Pumpkin Carving Tips

Things to do before you carve your Halloween pumpkin!

 

• Plan to carve your pumpkin a few days before your party or before Halloween.
• Carving is messy work, so take a minute to set up a convenient work area. In warmer weather, set up an area outdoors, using a sturdy table. Place a trash can nearby.
• Protect the tabletop and/or floor with a few layers of newspaper. You'll be able to scoop out the pulp then roll up and discard it in the top layer of paper before starting with a clean surface for carving.
• Assemble your pumpkin carving tools (see list below).
• Decide which side of the pumpkin is the "front."

 

• Cut off the lid of the pumpkin if you'll be using candles to light it at night. Or consider cutting out the base of the pumpkin so it's easier to conceal an electric light cord. In either case, the opening should be large enough so you can insert your hand and a large scraper to scrape away the seeds and pulp from inside the pumpkin.
• Center your design, making sure it's neither too high nor too low, so the design and the opening won't compete with one another.
• Next, draw the location of the access hole and make a small mark or incision across the cutting line; this will help you realign the lid in the proper position.

 

• Begin cutting the lid (or base) with a sharp knife held at a 45-degree angle.  (The knife should point toward the center of the pumpkin as you cut.) This angle will keep the lid in the correct location, so it doesn't slip down into the pumpkin.
• When carving, a regular kitchen knife or pumpkin saw (sold in pumpkin carving kits) can be used. Knives are faster, but not particularly precise, whereas a pumpkin saw will be more accurate but will require additional patience. Using too much pressure on a pumpkin saw may cause the blade to break.
• Once the hole is cut, use a sturdy kitchen spoon or a metal ice cream paddle to scrape the seeds and pulp off the lid and inside walls of the pumpkin.
• Reach in and remove handfuls of stringy pulp, throwing everything on newspapers, in the trash. If you'll be roasting the pumpkin seeds, place the strings and seeds into a sink full of clean water so the seeds can be cleaned thoroughly.
• Scrape until the inside of the pumpkin is free of strings, seeds, and excess pulp. Continue scraping the pulp inside the "front" of the pumpkin to reduce the thickness of the flesh where you'll be carving.

 

• Once the pulp is gone and the area has been cleaned, begin carving using your choice of tools: pumpkin saws and scrapers, paring or utility knives, or wood-carving tools.

Creative Pumpkin Carving

Pumpkin Designs from Our Staff

Welcome to Pumpkin Stencil Make

 

• Sharp kitchen knives, utility or art knives
• Washable marker or china pencil to draw your design
• Apple corer to make round holes

Download Pumpkin Stencils

• Pumpkin tool kit including a pumpkin saw
• Pumpkin stencil
• Thin nail or pin to prick the stencil's outline
• Electric drill
• Cookie cutters to trace designs
• Woodworking tools for precise carving

Carve It Up

Creative Pumpkin Carving

Welcome to Pumpkin Stencil Maker