Carving pumpkins gets a fun twist when you make something functional, like a holiday bong. The best part? You can roast some pumpkin seeds or even spice up the guts if that’s your thing. Just keep in mind, the more guts you scoop out, the less pumpkin-spiced your hits will taste—but most people don’t mind that at all.
Getting started making a pumpkin bong
The first thing you’ll need to decide is how far you want to go with this creation. Do you want to go full-on pumpkin and carve a bowl into the squash? Or do you want to keep it clean and add a bowl stem as the mouthpiece? The next step will depend on how you choose to execute the bong.
Step 1. Cut the top of the pumpkin
The first thing you need to do is remove the top of the pumpkin as if you were going to carve a jack-o-lantern. Carefully slice around the top, avoiding losing any meat that will cause the lid to not fit tightly back on.
Once you’ve lifted the top off, scrape out as much of the guts as you’d like. The more you remove the better, unless you want to keep that authentic pumpkin feel and flavor and leave some guts.
You can set the lid to the side while you carry out the next steps.
Step 2. Make a bowl
This part is pretty simple but will require some tools. You’ll want a sharp, easy-to-carve-with knife to get started.
For a pumpkin bong without a down stem: Simply pick an area near the upper portion of your pumpkin and carve a bowl-shaped scoop out of the pumpkin WITHOUT GOING ALL THE WAY. You must leave some flesh and not fully cut through the pumpkin to keep the bowl functional. If you do cut through, plug the hole and try again in a new spot.
Once you’ve carved the right size bowl, you will need to carve a small hole into the bowl that does fully puncture the skin, but keep it tiny so your weed will not fall through.
For a pumpkin bong with a down stem, you will carve a smaller hole and fully puncture the flesh. It’s best to start with a small hole and slowly make it larger until it’s the perfect size to stick your glass down stem through. You’ll want the stem to be securely placed in the hole, so be sure to start small and work your way up to the right size. If there is airflow through the stem and the hole you’ve cut, you’re going to run into some issues.
From here, you can add the bowlpiece to the downstem to complete the setup.
For either option, you want your down stem or bowl to sit at about a 45-degree angle.
Step 3. Carve/Drill a mouthpiece
We don’t want anyone burning their face trying to use a pumpkin bong, so be sure to choose an area of the pumpkin that works naturally for you to light on one end and inhale from the other. We recommend carving a mouthpiece into the opposite side, but some people prefer to do different areas of the pumpkin so long as they can safely take a hit.
If you want smaller, controlled hits, you can also stick a straw through a much smaller carved mouthpiece hole.
Step 4. Carve/Drill a carb
Now make a similar hole near the bowl or down stem. This will serve as your carb, so be sure to place it somewhere that is easy to reach for and cover when the bong is in action.
Step 5. Test out the functions
Before adding any water, you’ll want to make sure the pumpkin bong is on the right track. Pretend to use it, going through the motions of hitting it to ensure the airflow feels right. Remember: you want the down stem tightly fit in the pumpkin to allow for no airflow.
If you’re just using a carved bowl and mouthpiece, test the process just the same to see if the airflow feels right. Make any adjustments as needed.
Step 6. Add water
Technically you don’t have to add water to make a pumpkin bong. But if you’re looking for a smooth hit, it will definitely help. Start by adding just a cup or so of water, careful to not fill it too much. Continue to test the airflow as you add water until you reach an ideal bubble.
Step 7. Put the lid on and enjoy
Now you’re ready to hit the pumpkin bong. Be sure to replace the lid and fit it tightly around the top before getting started.
There you have it! Those are the steps for how to make a pumpkin bong. Overall, it’s a pretty easy process and very similar to other fruit or vegetables some may have smoked out of in their younger years.
Don’t use your homemade pumpkin bong as a staple
While we can all appreciate the novelty of making and using a pumpkin bong, it should only be a festive occurrence for one-time use.
Of course, feel free to hit the bong throughout the day after you’ve crafted it. But don’t expect to use it throughout the week as the pumpkin begins to deteriorate faster. The last thing you want is to be smoking out of a moldy, rotten pumpkin.
But hey, spooky season stretches awhile. There’s no reason you can’t whip out several pumpkin bongs this Halloween. You can also try making a bong out of another decorative gourd. This is an especially good way to make use of ornamental squash you don’t intend to eat.
Piece of Mind Cannabis is a medical marijuana and recreational Cannabis dispensary with locations in Bellingham, and Pullman, Washington.