Halloween Pumpkins are the pumpkin fruit decorated for the celebration of Halloween. The pumpkin is usually carved into a jack-o-lantern. The pumpkin is a large pulpy round fruit that has a thick, orange-yellow rind and numerous seeds. The Halloween pumpkins are the most famous symbol of the Halloween festival.

The Halloween is an ancient celebration held on 31st of October every year in the United States and some other countries. The traditional belief is that on that day, the souls of the dead relatives revisit their former homes. The ancient people usually position a pumpkin carved into a jack-o-lantern placed on the window at sun-down to placate the spirits and obtain blessings from these spirits.

Pumpkins can be purchased from the open markets or from the Internet. Some Halloween celebrants also decide to cultivate their own pumpkins. This adds more fun to the celebrations. There are many shapes, sizes, and colors of the pumpkins that can be used for the celebration.

Some pumpkins are a few pounds in weights while there are reports of pumpkins that weigh over a thousand pounds. Cultivation of the pumpkin to make it as large as possible is not an easy task. The farmers still regards their information as technical secrets.

Carving the Halloween pumpkin is very popular. With a sharp knife, one can make openings on the fruit with ease. If one wants it to appear like a human head, then there will be slots for the eyes, mouth, etc. There is an even an online step-by-step guide on some website on how to carve your pumpkin into a jack-o-lantern for the Halloween.

Halloween Pumpkin Carving Pattern Ideas

Halloween carving patterns are easy to find at a variety of places:

• You can often find free Halloween pumpkin carving patterns online. These are great patterns and you can just run them off using your printer.
• Another place to look for Halloween pumpkin carving patterns is at the public library. The library often has various books and publications that feature these kinds of patterns.
• Any bookstore will carry Halloween books or magazines that contain the patterns you are looking for. These books or magazines will have detailed instructions on how to create a fantastic looking pumpkin.
• You can actually buy kits at a hobby or craft store. Sometimes grocery and drug stores also have these kits. The kits are a good buy because not only do they have patterns but they also contain the carving tools needed to carve many marvelous pumpkins.

Once you have the patterns and carving tools you might want to host a pumpkin carving party. Have your friends and neighbors bring pumpkins and a Halloween treat to share and you have almost everything you need for a great party.

There are many choices for Halloween pumpkin carving patterns. You can choose from ghosts, bats, witches and cats. Most of the kits have several patterns and they vary as to degree of difficulty.

Good luck with your Halloween pumpkin carving patterns; it’s a festive fall activity you and your family and friends can enjoy together!

Pumpkin carving is an age old tradition enjoyed by young and old alike. Whether you want a simple pumpkin carving to sit on your own doorstep or you are planning a pumpkin carving party, selecting the right pumpkin is a vital part of the overall process.

As an overarching principle, the pumpkin you select will be picked according to what you intend to carve on it.

You will have seen in the shops and markets that pumpkins range from tiny to huge and all have a place in the rituals of Halloween. The largest pumpkins make fantastic centrepieces and can take the largest carved designs and probably the most elaborate as well. The small examples are used to demonstrate fine pumpkin carving techniques and these artistic examples are usually given pride of place in any display. For the vast majority of stencil designs that you will either make or buy, medium sized pumpkins are ideal.

It’s a good idea that before you make your trip to buy your pumpkin you make a mental note of the size of the stencil(s) that you will be using and that you select pumpkins using this mental image. Look for pumpkins that are uniformly orange which indicates that they are ripe and for those without bruising or other signs of damage. Any damage will adversely affect the life of the carved pumpkin.

When moving pumpkins, they should be lifted from the base and never by the stem. Care should be taken to transport and store your pumpkins carefully to avoid damage and bruising which will shorten the life the fruit. Okay, now you’ve found the perfect pumpkin lets look at a few tips on How to Carve your Halloween Pumpkin.

o Pumpkin carving can be a messy job and you should cover your work area with old newspapers or cardboard o Lots of debris will be produced so a container to put this in as it’s produced will save on clean-up time at the end

o Determine whether you will be cutting from the top or the bottom of the pumpkin. This will usually depend on whether you are using a battery powered light source or a candle. If using a candle, then cutting from the top creates a great venting point for the heat produced. If using a battery, then cutting from the bottom will allow easier access to that.

