Abstract: A children's kit for illuminative decoration of the exterior shell of a pumpkin, without requiring a carving knife. The kit 10 consists of packaging 12, light pegs 60, a pattern sheet 30, a tool 100, and light 25. The light pegs 60 are a light transmissive material that can be colored and have a length at least equal to the pumpkin shell thickness. Each light peg 60 has a first end that is convergent to pierce the exterior shell wall and is operative to collect light, a shaft portion to transmit light to a second end with an enlarged peg head. The enlarged peg head protrudes above the shell surface and is operative to disperse light. The pattern 30 locates the light pegs 60 on the pumpkin shell, with the tool 100 used to drive the light pegs 60 through the pumpkin shell. The light 25 is placed inside the open interior of the pumpkin to illuminate the light pegs 60.

Abstract: An illumination device especially adapted for internally illuminating a decorative object wherein the decorative object is associated with a particular seasonal holiday, festive, or celebratory event. The device includes a dome shaped housing that is sized and configured to mount inside the decorative object. The housing has concavities with reflective surfaces and electric lights that are disposed in the concavities. Electric current is supplied to the light for illumination of the interior of the decorative object. The illuminative object has the optional capability to flash the electric lights to mimic the flickering of a burning candle and employ the use of fiber optics for special lighting effects.

Abstract: A safety saw may be used by a child and includes a handle and a forwardly extending blade. The handle has a first portion, a second portion and a waisted portion between the first and second portions. The minimum diameter of the waisted portion is no more than fifty percent (50%) of the maximum diameter of the second end portion. Preferably, the first and second portions have equal radii. The blade has teeth only on one lateral edge, and a distal tip extends forwardly along the longitudinal axis of the blade to a rounded end. The distal tip has a length at least twice the width of a tooth, and it is devoid of any teeth. The leading edge of each tooth is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis while the trailing edge is oblique to the longitudinal axis at an angle of about 50° to 60°. The height and width of the teeth may be the same; alternatively, the width may be twice the height.

Abstract: A pumpkin carving kit includes a cutting die having a closed peripheral configuration defining a shape to be carved into the pumpkin shell, a striking tool for driving the die into the pumpkin shell, and a scoop and scraping tool. The die has a lower cutting edge and an upper driving edge, and a striking surface of the striking tool has a lateral dimension which is greater than the majority of the largest transverse dimension of the striking edge to uniformly distribute impact force to the die. Serrations of the cutting edge of the die are forced into the pumpkin shell to hold the die in position before it is struck. The scoop and scraping tool is used to scrape the thickness of the pumpkin wall so that the die will extend through it.

Abstract: An illumination device is adapted to be placed in an interior of an object to illuminate a surrounding area, and comprises a housing, a light source and a decorative skirt. The housing has an interior sized and adapted to receive an electric power supply, and includes a base portion operative to support the housing in an upright orientation relative to a support surface of the object and an upper end portion opposite the base portion. The light source is disposed at the upper end portion and a decorative skirt surrounds the upper end portion and depends downwardly alongside an outer surface thereof. Preferably, the decorative skirt simulates the appearance of wax drippings and the electric power supply includes one or more batteries suspended within the housing.

Abstract: A creative art kit is provided for producing and viewing stereoscopic images. The kit includes a pigmented medium that is adapted to be applied to a surface and which includes a luminescent material as a component thereof. The kit also includes a viewer through which a user may observe the images, and which has an optical element that is operative to disperse wavelengths of light passing therethrough at different dispersion angles depending on the spectral position of each wavelength. The kit may further be provided with various pigmented media, applicators, stencils, and instructions for producing and viewing the images. In addition, the present invention is directed to a method for producing and viewing stereoscopic images, which comprises the steps of applying a pigmented medium that includes a luminescent material to a surface in a selected design and viewing the surface and the design through a viewer.

