One of the greatest customs for Halloween is carving a pumpkin to
create a jack-o-lantern. Use these
Pumpkin Carving Tips and then make your own
Talking Jack-o-Lantern.
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Always check how your pumpkin sits, before
you start to carve. Often it will lean one direction that
you may be able to work around.
Lighter-colored, softer pumpkins are easier to carve, but
won't last as long.
Use an ice cream scoop to clean out the flesh (don't forget
to roast the
seeds!).
Pumpkins with lots of flesh can be hard to carve.
Scoop out extra flesh where you want to carve details.
The flesh should be less than an inch thick for easy carving.
Use a light marker to draw your lines before you start to
carve. If you aren't sure about your drawing skills,
look for objects you can trace that are the right size and
shape (eg. A small plate could be the right curve for a
smiley mouth.
Start from the center, and work out.
Carve the nose before eyes, and eyes before eyebrows.
For intricate features, try using a craft
knife or an exacto knife rather than paring knife.
Sprinkle your pumpkin’s lid with herbs
like cinnamon, nutmeg, and pumpkin spice for a festive scent.
If you don't want to carve this year, get some
paint and brushes and let the kids paint the faces on their pumpkins.
Ideas sent in by visitors
I find the best way to carve a pumpkin is to to carve the bottom instead of
the top because it is easier to put the pumpkin over the candle than put the
candle inside of the pumpkin. Heather H.
Here's a fun idea for a talking Jack-o-Lantern sent in by one of our visitors.
Carve a witch face on your pumpkin.
Put a walkie-talkie inside of the pumpkin and then hide
out of sight, but where you can see the trick-or-treaters
When people walk by you can say, "How ya doin' my pretty?"
Then you scare them but you don't scare them away!
If you can see the trick-or-treaters, ask a specific question
about their costume. It will keep them guessing to figure it out.
Many families have developed new traditions
for kids on Halloween. We'd be happy to include some of those
ideas if you want to send them in. Send us a note
if you have any questions or a Halloween craft idea you would like to share.
Children love making gifts for their parents and other adults who
are important to them. But what can they make that will delight the
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Here's how you can quickly and easily get lots of simple, high quality
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Here's a fun idea for a talking Jack-o-Lantern sent in by one of our visitors.