o If your stencil doesn’t identify how large a hole to cut, cut a hole around 6″ diameter for access as this will allow you to get a scraper and scoop into the pumpkin

o If you are intending to draw directly onto the pumpkin, do not use permanent marker – it will not wash off and don’t use a hard tipped pen or pencil as these will mark and bruise the pumpkin’s skin. Use a crayon or washable marker

o The first cut into the pumpkin should be for the access hole. This should be cut with the blade at an angle of 45 degrees so that it can sit back on when the pumpkin is complete

o The front of the pumpkin should be the side with the smoothest feel as this will be easiest to carve o Once the lid (or base) has been cut, remove all of the seeds and stringy fibrous material from inside and discard

o Scoop the inside of the pumpkin so the side to be carved is about 1″ thick. This will make the effort of carving easier o If using a stencil, cut it out roughly and stick it to the side of the pumpkin to be carved

o Transfer the design of the parts of the pumpkin to be removed using a small toothpick or pumpkin pricker which you can get as part of a set of pumpkin carving tools available cheaply on-line or at supermarkets around Halloween

o Using a combination of a pumpkin saw and other knives and blades remove and create the pumpkin carving according to the design either pricked out or drawn onto the pumpkin

o If you remove a part by mistake it can often be rejoined using a toothpick

o When your carving is complete, smear the cut edges with petroleum jelly to prevent it drying out

o If you are carving in advance, keep the completed pumpkin in a cool dark place

o If your pumpkin does dry out, plunge it in a bath of cold water to revive it.

Happy carving…

Here are some basic pumpkin carving tips and techniques for you to adopt and they should hopefully help you carve the perfect Halloween Pumpkin…

Karnival-House has a range of Halloween accessories and props, including pumpkin carving tools, at: http://www.karnival-house.co.uk/acatalog/Halloween_Party_Goods.html Feel free to enjoy browsing our website.

Article submitted by: KV Sinclair. Keith Sinclair has over 35 years of business experience and in addition to being a part time University Lecturer on Business Studies, he is CEO of Cavalcade; a group of companies operating in the party sector. Cavalcade operates Karnival-House http://www.karnival-house.co.uk one of the UK’s leading internet Fancy Dress Retailers. With massive stocks for immediate dispatch and an ever expanding range, Karnival-House continues to strive simply to offer outstanding service combined with outstanding value.

Years ago, when people carved pumpkins, they generally just never really thought about pumpkin carving ideas. They went along with the usual triangle eyes and nose bit and stuck a light in the pumpkin. Then some tools were put on the market that made it easier to carve pumpkins. Prior to using these tools, there was little that could be used except large knives.

In the 1980s, tools were introduced that allowed children to carve pumpkins. This initiated many different pumpkin carving ideas as well. People were no longer happy to carve simple Jack O’Lantern pumpkins and contests started to take place to carve the most unique pumpkin. Thanks to the new tools, the carving was easier than ever.

Today, there are pumpkin carving ideas just about everywhere you look. You can get the ideas online and even buy kits that have templates as well as tools that allow you to carve a pumpkin that looks like a witch, a black cat, or even a scary face. Nowadays, pumpkin carving ideas are about scenic views as much as they are about scary faces. You can have a lot of fun with the right tools and templates.

Even those who do not have the patience or imagination to come up with pumpkin carving ideas of their own can find them online or in stores where they sell kits. For a few dollars, you can have a pumpkin that looks as if it was carved by a professional. This is all done with templates and special tools.

The beauty part about these pumpkin caving ideas is that once you have the tools, you can use them again. And once your creativity is sparked with the ideas that you find in templates, books and kits, you may feel inclined to come up with your own pumpkin carving ideas. This is how the creative process works. The more you create, the more creative you want to be. And the more you carve pumpkins, the more you will want to continue to carve them. Pumpkin season starts in September and lasts until November, so you have two months to really come up with some clever pumpkin carving ideas.

Take a look online and find some of the most unique pumpkin carving ideas as well as the tools that you will need to make these designs come to life. You can have a lot of fun carving pumpkins and so can the entire family. You can either use pre-conceived ideas or come up with your own pumpkin caving ideas.

The graphite shaft moves more than the metal design allows during the swing and this can give some golfers more distance on their shots. Some players also believe it gives more accuracy from the Tee.

There is traditionally more metal shafts based clubs than graphite versions available, out there. As the advances in technology lower the costs, and players try the graphite shaft it becomes and more popular. I think we can see less metal versions in the future.

Pumpkin Carving Fun.com/provides information, articles and tips including

Pumpkin Carving Kits [http://www.PumpkinCavingOnline.com/pumpkin-carving-kits.php] and ideas. Check out all the styles, origins and history of this ancient art.

