2008 Woodie Awards
How To: Carve a Pumpkin
Crash Course
Lauren Wilder
Issue date: 10/30/07 Section: Life
It's Halloween and you're probably going to put more effort into your costume than your pumpkin. To carve a great pumpkin, keep these simple steps in mind.
Things you will need:
-A pumpkin any size, shape, or color. Lighter-colored pumpkins don't last as long, but are softer and therefore easier to carve.
-A carving knife with a long, thin blade, even if that means you might have to go out and buy one.
-Newspaper to carve over for easy clean up (hint: You've already got that covered).
-A light. Candles are the norm, but if you live on campus, try a touch light or even glow sticks to light up the inside.
-A stencil if you're planning on carving your own design.
-A large spoon to remove seeds, or somewhere to wash your hands.
-Petroleum jelly for coating the pumpkin in case you want to slow down the dehydration process.
Getting started...
STEP 1: Select your pumpkin. Pick a moderately-sized pumpkin that you like. Some people like them round a low, others like them tall and oval. Try to pick a pumpkin with a flat bottom that will easily stand upright that is smooth and doesn't have many imperfections. Also, check for mold around the stem - it could be a sign of rot.
STEP 2: Decide what you want your pumpkin to look like. Sketch it out or pick your design, make sure it's big enough for you to transfer onto your pumpkin. If you're picking a pattern, try to stick with one that complements your skill level - an intricate pattern with lots of thin carving may not be ideal for a novice and could lead to a ruined pumpkin.
STEP 3: Carve a circle into the top of the pumpkin where the stem is. Try to cut at a slight angle so that the top of the pumpkin won't fall in. Then neatly cut away the pumpkin membrane and seeds from the inside of the top.
STEP 4: With your spoon or your hand, empty out the pumpkin. Make sure you scrape the inside of it to get all the guts out-you don't want to smell a mildewing pumpkin.
STEP 5: Figure out where you want the face of your pumpkin to be. Hold your sketch on the pumpkin and trace it with your knife.
STEP 6: Remove the sketch and cut out the shapes of the face or design.
STEP 7: Rub a thin layer petroleum jelly on the inside of the pumpkin. Skip this step if you plan on taking a hammer to your pumpkin within 24 hours.
STEP 8: Place your light inside the pumpkin and place the top on the pumpkin.
STEP 9: Find a spot for your pumpkin to perch and take a step back to enjoy your handywork. Let's just hope no one comes by and smashes it!
For free pumpkin patterns, try the following websites:
-www.hersheys.com/trickortreats/activities/stencils.asp
-www.pumpkinmasters.com/
-www.dltk-holidays.com/halloween/mpatterns.htm
Things you will need:
-A pumpkin any size, shape, or color. Lighter-colored pumpkins don't last as long, but are softer and therefore easier to carve.
-A carving knife with a long, thin blade, even if that means you might have to go out and buy one.
-Newspaper to carve over for easy clean up (hint: You've already got that covered).
-A light. Candles are the norm, but if you live on campus, try a touch light or even glow sticks to light up the inside.
-A stencil if you're planning on carving your own design.
-A large spoon to remove seeds, or somewhere to wash your hands.
-Petroleum jelly for coating the pumpkin in case you want to slow down the dehydration process.
Getting started...
STEP 1: Select your pumpkin. Pick a moderately-sized pumpkin that you like. Some people like them round a low, others like them tall and oval. Try to pick a pumpkin with a flat bottom that will easily stand upright that is smooth and doesn't have many imperfections. Also, check for mold around the stem - it could be a sign of rot.
STEP 2: Decide what you want your pumpkin to look like. Sketch it out or pick your design, make sure it's big enough for you to transfer onto your pumpkin. If you're picking a pattern, try to stick with one that complements your skill level - an intricate pattern with lots of thin carving may not be ideal for a novice and could lead to a ruined pumpkin.
STEP 3: Carve a circle into the top of the pumpkin where the stem is. Try to cut at a slight angle so that the top of the pumpkin won't fall in. Then neatly cut away the pumpkin membrane and seeds from the inside of the top.
STEP 4: With your spoon or your hand, empty out the pumpkin. Make sure you scrape the inside of it to get all the guts out-you don't want to smell a mildewing pumpkin.
STEP 5: Figure out where you want the face of your pumpkin to be. Hold your sketch on the pumpkin and trace it with your knife.
STEP 6: Remove the sketch and cut out the shapes of the face or design.
STEP 7: Rub a thin layer petroleum jelly on the inside of the pumpkin. Skip this step if you plan on taking a hammer to your pumpkin within 24 hours.
STEP 8: Place your light inside the pumpkin and place the top on the pumpkin.
STEP 9: Find a spot for your pumpkin to perch and take a step back to enjoy your handywork. Let's just hope no one comes by and smashes it!
For free pumpkin patterns, try the following websites:
-www.hersheys.com/trickortreats/activities/stencils.asp
-www.pumpkinmasters.com/
-www.dltk-holidays.com/halloween/mpatterns.htm
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