How to Carve a Pumpkin

Halloween! I know I have been writing a lot of Halloween posts, but I am trying my best to take advantage of this season because it is awesome. Pumpkins are the representation for Halloween, so if you don't have a pumpkin lying around your house, desk etc... go out and get one. While you're getting your pumpkin shaped pen, do pick up yourself a big pumpkin, because it's time to carve.

What you will need:

Pumpkin

Bread Knife

Jab Saw

Ladle

Black Marker

Candle

Steps:

1. First of all you need to think of the type of carving you want to do, how you want your pumpkin to look. Do you want a happy pumpkin with a smile, scary pumpkin with crazy teeth etc…

2. While thinking of your drawing, lay down your pumpkin on a clear empty surface because you will begin to cut shortly.

3. Now you need to cut a circle on the top part of the pumpkin to make a lid. Use your thumb and index finger to determine where to start cutting. Your thumb should be placed on top of the stem (the center of the circle) and your index finger should act as the other leg of a compass, stretch it out as far as possible on the pumpkin and mark the circle it makes around the stem.

4. Insert the knife deep into the pumpkin and start moving the knife slowly to cut around the circle you marked in the previous step. Make sure the knife is not vertical, rather tilted with the pointy side towards the stem and the handle further away from the pumpkin.

5. Now that you have removed the lid, your pumpkin should be open from the top and you can see the filling. Using the ladle, start emptying the filling and seeds from the pumpkin. Be sure to scrape it out, until it is clear.

6. Once you settle on your drawing, use your black marker to draw on your pumpkin. Draw the lines clear because they will be your guide while cutting.

7. To help make the cutting easier, use the jab saw to carve onto the black lines before switching to the knife.

8. Next use a gentle back and forth movement to cut into the pumpkin shapes you just carved. Take your time and do this slowly so you don't hurt yourself or cut outside the lines. This will take some time, so no worries, don't rush.

9. Once you've finished cutting out the shape you want from the pumpkin, be sure to carve a flat surface inside the pumpkin at its base. That is where you will put your candle and you don't want the surface to be bumpy.

10. Next insert your candle. If you intend to leave your candle lit for a while, do not cover the pumpkin with the lid. If you are just using it as decoration for a while, cover the pumpkin head with the lid you cut out in step 4.

Voila, you have your very own carved pumpkin. Make sure to carve in your initials or name, leaving it with your signature.

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