How to Carve a Unique Jack-o-lantern

You will need...

• Pumpkin(s)
• Sharp knife
• Large spoon
• Trash can
• Old newspapers
• Candles
• (optional) Stencils
• (optional) thin point markert
• (optional) cardboard

Step 1

First gather the items you will need for the project. Pumpkins come in a variety of sizes and shapes. To add uniqueness to your display I would suggest picking a variety of pumpkin sizes and shapes such as a tall skinny one, a short fat one, and one in-between those sizes, etc. It's nice to have several jack-o-lanterns displayed together. It's also preferrable to have pumpkins with stems still attached. When picking your pumpkin be sure to pack it from the bottom and NOT from the stem as it may break off.

You can buy pumpkins almost anywhere these days. Save youself some money and try Wal-Mart first before going to the pumpkin farm or specialty stores. This project is meant to be fun and entertaining not expensive.

Start saving your newspapers now if you don't already do so.

Step 2

After gathering all of the items needed for the project you have the option of washing your pumpkin. You may decide to leave dirt on the pumpkin for a more dramatic effect. If you do wash the pumpkin allow it to air dry before starting this project. No need to waste paper towels on drying it.

Step 3

Find a nice work area for your project. Be sure you have room to move around and adequate lighting. For this step you can use your kitchen floor,your kitchen table, deck, etc.. Be sure to cover the work area under the pumpkin with newspaper. Place a trash can with a trash bag in it beside your pumpkin or in place of a trash can use newspaper.

Make sure you have sharpened your knife. You can use a variety of knife sizes depending on how big your pumpkin is. You can use a paring knife or a boning knife and for small pumpkins you may even be able to use a pocket knife. Again, knives are not for children and all carving should be done by an adult.

Step 4

The first thing that you need to do is to cut a "lid" in the pumpkin top. You will want the opening to be large enough to stick your hand in. My personal preference is to make a hexagon shape (the same shape as a stop sign). Take your time doing this. Some times the knife may stick if it is a thick-skinned pumpkin.

Step 5

Once you have cut out the lid you will want to clean off the inside of the lid with your knife. Just scrape it clean and then set the lid aside on the newspaper.

Step 6

For this next step you will have two options. If you would like to keep the pumpkin seed to plant in your own garden you will want to use newspaper instead of a trash can. This is a good way to grow your own pumpkins next year. The kids will enjoy watching the pumpkins grow throughout the summer. And it saves you money!

Take the large spoon and scrape out the entire inside of the pumpkin. Set it aside on the newspaper. If you are keeping the seeds you will want to sort the seeds out. If you are not keeping the seeds then you can use the trash can with a trash bag lining it and toss the seeds out.

To keep the pumpkin seeds you will need to place the newspaper with the seeds in a sunny area. Be sure to spread the seeds out so they can dry as evenly as possible. Once they are completely dry be sure to store them in a paper bag in a dry place.

Step 7

Now it's time to make the face of the pumpkin. Look at your pumpkin and decide which side would be the best one for the face. For example, if you have a pumpkin that is tall and curves over you may want to place the face in the curved over area to give it a more dramatic and ghoulish expression.

Step 8

You can carve a pumpkin freehand or using stencils if you like. The stencils are optional. If you opt to use stencils you will need a thin line marker to trace the face on the pumpkin. If you don't want to freehand you can draw a face on tracing paper and then cut the face out using a small Xacto knife. Be sure to place some cardboard under the tracing paper when you are using the knife to cut it out otherwise you will ruin your floor or table!

Position and tape your face on the pumpkin. Trace the face on the pumpkin using the thin line marker such as a thin line Sharpie. Remove the tracing paper and you are ready to carve!

Step 9

My personal preference is to start by cutting out the eyes, then the nose and then the mouth.

If you are carving several pumpkins I would suggest making each face unique to add character to your jack-o-lantern display.

Step 10

After carving out the face you simply need to clean up before displaying the jack-o-lantern.

Step 11

Now your pumpkin is ready to be placed on your front porch! Take a candle of the appropriate size for your jack-o-lantern and place it on the bottom of the inside of the pumpkin. I like to use tea sized candles because they are cheap (Walmart is a great place to buy a large bag of them) and you can use several inside the pumpkin to create a nice eerie flicker of light.

You can place the jack-o-lanterns on straw bales to add more fall appeal.

Tips and Warnings

• Knifes are sharp and can cause serious harm! An adult should do the carving!!