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Newsletter Archive |
3
Select a pattern you’d like to carve. You can buy
a pattern book; many come with the carving
tools. If this is your first time, select a pattern
that’s fairly simple. You can always get fancier
with the second pumpkin.
Keep your selected pattern in mind when
choosing the size of your pumpkin. Don’t
choose one with soft spots, browning spots or
dents. Try to get one that stands up straight.
Avoid small pumpkins because they’re difficult
to carve.
If your pumpkin pattern is a rectangular design,
you can use an ordinary kitchen knife. Or
purchase an inexpensive pumpkin carving kit
sold during the Halloween season.
Begin cutting the lid at a slight angle. This keeps the lid from falling inside as it dries out and
shrinks. Carve a hole in the lid for a chimney if you plan to use a candle. After finishing, clean
out the pumpkin with a large metal spoon or the scraping tool supplied with carving kits until
the wall thickness stands one inch around.
Draw the pattern on paper and tape it to the pumpkin. Take a pointed object such as a pen,
poker, or tip of a knife and poke holes along the lines of your pattern. Remove the paper.
To help support the pumpkin’s wall structure, start cutting in the middle of the design and work
your way out slowly and carefully, connecting the holes in short up-and-down strokes.
Carve out an area in the base of the pumpkin to insert a small candle. You might want to place
some aluminum foil underneath
the candle as added protection.
An alternative is to use a small
flashlight. Now your pumpkin
has become a jack-o-lantern!
Don’t leave lit jack-o-lanterns
unattended or easily accessible to
young children.
During the day, it’s important to
leave the finished jack-o-lantern in
a dry, shaded area. This helps
prevent mold and decay.
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