Jazzed-up pumpkins: Carve the perfect jack-o'-lantern

E-mail this story

Print this story

Share

After you’ve scooped out the pulp, your pumpkin is a blank canvas. Express your inner spookiness with these ideas.

Spiky (easy)

1 Slice off the top of the pumpkin.

2 Carve a jagged edge along the top to give your jack-o’-lantern a spiky flat top.

3 Draw and carve out eyes and mouth.

4 Use pieces from the top of the pumpkin to create three-dimensional nose and ears. Affix them to the pumpkin with toothpicks.

5 For an extra gross-out factor, save some of the pulp and hang it out of your jack-o’-lantern’s mouth.
 

Jack-o’-lantern man (easy)

1 Draw a simple face on your pumpkin with triangle eyes, triangle nose and half-moon mouth.

2 Carve out the face.

3 Stuff an old shirt, hat and gloves with straw or newspaper.

4 Arrange the stuffed clothes on a chair on your front porch.

5 Stick a broom handle down the center of the stuffed clothes and affix the pumpkin to the top.

6 Adorn with a wig or hat.

Cat silhouette (mid-level)

1 Practice drawing the cat on paper first.

2 Draw a circle with two triangle ears for the cat’s head.

3 Draw a pear-shaped body. Have little paws coming out on each side at the bottom.

4 Draw a long swirling tail.

5 Tape your drawing onto the pumpkin.

6 Punch out the outline of the drawing onto the pumpkin.

7 Carve out the cat, using extra care with the tail.

Ideas for the Ambitious (difficult)

1 Find intricate stencils online or design your own.

2 Instead of carving straight into the pumpkin, hold the knife at an inward angle. This will create a

slanting rim around your design that will glow in the candlelight.

3 Instead of cutting holes in your pumpkin, try carving out a relief. Do this by removing the pumpkin’s

skin with a router or linoleum knife. Candlelight will glow through the flesh of the pumpkin.

———

PUMPKIN-CARVING TIPS

1. Make sure you cut your pumpkin’s opening large enough to comfortably fit your hand. Hold the knife at an inward angle to create a ledge for the top to rest on. Cut a notch in your lid to make it easier to fit back in the hole.

2. When working with a stencil, tape it to the pumpkin and punch out the outline. Punch holes close together so you can follow the outline easily. You don’t need to punch all the way through the pumpkin, punch just a light hole to use as a guide.

3. Try using a battery-operated light or strobe instead of a candle to make your jack-o’-lantern glow. They’re safer than candles and can create unique effects for your pumpkin.

4. If you’re planning on an ambitious jack-o’-lantern design, check out an art store for carving tools. Tools that artists use to sculpt clay will work great for detailed jack-o’-lantern projects.

– Compiled by Laura Knapp