8 Stunning Watermelon Carving Ideas for Tet Table Decoration

Watermelon is a popular fruit that many people love. It has a hard outer shell, which makes it perfect for carving into different shapes for decoration. To save you time searching, this article shares 8 simple and beautiful ways to carve watermelon.

1 The significance of watermelon in Tet feast

Watermelons are usually in season during the summer, but with the development of agriculture technology, they can be grown all year round with various watermelon varieties. In the Tet feast, families in each region choose different types of fruits to offer, but watermelon is always a staple.

The significance of watermelon in Tet feast

Watermelon in the Tet feast carries many meanings:

• It represents determination and resilience as watermelon is closely associated with seeds.
• During the time of Mai An Tiem, watermelon was offered to the king, and during the Tet feast, offering watermelon was a way to show respect to ancestors and elders.
• Red watermelon symbolizes luck and prosperity for the host family. Watermelon is also a fruit that represents family togetherness and the love of relatives.

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2 Guide to carving a watermelon for the Tet fruit tray

Prepare a set of watermelon carving tools

A set of watermelon carving tools

Before starting the carving process, the first thing you need to do is buy a versatile cutting and trimming knife set from a supermarket or kitchen supply store. Only this type of knife will allow you to carve and trim quickly and easily. Buying a new knife set is not a waste because you can use it again next year.

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Choosing the right watermelon for carving

Choosing the right watermelon for carving

For carving, choose a watermelon that is round in shape, has a firm and juicy texture, and a green stem. The outer shell should be intact without any cracks or scratches. Depending on your preference, you can choose a smooth watermelon or one with patterns to carve.

Carving the watermelon

Step 1 To ensure the carving turns out as planned, sketch the design on paper and adjust it to your liking before carving it on the watermelon.

Sketch the design on paper and adjust it to your liking

Step 2 Clean the surface of the watermelon and let it dry a little.

Step 3 Gently draw the design on the watermelon surface using a pencil. Be careful to maintain balance and symmetry. A tip is to draw a plus sign with two equal-length lines as the center and start drawing the patterns around it. This will make the design more beautiful.

Gently draw the design on the watermelon

Step 4 After finishing the drawing, check if any adjustments are needed. If necessary, make corrections. Once you have finalized the design, use a sharp carving knife to cut along the drawn lines.

Step 5 After carving along the lines, wipe off any excess ink.

Wipe off any excess ink

Step 6 Use a sharp trimming knife to remove the excess rind of the watermelon so that your calligraphy stands out.

Step 7 Continue using the knife to gently scrape off the rind to create delicate and natural lines.

Create delicate and natural lines with the knife

Step 8 Use a glitter pen or pencil to draw borders on the watermelon surface according to your preference.

Use a glitter pen or pencil to draw borders

Step 9 After drawing, gently use the carving knife to reveal the green rind of the watermelon for decorative lines while keeping the background intact. Finally, use edible glitter to highlight the border lines. Now, you have a beautifully carved watermelon for the Tet fruit tray.

3 8 beautiful watermelon carving patterns

Watermelon carving: The “Thọ” character

Watermelon carving: The “Thọ” character

Divide the watermelon in half and create a border by drawing it with a pen and write the “Thọ” character or any other character of your choice inside.

Next, use a carving tool to remove the green rind on the outside border, leaving the character in green color to make it stand out.

To make the watermelon more visually appealing, you can add leaf patterns on the outside.

Continue using the carving tool to scrape off the green color of the rind on the character, while keeping the border intact. This contrast creates a visually appealing effect. Finally, use shimmer powder to sprinkle on the border lines to make them more prominent. Now, you have a beautifully carved watermelon for the Tet fruit tray.

Watermelon carving: The dog shape

Watermelon carving: The dog shape

Prepare a round watermelon and use a fruit carving knife to create the shape of the animal of the year. Then, use a knife to scrape off the green rind on the outside border and leave the animal shape in green color to make it stand out.

To enhance the watermelon, you can carve a branch as well as some Tet characters in a similar way to the animals. Then, use a carving knife to carefully remove any excess parts to highlight the shape of the animal. Finally, trim the border to complete the carving.

Watermelon carving: The mouse shape

Watermelon carving: The mouse shape

Prepare a round watermelon and use a pencil to draw the mouse shape. Then, use a carving knife to remove the watermelon rind along the drawn lines slowly. Peel off the paper gently.

Next, continue to draw the second and third mice, keeping a 2-3cm distance between each mouse. After drawing each mouse, use the carving knife to follow the lines of each mouse.

