How to Carve the Perfect Pumpkin

How to Carve the Perfect Pumpkin

Do you want to spruce up your home for Halloween… but haven’t exactly honed your pumpkin-carving skills? Follow these simple steps to carving perfection!

1. Choose your pumpkin. It should be orange, sturdy and size-smart—for young kids, opt for smaller ones. Elaborate designs or faces call for large, sturdy squashes. A smooth surface and flat bottom are important to getting a good design!

2. Wipe the pumpkin down with a damp cloth, then dry.

3. Use a paring knife to cut out a hole on top of the pumpkin. Make it big enough so that you can easily scoop out the insides later and cut out a small V-shaped notch so that you can better cover your pumpkin later. Cut out a fairly wide hole on the bottom as well, if you want to place your pumpkin over a candle.

4. Use an ice cream scooper, large spoon or designated pumpkin scraper to remove the filling, strings and seeds. When you’re done, the wall of the pumpkin should be about one inch thick and be free of any lingering strings or pumpkin goop.

5. This is where you can get creative! To get a cool design, you can either

- tape a tracing to the pumpkin, transfer the tracing’s line with push pins or a permanent marker, than carve.

- use a tool like a screwdriver to create an interesting, punched-out look (this could be simple dots or an ornate design).

-cut out shapes with cookie cutters! Use a mallet to push a cookie cutter halfway through the pumpkin’s wall, then gently use a knife to help finish the job. This will make for neat lines and a no-fuss project.

6. Rub petroleum jelly on the cut edges of your finished pumpkin so as to preserve them and keep them looking freshly cut. Place your masterpiece over a candle and take it all in!

Let us know below if you have a favorite Halloween-themed craft or recipe!