot
One 3/16" X 2" cotter pin

Watermelon Robot
Watermelon Robot

Instructions

  1.     Thoroughly read through all instructions before beginning.
  2.     Wash and drain all fruit before using as the fruit salad.
  3.     Hollow out the watermelon, keeping the fruit in as large pieces as possible.
  4.     Outline the robot design using a marker pen, ideally a dry erase green one.
  5.     Brand-new hardware and pliers should be used for the robot decorations and everything should be washed in warm soapy water before use.
  6.     Rinse and dry the watermelon.
  7.     With the watermelon on it's side, cut in half. Take the widest half and cut 1/4" from the uncut end to create a steady base.
  8.     With the watermelon now on it's end, hollow it out, keeping the fruit in large pieces. Keep for later to use in the fruit salad. Place on an aluminum base.
  9.     From the half of the watermelon that you have not yet used, cut out a large rectangular piece from the flesh to use as the head.
  10.     Attach the eyes, mouth and antenna to the watermelon head and secure it to the back of the body piece using wooden skewers.
  11.     Screw the conduit into the side of the body to create the arms. Add legs and decorate the front of the body with hardware in the robot design.
  12.     Fill the robot carving with watermelon chucks and other fruit of choice.