Finally, use a small carving knife to clean the excess parts and reveal the shape of the mice. Now, you have a beautifully carved watermelon with mice for display.

Watermelon carving: The wealth god shape

Watermelon carving: The wealth god shape

First, print out an image of the wealth god in proportion to half of the watermelon. Then, stick the image onto the watermelon and trace along the lines of the wealth god from the outside to the inside. Gently remove the paper.

Next, use a hook to scrape off the green rind of the watermelon to make the shape of the wealth god stand out. Now, you have a beautifully carved watermelon with a wealth god for the Tet fruit tray.

Watermelon carving: The pig shape

Watermelon carving: The pig shape

Prepare an oval-shaped watermelon. Print out and stick an image of a pig onto the watermelon. Then, use a small carving knife to carve the pig shape following the lines of the image and gently remove the paper.

After carving, use a trimming knife to remove the excess rind around the carving to make the details of the pig stand out. Trim the border to complete the carving.

Watermelon carving: The Tường Vy flower shape

First, use a fruit peeler to peel off the green rind on the outside of the watermelon. Then, use a carving knife to make a small round shape and carve the flower petals. After completing the petals, carve a border on the outside and divide it into 5 flower petals. Then, continue to carve the details of the flower.

After completing the first flower, carve another flower with the same technique. The process is the same as carving the first flower.

Watermelon carving: The peacock shape

Choose a watermelon with one end larger than the other. The larger end will be the head of the fish, and the smaller end will be the tail. Use a pencil to draw the fish shape and draw the tail of the fish on top of the back.

Next, use a knife to carve the fish tail first, then remove the green rind on both sides of the fish body, leaving the tail in green color. Use a spoon to scoop out the red pulp inside the watermelon.

Then, use a carving knife to create beautiful lines on the fish, and carve the mouth and eyes of the fish, especially on the head and tail. Create small grooves on the head and tail to make the fish more lively.

Watermelon carving: The fish shape

Choose a watermelon that is elongated with one end larger and the other end smaller. Carve off some parts of the tail to create a flat surface for easy shaping. Then, draw the fish shape using an erasable pen from the head, with a pointed beak down to the neck and the body. Use the knife to create a toothed line as the fin and tail of the fish. With the straight shape of the watermelon, use a larger knife to cut into the stem, stop when it reaches half of the watermelon, then cut a parallel line of the same length as the handle. Continue cutting to create a perpendicular line with the handle, then use the knife to remove the excess parts to highlight the shape of the fish.

Use a spoon to scoop out all the watermelon flesh and use a small knife to carve the teeth at the fish’s head. At the same time, use a small knife to carve small grooves for the eyes of the fish. Utilize the separated tail of the watermelon from earlier to shape the fish’s tail and attach it securely with a skewer.

Now, you have successfully carved a fish-shaped watermelon!

Watermelon carving: The fish shape

Choose a watermelon that is elongated with one end larger and the other end smaller. Carve off some parts of the tail to create a flat surface for easy shaping. Then, draw the fish shape using an erasable pen from the head, with a pointed beak down to the neck and the body. Use the knife to create a toothed line as the fin and tail of the fish. With the straight shape of the watermelon, use a larger knife to cut into the stem, stop when it reaches half of the watermelon, then cut a parallel line of the same length as the handle. Continue cutting to create a perpendicular line with the handle, then use the knife to remove the excess parts to highlight the shape of the fish.

Use a spoon to scoop out all the watermelon flesh and use a small knife to carve the teeth at the fish’s head. At the same time, use a small knife to carve small grooves for the eyes of the fish. Utilize the separated tail of the watermelon from earlier to shape the fish’s tail and attach it securely with a skewer.

Now, you have successfully carved a fish-shaped watermelon!

4Tips for choosing and preserving fresh watermelon during Tet

Tips for choosing a watermelon for carving

You can choose a watermelon that is either elongated or round, depending on your preference. If you want to carve a beautifully decorated watermelon, choose medium-sized watermelons that are evenly sized and shaped.

Choose watermelons that are firm and juicy. The outside texture should be fresh, and the stem should be green. The rind of the watermelon should also be intact without any cracks or scratches.

Tips for preserving fresh watermelon

An effective way to keep watermelon fresh for a longer time is to use white beeswax. Boil some white beeswax in water until it melts, then apply the melted wax to the surface of the watermelon. This helps prevent the watermelon from dehydrating and keeps it fresh for a longer time.

Tips for choosing and preserving fresh watermelon during Tet

These are the tips and ways to carve watermelon. I wish you success with the shared methods!