Halloween Pumpkin Carving Made Easy

Size

Too small and your pumpkin will be impossible to carve; too large and

the skin will be too thick to cut through! Pick average sized pumpkins

that are about 1 foot tall for ideal carving.

Shape 

You can still choose a variety of shapes to add character to your

pumpkins, but more oblong, oval-shaped pumpkins are the easiest to

carve faces on.

Scooper

Forget the old-school method of using a spoon; craft stores and

supermarkets (and even many pumpkin patches!) sell sturdy plastic

scoopers that will make the unpleasant job of gutting the pumpkin much

easier.

A trick to easy carving is to pick the side of the pumpkin you want to

carve and use the scraper to scrape down the skin of the pumpkin so

it’s much thinner. This will allow you to carve quickly and easily

since you don’t have to cut through thick skin.

Carving Tool

For the actual carving, don’t use a knife - kitchen knives are too

sharp and dangerous, and silverware knives are too dull and clumsy.

As with the scooper, pick up a carving tool at the store - it’s a thin, small serrated blade attached to a plastic handle.

The small blade lets you go wild with the details and the serrated blade cuts the pumpkin easily.

If you're carving your pumpkin, look for an all-inclusive carving kit at the store. You can find these almost anywhere, but pick one that includes the scraper, carver and designs you can use on the pumpkin.

Make Stencils

Go online and find Halloween shapes you like: Scary faces, a cat, a witch hat, candy corn, etc. All you have to do is print the image out on a single sheet of paper and enlarge to the size you'd like it to be on the pumpkin.

Connect the Dots

Then, tape the sheet of paper into place on the face of the pumpkin.

Using a knitting needle or metal skewer, poke small holes along the

lines of the drawing so it leaves behind a dotted line of the picture

on the pumpkin.

Finally, carve out the pieces using your little carving tool. Voila! You have an impressive pumpkin.

Paint

It's best to use an acrylic paint and avoid all water-based paint like watercolor or tempra - if the latter two get wet or dewy, your pretty paint job will run and be ruined.

Pens

Another fun option is to use permanent marker art pens. These come in a

rainbow of colors and are easier to use than a paintbrush!

If you've followed our helpful advice, we're sure you've been able to

create a masterpiece of jack o' lanterns for your yard and spook and

delight your guests!

If you're using paint or paint pens, draw the design onto the pumpkin first using a pencil, and then paint or color over the lines. It's a foolproof way to ensure your finished design looks great!