Pumpkin Carving 101

Tips and hints to make pumpkin carving a little more enjoyable.



There is nothing quite like taking a pumpkin and carving a piece of art out of it. You might carve just trianges and half moon shapes, but to a youngster that has never seen it done before: It's Magic!

Pumpkin Carving Tools

Pumpkin
Knife (not to be used by youngsters)
Large Metal Spoon (for scooping out the inside)
Bowl (to put seeds into)
Those are the traditional style tools that I used when I first started pumpkin carving years ago. I still use a large spoon.

But now I like to use hand tools for carving, they seem to be safer and make the job much quicker!

Drill Bits:

The funny shaped bit in the picture is called a "spade bit" it makes perfectly round holes!
If you don't have any of these in your tool box, you can buy them at the hardware store for a few dollars.

The regular bits are great for making starter holes for putting your knife into the pumpkin. You can also use the regular drill bit to make holes at tight corners, this give you room to change direction with your knife.

Jigsaw Blades:
You can buy special carving kits, but why not make your own?
These were made with short table legs and jigsaw blades.

The reason I like the table legs:
1. They already have holes in them, I just had to remove a screw so I could insert the blade.
2. The diameter allows for a tighter grip, especially if your hands are slippery.

To secure the blade into the table leg you will need to use a strong glue like "Bondo" or "5 minute Epoxy". (buy at the hardware store).

Fill the hole with the epoxy and then slip the jigsaw blade into it. You will want to make sure the blade is not down too deep and that it is centered. The epoxy sets up quickly and forms a bond that will last for a couple of years.

Pumpkin Carving

Prepare the operating surface by draping it with a couple of layers of newpaper. Gather all your carving tools.

The first thing I like to do is drill two holes, one on each side of the stem. These allow the heat to escape when using a candle.

Then I draw the shape of the lid making sure to have a tab drawn so the lid can be replaced easily. You can make the tab a small rectangular shape or shaped like a triangle.

Cut the lid off the pumpkin.
Aim the knife in at a 45 degree angle so it creates a lip for the lid to sit on.

Scoop out the inside of the pumpkin using the spoon and your hands. Use the metal spoon the scrape the inside walls clean of any strings or pulp.

Rinse the pumpkin inside and out and pat dry with paper towels.

The pumpkin is now ready for carving.

Transfer your design if you are using one.

Start from the inside of the design and cut small sections at a time. When you aim your tools into the pumpkin at this stage you want to go straight in at a 90 degree angle.

Petroleum jelly can be used on cut edges to help seal in the moisture. This helps slow down the rotting process.

Place a candle in the pumpkin. You can use floral putty to help hold the candle in place.

Your pumpkin is now ready to be displayed.





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