Pumpkin Carving

It's that time of year again! Time for trick or treating, dressing up and pumpkin carving!

I have been carving pumpkins for years - each year trying something new and more intricate. My pumpkin faces have included carvings of the Ninja Turtles, animals, witches and even a Seth Green pumpkin (during the whole Buffy craze).

So, since I consider myself a professional pumpkin carver, I thought I'd provide you with some tips to creating a hauntingly wonderful pumpkin this year.

Tips and Tricks of Pumpkin Carving:

Tip #1: It's easy to pick up just any old pumpkin at the patch. But I suggest digging through the pile to find a pumpkin that has less fractions or indentations. This will make it easier to carve and easier to find a design that will look good on your pumpkin.

Tip #2: Bigger IS better! I love carving on large pumpkins. The reason being, a difficult design on a bigger pumpkin will be easier to carve.

Tip #3: Not a good artist? That doesn't matter! You don't need to be when carving a pumpkin. The best way to carve a pumpkin (for those of us who can't draw to save a life) is to first, clean out the pumpkin.
- Beginners can choose a simple design or try a more difficult one.
- From there outline it in a dark marker.
- Tape it to your pumpkin and grab a thumbtack.
- Use the thumbtack to poke holes in the design. Do this until you have outlined your pumpkin’s designs with holes.
- Once you have completed that, remove the design from the pumpkin and begin using your knife to cut out the shapes. They sell special knives for carving pumpkins. I suggest purchasing one of those before you begin this. It will make your life a lot easier AND safer.



After you're done carving, you are done! If you have any children and are nervous about using candles to light the pumpkin, buy a small light. Then you will never have to worry about it burning out...just make sure your batteries are charged on Hallowe'en night. :)



Happy carving!

- Em