A Spooky Holiday For All
Carving The Punkin' Can Be A Load Of Fun!
We have been using this technique for years and now you can find the patterns in the local grocery store. Some can be very very very difficult!!! A jack-o'-lantern, sometimes also spelled Jack O'Lantern, is a pumpkin whose top and stem have been cut out and interior removed, leaving a hollow shell that is then decoratively carved. Jack-o'-lanterns are associated with the holiday Halloween. The term is not particularly common outside North America.
Sections of the pumpkin are cut out to make a design, often depicting a face. A variety of tools may be used to carve and hollow out the gourd, ranging from simple knives and spoons to specialized instruments. Printed stencils can be used as a guide for increasingly complex designs. It is possible to create surprisingly artistic designs, be they simple or intricate in nature. After carving, a light source (traditionally a candle, now often a battery-operated light) is placed inside the pumpkin and the top is put back into place. The light illuminates the design from the inside. Sometimes a chimney is carved in the lid to allow heat to escape.
Traditionally the carved pumpkin would be a face, often with a simple crooked toothed grin. But toward the end of the 20th century, artists began expressing every kind of idea they could imagine on pumpkins. Today, it is common to see portraits of political candidates, celebrities and cartoon characters.
1. Cut Lid or Bottom - Cut a six-sided lid, big enough so you can reach in and clean out all
the pumpkin gunk. Angle the Lid Cutter™ Saw or a knife toward the center
of the pumpkin to create a ledge that supports the lid.
2. Clean and Scrape = Using the Pumpkin Masters patented
Scraper Scoop™ (or a flat-edged ice cream scoop), clean out the seeds
and strings. Where you plan to carve, scrape the pumpkin wall until it’s
about one inch thick.
3. Attach Pattern - Tape or pin the pattern to your pumpkin. If you use pins,
place them on the design lines so you don’t end up with holes you don’t
want!
4. Transfer Design - Using a Pumpkin Masters poker tool or a push pin, make
pinpoint marks
1/16" to 1/8" apart along the design lines. Check to see you have
transferred the design completely, then tear the pattern off the pumpkin.
5. “Saw” Design - Using Pumpkin Masters slender carving saws, saw dot-to-dot
using a gentle up and down motion. Easy does it, Pumpkin Picassos!