At Revolutionary Clinics, we believe EVERYONE should have a little fun at Halloween. Whether you like to dress up or not, a pumpkin bong is guaranteed to make you the life of any Halloween Party.
In the interest of total transparency, we didn’t invent the pumpkin bong. But just as we’re always happy to use our training and experience to enhance your cannabis consumption experience, here are step-by-step instructions with a few pro-tips mixed in to help you spend less time creating your pumpkin bong and more time enjoying it.
What you need: (besides a pumpkin):
- A bowl
- A downstem
- A straw (not pictured above – we used a stiff straw from a reusable water bottle)
- A pumpkin carving kit
Choose a small to medium size pumpkin
If you’re looking to impress your friends, by all means go with a big pumpkin. Just keep in mind you’ll have more prep work to do and more effort will be required to use it. The pumpkin we used for this project was four pounds which was plenty.
As you’re slicing off the top of the pumpkin, carve a notch for easier placement
When you put the top back on your pumpkin, you’re going to need the tightest seal possible to channel the force of your inhaled breath through the bowl. Carving a notch will ensure you know exactly where to place the top of the pumpkin once you’re ready to get cranking.
It’s worth the extra time and effort to hollow out the pumpkin
We know what you’re thinking: “Do I really have to take out the guts”? There are several articles and videos of people making a pumpkin bong in ten minutes by going with a simple mouth hole and not removing the “guts” and seeds. If you don’t mind spitting out bits of pumpkin, by all means, skip this step. At Revolutionary Clinics, we believe that if something is worth doing, it’s worth doing well. We also think that putting your mouth directly on a pumpkin is kind of nasty and not terribly pleasant. To that end, we not only recommend taking the time to scoop out the guts, we suggest investing $4 in a carving kit that contains a serrated scooper. Those little edges make short work of the stringier parts of the pumpkin which makes the extra effort of removing them a whole lot easier.
Make sure your downstem hole is positioned at AT LEAST a 45 degree angle
This is important. Every degree you position your downstem below 45 degrees increases the awful likelihood of you spilling your cannabis. Placement of the downstem is also important. Don’t go too low or your downstem will get blocked by the bottom of the pumpkin and cut off airflow.
You’ll also want to be sure to go high enough on the pumpkin so that the downstem doesn’t get blocked by the bottom of the pumpkin.
Make a smaller hole than you think you need for the downstem and straw
Making your pumpkin bong as easy to use as possible requires tight seals around the downstem and straw. It’s easy to make the holes for these components bigger but it’s impossible to make them smaller. Use the puncture tool in your carving kit to get the holes started and use the saw very carefully to widen it. Work the downstem in carefully taking care not to break the glass.
Place the straw as high up on the pumpkin as possible
The reason for this is simple physics. The higher you place the straw on the pumpkin, the more volume within the pumpkin you’ll be able to displace with water and the easier it will be to inhale your cannabis. The pumpkin bong will still work if you go a little low but you may find yourself with the wrong kind of head rush.
Add water for a smoother experience
Pouring water through the top of your pumpkin will not only make inhaling easier, it will cool the smoke for a more enjoyable consumption experience. Just be sure to add enough water to cover the percolation slits in your downstem. You can always add more water to adjust the level of lung power required to get things going. Just keep in mind that the more water you add, the heavier your pumpkin bong will be. Water will also reduce the flavor of your smoke so keep that in mind as well.
Decorate your pumpkin bong and let your friends know you care
There’s no such thing as a bad pumpkin bong (unless it doesn’t work) but a decorated pumpkin bong is extra festive and will up the entertainment value for all the party guests. Show your creativity by etching the surface of the pumpkin (no deep cuts, please, remember to keep those tight seals in tact!), break out the markers and paints or do what we did, pick up a Mr. Potato Head and put him to work in ways the good folks at Playskool never imagined.
What’s the craziest fruit, vegetable or container YOU’VE ever turned into a bong? Tell us about it on our Facebook page or drop us a line using the form on our website! We hope to hear from you soon!