Along with all those new-fangled state of the art and traditional Halloween decorations (like lights, ghosts & goblins), no front porch Halloween decoration display would ever be totally complete without the traditional American Jack-O-Lantern pumpkins. But are there all that many folks who truly enjoy the whole messy pumpkin carving experience?

This Autumn, why not try to paint a Halloween pumpkin for your Jack-O-Lantern display? You’ll likely be surprised that once you try painting a pumpkin, you’ll probably never go back to carving your pumpkins again.

Now presenting, my top 5 reasons why you should skip pumpkin carving and learn how to paint a Halloween pumpkin this year instead…

1) Pumpkin Painting is really easy to learn

Just about anyone can quickly learn how to expertly paint amazingly impressive pumpkin designs without much work involved at all. Even young children will enjoy and have fun painting their own personal pumpkins and will feel a real sense of pride when you proudly display their little pumpkin creations on your front porch right along with your expert painted pumpkins. Plus, pumpkin painting doesn’t limit you to what you can create. Many times, carving can make it very difficult to create more than just a basic outline design.

2) Pumpkin Painting is Safe with no knives or sharp cutting tools

Who likes dealing with sharp knives, saws and other pumpkin carving tools? Probably nobody. Plus, knives are dangerous (especially with younger ones) and give you very little control over the more intricate pumpkin design patterns you may want to create. There’s just only so much design freedom when you’re using a big, sharp blade to cut through almost an inch thick of pumpkin flesh. Pumpkin painting is safer and easier and allows even you’re littlest Halloween enthusiast to participate in the pumpkin painting fun.

3) Less mess. No pumpkin guts splattered everywhere

I absolutely hate the whole pumpkin guts mess thing. Once you finally work your way through sawing the top off your gourd, then it’s a sloppy, slimy chore of scraping and pulling all the pumpkin slop and goo out. It takes alot of time and always makes a big mess no matter how careful you are. Add kids to the mix and you’re scrubbing your table, walls and floors for weeks not to mention picking up pumpkin seeds until Christmas.

4) Your painted pumpkins will outlast a carved pumpkin by many weeks

While carved Jack-o-Lanterns can sometimes get saggy, mushy, stinky and rotten in a couple weeks if the weather’s warm, a painted pumpkin design can and will last a month or even two! You can enjoy your pumpkin painting masterpieces right up through Thanksgiving. And when you paint your pumpkins, you can even paint new pumpkins FOR the Thanksgiving holiday. No so with carving. A carved pumpkin on your Thanksgiving dinner table just wouldn’t look right.

5) Pumpkin Painting is really fun, for anyone of any age.

Everyone in your family can have fun painting pumpkins this Halloween. It’s a great family activity everyone can enjoy. Mom’s, Dad’s and kids of all ages can participate in the pumpkin painting fun. And little ones can really enjoy getting creative and expressing themselves in designing their little pumpkin masterpieces.

Go ahead and give it a shot. Skip the pumpkin carving this Fall and instead, paint a Halloween pumpkin this year. I guarantee you’ll have a ton of fun, you and your kids will really enjoy the experience, and you’ll create some awesome pumpkin painting designs so that you’ll probably never want to go back to carving your Jack-O-Lanterns again!

Painting pumpkins is a unique alternative to the old time tradition of pumpkin carving. Pumpkin painting patterns and designs are unlimited and painted pumpkins will endure significantly longer than carved Jack-O-Lantern. While these benefits by themselves are perfect reasons to try painting your Halloween pumpkins this year, there are other benefits too. Become a pumpkin painting expert at:

===> Easy Pumpkin Painting Decorating

Pumpkin is a superfood indeed. In fact, it’s not just the inner meat of a pumpkin that’s virtuous but its seeds are super nutritous too and contain a wealth of health-promoting properties. Like melons, cucumber, and squash, pumpkins belong to the gourd family. They were much celebrated by Native American Indians who made use of their flesh and seeds for culinary and medicinal purposes. Pumpkin flesh is high in fibre and vitamins C and E, magnesium and potassium and a staggering quantity and variety of carotenoids, being one of the most abundant natural sources of these amazing phytonutrients.

Dietary carotenoids correlate with lower a risk of numerous cancers, heart disease, cataracts and blindness. Pumpkin contains heaps of beta-carotene as well as a huge concentration of alpha-carotene, with just a quarter of a cup yielding the recommended daily amount. Alpha-carotene protects against certain cancers and cataracts, and has also been discovered to be a powerful ally against aging.