Abstract: An elongated flexible rope has a pair of handles connected at opposite ends of the rope, and at least one of the handles retains a stick of sidewalk chalk. The handle is a chalk holder, and the resulting combination facilitates new forms of games and play involving jumping rope and marking with the chalk.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a composition adapted to be applied to coat a surface area of a vegetable in order to retard environmental degradation thereof. The composition comprises a film-former, a fungicide and a thickener distributed in a carrier liquid. The fungicide may be present in less than one percent (1%) by weight. The composition may include a pH buffer operative to maintain the pH of the mixture between 8.5-10.5. The film-former is operative to coalesce to form a film covering the surface area of the vegetable which is operative to retard dehydration thereof. The fungicide is entrapped throughout the film and is operative to inhibit mildew and fungus growth thereon. The present invention also provides a method of formulating a composition according to the present invention, as well as a method of protecting a decorative vegetable material using a composition according to the present invention.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of decorating a surface of an item that has an area adapted to display a design. The method comprises spreading onto the area a quantity of a viscous surface preparatory composition that has an initial first state that allows it to be spread onto the surface and is curable to a final state that forms a stable layer adhered to the surface. A pattern sheet is provided with the pattern formed thereon in a medium that will transfer onto the surface of the preparatory composition when in the initial state. The preparatory layer is contacted with the pattern sheet and the pattern thereon for a sufficient time to allow the medium to transfer onto the preparatory layer. After the transfer pattern has been transferred thereon yet before the preparatory layer has cured into the final state, the pattern sheet is removed from contact with the viscous preparatory layer. The preparatory layer is then cured into the final state thereby fixing the transferred pattern.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a stencil adapted for use in transferring an image to a substrate where the image is formed by an ensemble of individual features for a predetermined image. The stencil comprises a sheet of flexible material and a plurality of holes formed through the sheet. The holes are organized in hole sets such that the holes in each such hole set outline a respective individual feature. The hole sets together define the pre-determined image to be transferred. The present invention also includes a kit for use in transferring an image to an outer surface area of a vegetable. The kit comprises a stencil adapted for use in transferring an image to the surface area of the vegetable, a tool adapted to cut first portions of the vegetable, a marker including a marking medium, a set of instructions, and a package that receives the stencil, tool, marker and set of instructions. Additionally, the present invention is directed to a method of forming an image in a fleshy shell of a vegetable.

Abstract: A hand-held tool is used to cut soft materials, such as pumpkins, for example in the carving of decorative designs. The tool has an elongated handle that has a forward cavity. A stiff blade extends forwardly of the handle in a longitudinal direction and has a shank portion in the cavity to reduce the danger of fatigue breakage.

Abstract: A hand-held drilling tool has at least one but preferably two blade structures which project longitudinally from a transverse base member to terminate in a distal end that forms a cutting element. Each blade structure has a pair of blade sections that are joined together along the longitudinal axis and that extend radially therefrom to terminate in lateral edges. Where two blade structures are present, each forms a handle for rotatably operating the other blade structure; where only one blade structure is present, a flattened handle is provided. The blade structures can have different blade widths for drilling differently sized holes. The blade sections may be offset from one another, and wedge-shaped feet may be disposed on the cutting elements. One of the blade structures can have both a bit portion and a shank portion of different widths. A pilot tip may also be provided on the distal ends of the blade structures. The drilling tool is configured for unitary molding from a plastic material.

Abstract: A hand held scraping device adapted for use by a person and having a handle portion and a concave scoop portion having a recess proximate the handle portion for receiving the user's thumb. This recess facilitates the user's grip and ability to manipulate the device. This recess can be further defined by a ridge and the side edges of the scoop. The scoop portion terminates in a distal cutting edge that extends transversely of the longitudinal axis. The scoop portion has a concavity with respect to a scoop plane. The distal cutting edge is upturned with respect to scoop plane when the concavity is upwardly opening. In the preferred embodiment the scoop portion includes a pair of side edges with an upturned side cutting edge. The scoop includes an interior scoop surface, a blunt flat distal end surface that is oriented transversely of the longitudinal axis and an exterior scoop portion. This flat distal end surface prevents inadvertent cuts and makes this scraper safer for child use.

Abstract: A small, hand-held cutting tool which is light in weight and easily manipulated for use in cutting relatively soft materials. The cutting tool apparatus described herein is especially useful for the decorative carving of pumpkins.