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3 Creative Ways to Decorate Your Mid-Autumn Festival Tray with Pomelos

The pomelo is a fruit that is often featured on the altar during the Mid-Autumn Festival in Vietnam. Get creative and check out these 3 ways to beautifully decorate your Mid-Autumn Festival altar with pomelos.

Administrator

9 August, 2024

The Mid-Autumn Festival is one of the most important traditional holidays in Vietnam. It is a special occasion for children, who delight in the lanterns, candies, and the unique tradition of breaking open a feast. A typical Mid-Autumn Festival spread includes various fruits, with pomelos as the centerpiece. Today, let’s explore three creative ways to decorate and present pomelos on your Mid-Autumn Festival feast.

Do you know why pomelos are so popular during the Mid-Autumn Festival? It’s because the pomelo season coincides with the timing of this festival. Additionally, pomelos symbolize prosperity, family reunion, fertility, and good luck. That’s why the Mid-Autumn Festival is also known as the Reunion Festival.

Vietnamese Mid-Autumn Festival Feast

With such a special occasion, why not get creative and transform pomelos to attract more luck and fortune? Let’s get started with some simple tips on choosing the right pomelos for decoration.

Select round pomelos with smooth skin. Avoid pomelos with bumpy skin as they are more difficult to work with.
Pomelo skins tend to wither quickly, so if you’re making lanterns, keep in mind that they will only last for 1-2 days. Plan your display timing accordingly.

Choose beautiful pomelos for decoration

1Carving Pomelos to Decorate Your Mid-Autumn Festival Feast

Ingredients for Pomelo Carving:

1 pomelo
1 carving knife

Pomelo Carving Ingredients

Instructions for Pomelo Carving:

Using a pen, divide the pomelo skin into six equal parts. Create a leaf design on the pomelo skin.

Divide the pomelo into six parts and draw a leaf design

Next, use the carving knife to cut along the drawn lines and separate the top part of the pomelo.

Carefully remove the pulp from the remaining part of the pomelo.

Carve and remove the pulp

Then, neatly carve the separated pomelo top into a leaf shape.

Finally, place the removed pulp back into the pomelo and cover it with the carved leaf-shaped top. And you’re done!

Carve the pomelo top into a leaf shape

Final Result:

With just three simple carving steps, we now have a beautiful and artistic fruit platter.

Final Result: Carved Pomelo Decoration for Mid-Autumn Festival Feast

2Creating a Fruit Plate with Pomelo Skin

Ingredients for the Fruit Plate:

1 pomelo
1 carving knife

Ingredients for the Fruit Plate

Instructions for the Fruit Plate:

First, cut the green part of the skin (including the pith) into eight sections. Carefully peel this part down towards the bottom of the pomelo, but don’t remove it completely. Then, using a knife, carefully separate the bottom part of the pulp and remove it from the pomelo.

Separate the green skin and pulp

Next, use the carving knife to shape the skin into beautiful leaf designs.

Carve the skin into leaf shapes

Finally, carefully separate the green skin and white pith (without detaching them completely) to create a beautiful fruit plate.

Separate the green skin and white pith

Final Result:

This second method is just as impressive as the first one. It’s a great way to utilize the pomelo skin and add a unique touch to your Mid-Autumn Festival altar.

Final Result: Fruit Plate Made from Pomelo Skin

3Making Lanterns with Pomelo Skin

Ingredients for the Pomelo Lanterns:

String or elastic bands
Pomelo skin
Candles
Carving knife
Pen
1 pair of scissors
Matchbox

Ingredients for Pomelo Lanterns

Instructions for the Pomelo Lanterns:

Choose a vertical line on the pomelo and cut along it. Cut off the top part to remove the pulp without damaging the shape of the pomelo.

Cut along a vertical line and remove the top

Next, peel the pomelo skin. Using a pen, draw your desired design on the outside of the skin, then cut along the design with the carving knife. Keep the design simple if you’re a beginner.

Draw and cut your desired design

Using chopsticks, poke two holes at the top of each section of the pomelo skin. Thread the string through these holes and tie it securely.

Thread the string through the holes

Finally, attach a small candle inside, and your pomelo lantern is ready! When the candle is lit, it will release a pleasant and refreshing pomelo fragrance.

Final Result:

This pomelo lantern perfectly captures the spirit of the Mid-Autumn Festival, and it also doubles as a natural pomelo fragrance diffuser for your home.

Final Result: Pomelo Lantern with a Candle

With just a few simple tools and steps, you can transform ordinary pomelos into beautiful decorations for your Mid-Autumn Festival feast. Pomelos symbolize many positive things and bring good luck, so these decorations will surely add a special touch to your celebration. We hope you give these ideas a try and wish you success!

Frequently asked questions

There are several creative ways to decorate a Mid-Autumn Festival tray using pomelos. You can try carving shapes or patterns into the pomelo peel, such as flowers or lanterns, to create a unique and artistic design. Another idea is to use the pomelo as a natural dye by boiling the peel to create a vibrant yellow color for fabric or eggs. You can also make pomelo ‘flowers’ by cutting the fruit into thin slices and drying them in the oven, then arranging them on the tray to resemble a floral display.

To use pomelos as a natural dye, you will need to boil the pomelo peel in water to create a yellow dye. For a stronger color, you can increase the ratio of peel to water. Simmer the mixture for at least 30 minutes, then strain the liquid and use it to dye your chosen material. This method can be applied to fabric or hard-boiled eggs for a unique and natural yellow hue.

Yes, you can create decorative flowers using pomelos. Thinly slice the pomelo fruit and dry the slices in a low-temperature oven until they are completely dehydrated. Once dry, you can arrange the pomelo slices in a floral pattern on your Mid-Autumn Festival tray or use them as decorations on other crafts.

Absolutely! Pomelos can be a versatile fruit for decorations. You can use the pomelo peel to create a fragrant and decorative potpourri by drying the peel and mixing it with other dried flowers or spices. Additionally, you could try making pomelo lanterns by carving out the inside of the fruit and inserting a small candle or LED light, creating a warm and festive ambiance.