Pumpkin Carving Tips

[KO896]

Do you have any good tips for carving real pumpkins?

Last year my daughter used her clay tools to actually scraped away the outside of the pumpkin skin so that she can could make a scary face and have a true 3D effect. It was awesome! You don't have to carve all the way through because having a candle inside will still illuminate through some of the thinner areas of the skin.

Another thing that friends do is put the opening on the bottom of the pumpkin and what that does is makes the candle stable since it's on the ground and not a lumpy pumpkin.

 

[Prometheus]

I've heard the best suggestion is to carve a circle out of the bottom and scoop out of all of the guts and let it dry and then use a sharpie or permanent marker first before making any actual carving to trace or outline your planned cuts. You then proceed to cut along the lines, using various techniques to sharpen angles and smooth edges.

 

[Page]

A good tip to use Christmas lights. We use LED light strings for pumpkins instead of candles. No worries on fire hazards plus I know if my Christmas lights work before they need put up. I usually hang them on the house right after that but won’t turn them on until after Thanksgiving.