There's a growing movement within modern Paganism known as kitchen witchery. The kitchen is, after all, the heart and hearth of many modern households. When you have a gathering in your home, where do most of your guests hang out? Why, the kitchen, of course! Also, thanks to a declining economy, many more people are making meals from scratch and the kitchen has once again become a place where people spend hours, rather than just a few minutes.

So it's no surprise that kitchen witchery has seen a rise in popularity.

Do you have leftover fall produce hanging around that you aren't sure what to do with? Take advantage of the opportunity, and put together a cute kitchen witch to watch over your home and hearth in the fall. This kitchen guardian is easy to make, and she'll keep you company while you're mixing up kitchen magic - the one in the photo above is a basic design I make every year. My kids have named her Betty Butternut.

You'll need:

• A small fall vegetable, like a baby butternut squash or pumpkin
• Black acrylic paint
• 1 thick black chenille stem
• Witch accessories, like a hat and broom

Use the black paint to make a face on your vegetable. Cut the chenille stem in half to make arms, and poke them into the skin of the vegetable to form arms. Add a hat, broom, or other accessories, and let your kitchen witch serve as the guardian of your hearth!