Jack-O-Lantern carving has become quite an art! It’s not just about the triangle eyes and toothy grin any longer! There are new tools, stencils, and designs coming out every year for pumpkin carving enthusiasts. But if you’re not an artist, there’s still plenty of charm in the traditional jack-o-lantern faces. Here are a few tips on easy carving:
Choose a pumpkin that is firm and sits sturdy on its bottom. Oddly shaped or uniquely colored pumpkins can create a fun jack-o-lantern personality.
Make sure to carry your pumpkin from the bottom and not by the stem. The stem could break off and then you won’t have a handle to lift off your pumpkin lid.
Decide what you want your pumpkin’s face to look like. Are you going for traditional or a more scary face? Plan it out on paper first. You can then either draw freehand on the face with a permanent marker (water based markers will wipe off the pumpkin’s skin) or you can cut out the individual pieces from your paper and trace around them.
You’ll need a sharp knife or, better yet, a pumpkin carving tool found at just about any store. These tools cut through a pumpkin with ease but won’t cut your fingers! If kids are doing the carving, it’s best to opt for the tool so you don’t have to worry about them getting hurt.
To carve your pumpkin, start by cutting out a circle around the stem of the pumpkin – a few inches (depending on the size of your pumpkin) around each side of the stem. Carve at an angle so the lid doesn’t just fall right in when you place it on. Lift the top of the pumpkin off. Reach in and scoop out the pulp and seeds. You can use a big metal spoon or a pumpkin scoop found in pumpkin carving kits. Make sure you get out every bit of the pulp, or else it could start to decay and get stinky if you leave some behind.
Now you’re ready to cut out the eyes, nose, and mouth you drew on. Insert the knife or cutting tool and make short cuts, doing a little of the design at a time. Don’t make large strokes or you might cut more of the pumpkin than you meant to. Pop out the cut material and continue on until the whole design is cut out. You may need to trim your holes with a small knife to make them just right.
Now you’re ready to light your pumpkin! There are many choices on the market today. You can buy flameless flickering votives that run on batteries, strobe lights designed especially for pumpkins to give a spooky flashing effect or a larger dome shaped candles that burns longer and won’t tip over. Just make sure that if you use flame, you keep an eye on your pumpkins and keep them away from little ones’ costumes!
Published October 17, 2011 | 
Great tips! I never thought about it, but it makes sense that the more you scoop out inside the slower it would decay. Good advice!