Pumpkin Carving

Since Halloween is only a few days away I thought I'd make a post about how I carve pumpkins.

Before I begin I pick out a pattern that I want to carve and resize it to fit my current pumpkin. Once I have my pattern the fun begins!

I start by cutting a lid in the top and cleaning out the guts of my pumpkin. (You can save the seeds to bake or just toss everything in your trash or compost pile.)

Next I tape my pattern to my pumpkin and use a toothpick to punch holes into the pumpkins. Following the edges of the entire pattern. (Be sure to pay close attention to long lines and curves. Add extra holes if you think you will get lost when you connect the dots.)

After punching out the entire pattern. I then go in with a pencil or fine-tipped sharpie to draw the pattern. Using the dots as a connect the dot puzzle, but with out the numbers. I then shade in the pieces I want to cut out of the pumpkin just to make sure. Especially on intricate patterns or small pieces.

Once you have the pattern drawn out it's time to start carving. Take your time with this because 1 wrong move and you can break some of the delicate connector pieces. I usually start at the top and work down. There are a few times that I cut out the smaller pieces first so they have less of a chance to break when you start cutting out the larger pieces.

If something does break don't fret. You can probably fix it with small pieces of toothpick.

Once you're done carving be sure to clean the out all the left over guts and strings that accumulate on the inside and outside from the carving.

Now it's time to set your finished pumpkin outside, place a candle or 2 inside and light it up for all to enjoy.

Have a safe and Happy Halloween!

Here are some other pumpkins I've carved over the years. A wolf howling at the moon, witch riding a broom, haunted house, Frankenstein, and an owl.