The tradition of carving pumpkins for Halloween is lots of fun and suits every taste. In my family, each person carves his/her own pumpkin and chooses the design he/she likes best. If the kids are still too young for this, the grown-ups can do the carving and the kids can decide on the design.
I have mastered this art over time. The first time I tried it I didn’t even have a good blade and had to use a kitchen knife! I don’t recommend it and that’s why I’m going to give you lots of tips so you can enjoy this activity and end up with very nice – or better yet, horrific – pumpkins!
1. Look for pumpkin carving patterns on the Internet, supermarket or arts and crafts stores. There are lots of them on the Internet and you can print them at home. Supermarkets sell little pamphlets with tools and many different kinds of stencils ready for carving at reasonable prices!
2. First decide on the pattern you want and then buy the pumpkin that works best. For example, sometimes we want to use a pattern that is taller than the pumpkin and that won’t work well.
3. Cut out a circle on the bottom of the pumpkin. It can also be done on the top but I recommend doing it on the bottom. It’s more convenient because you won’t have to keep the lid.
4. Use an ice cream scooper to remove the pulp and seeds. It works great!
5. Have scissors and tape handy. You will need them to adjust the pattern to fit the size of the pumpkin.
6. Use carbon paper to transfer your design to the pumpkin. There are also small poking tools that help transfer the designs by making small incisions on the pumpkin, but it’s much easier to do it with carbon paper!
7. Use petroleum jelly to rub the inside of the pumpkin when you finish carving. This helps it last longer and prevents mold from growing.
8. Use fake candles! Yes, they sell all kinds of little lights to light up your pumpkin. You don’t have to use actual candles. There’s everything from practical flameless candles with LED lights to strobe light effects!
Have great family time!
