Randi worked briefly with a caterer while her kids were young. It was there that she learned to make fruit baskets and decorative sweets.

Any time you plan a party or a shower, it's always nice to use the food you are serving as part of the decorations. I made this watermelon bassinet for an afternoon baby shower. It served as both a refreshment and a decoration.

In terms of how to choose which fruits to use, I suggest that you choose fruits that you like, that are in season, and that you think will look good. You can create many variations with a fruit basket, including a baby buggy, a basket, or a bowl. Use your imagination and creativity.

Cook Time

Ingredients

• Watermelon, oblong shape is easier
• Cantalope
• Honeydew
• Strawberries
• Blackberries
• Raspberries
• Grapes
• Pineapple
• Blueberries
• Kiwis

Instructions

1. Wash and drain all the berries and leave them in the drainer. Wash and dry the watermelon.
2. Place the watermelon on a cutting board. Draw the lines for where you want to cut it.
3. If you have a special cutter that will scallop or make Vs, use that. If you don't, just use a sharp knife. Remember that you will need to cut through the flesh.
4. After you remove the top, you can start taking out th flesh. You can use a melon scooper or an ice cream scooper. In the interest of time, I just cut squares and took them out.
5. After you have taken out the flesh, you will need to scrape off any remaining flesh from the sides. You can use a spoon or an ice cream scooper. When all the red is gone, clean off the area and leave your melon to dry upside on the cutting board.
6. Use a carrot peeler to peel off one side of the melon. Cut this piece off and clean any seeds from it. Put it aside. This will be the baby's face.
7. Peel the rest of the melon and clean out the seeds. Cut two one-inch slices to put aside with the head. These will be the hands and feet.
8. Cut up the rest of the melon. Cut the pineapple, honeydew and kiwis. Quarter the strawberries, leaving one whole one to the side for the hat.
9. Put your fruit salad together and sprinkle with little lemon to keep from turning brown.
10. Fill the watermelon with the fruit.
11. To make the face, cut small circles into the cantalope to insert blueberries for the eyes. Cut hole for the mouth, which you can fill with a pacifier or as I did, a marshmallow ice cream cone.
12. The hands and feet are very easy. I took the two rings and put slight triangle cuts in them to look like fingers and toes.
13. I took a strawberry with the hull on and sliced it from the bottom up. I fanned the slices and used a toothpick to fasten it to the baby's head.
14. Place the head up near the hood and bury the feet and hands into the appropriate places and... voila.... a watermelon bassinet, complete with baby!

Photo Instructions

What do you think?

Watermelon Basket Fun

You can be creative and have fun with this. These are the fruits and designs I did but you may want to do yours differently. You can use candy to embellish your basket or even flowers. You can add wheels (orange slices) to make it a stroller and I have seen people add lace to it also. Use your trusty friends, Google, or Pinterest to help you with ideas! Enjoy!

© 2013 Randi Benlulu

Comments

Randi Benlulu (author) from Mesa, AZ on June 08, 2013:

Vivian, thank you so much for stopping by my hub! Enjoy it!

Vivian-tmt-hnp from USA. on June 06, 2013:

3:23pm Thursday 6 June 2013

Your work is so wonderful. Following your performance, I'll make it. Thank you.

Vivian

Randi Benlulu (author) from Mesa, AZ on May 01, 2013:

Thank you, Sharidenise! It was fun to do!

Sharidenise from Louisville, TN on April 29, 2013:

Incredible idea!

Randi Benlulu (author) from Mesa, AZ on April 29, 2013:

Thank you, shiningirisheyes! It was really fun to do!

Shining Irish Eyes from Upstate, New York on April 29, 2013:

This is soooo adorable, creative and original.

Thanks for sharing.

Randi Benlulu (author) from Mesa, AZ on April 22, 2013:

Thank you so much, Glimmer Twin Fan! It wa fun to do and very easy!

Claudia Mitchell on April 21, 2013:

I was just at a shower with one of these and thought it was the greatest idea. It was one of biggest hits of the shower, and the biggest hit of the food table. Shared.