Both alpha- and beta-carotene can be converted into vitamin A within the body, which plays an essential role in growth, development and immunity. Beta-carotene is a potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent and prevents cholesterol build up in blood vessels that could lead to stroke or heart attack. The presence of magnesium, potassium and folate in pumpkin heightens its heart-friendly attributes. Beta-carotene works most effectively in combination with other carotenoids and has been found to reduce the risk of lung and colon cancer in particular.

When exploring pumpkin recipes experiment with other squashes too. There are numerous types in all shapes and sizes with many similar nutritional values. One tasty alternative is the butternut squash.

Pumpkins yield delicious and highly nutritious seeds. Known as pepitas, they are dark green and flat with a chewy texture and rich nutty flavour. These seeds are dense in minerals, with just a quarter of a cup providing approximately half the daily recommended dose for magnesium and iron, in addition to high doses of zinc, phosphorous, potassium, selenium, manganese and copper. They also contain the amino acid tryptophan known for anti-depressant qualities, and essential fatty acids.

The dark green oil produced from pumpkin seeds has been used throughout history in India, Europe and America to fight parasites, aid the digestive tract and help with prostate and reproductive disorders. It has also been recommended for pregnant and lactating women because of its high content of essential fatty acids.

Pumpkin seeds have been found to help prevent against prostate gland enlargement due to the chemical substances called cucurbitacins it contains. The essential fatty acids in pumpkin seeds are also necessary for prostate health, and zinc (which pumpkin seeds are especially high in) is great for the reproductive systems and has been shown to reduce prostate size.

The L-tryptophan in pumpkin seeds is known to have anti-depressant properties, so it is suggested eating them can elevate your mood. Pumpkin seeds also contain omega-3 fatty acids known for their role in improving mental function, alleviating depression and aiding memory. Both the omega-3 and omega-6 essential fatty acids in pumpkin seeds have a broad range of health functions in the body.

So, for a smashing pumpkin Halloween, as well enjoying carving pumpkins, check out some tasty pumpkin recipes so you can benefit from the super healthy flesh of your pumpkin carving remains, and throw a handful of pumpkin seeds on top for that extra nutritional boost!

MIRACLE SUPERFOODS: www.miracle-superfoods.com MANIFESTING SECRETS: www.manifestingsecrets.co.uk MIRACLE MIND: www.miracle-mind.com

They are probably most well known in their roasted form, but also come as an ingredient to many other foods and dishes, such as pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, pumpkin soup, etc. sometimes pumpkin seeds are also sprinkled over salads or other dishes in order to add nutrients and flavor. They are especially well-known as ingredients of traditional Mexican dishes.

They are a favorite ingredient in Low Calorie Recipes and are often used in weightloss diets.

There are many varieties of pumpkins, and they produce seeds with or without shells.

Pumpkin seeds have a chewy texture and a sweetish nutty flavor.

While roasted pumpkins seeds are probably best known as the seasonal Halloween treat, there is absolutely no reason not to eat them throughout the year.

Pumpkin seeds provide a wide range of necessary daily nutrients, such as fibers, healthy fats and protein. They are also a great source of minerals such as magnesium, manganese, zinc, iron and copper.

In as little as a handful of pumpkin seeds, you will receive about half of the daily recommended intake of magnesium, half of the daily recommended intake of manganese, about a quarter of the recommended daily intake of copper and iron, and about a fifth of the recommended daily intake of protein and zinc.

Of course these are not all that is required for a healthy balanced diet. But as a between-meals healthy snack, pumpkin seeds are one of the true treasures that mother nature has to offer.

Other Beneficial Qualities of Pumpkin Seeds:

Pumpkin seeds can also be beneficial for people with high cholesterol levels. Pumpkin seeds are rich in phytosterols (compounds found in plants similar to cholesterol and active in reducing cholesterol when present in a large quantities), and as such could be part of a low cholesterol diet.

Pumpkin also improve the immune system and lower the risks of certain cancers.

Pumpkin seeds should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. This way, they will maintain their freshness for the longest possible time. Although still edible they start to loose their freshness after about 2 months. If the seeds start to smell musty or rancid they should not be consumed.

Preparing Your Own Pumpkin Seeds:

While pumpkin seeds can be bought almost anywhere, it is also possible to make your own.

- Remove the seeds from inside the pumpkin

- Spread them out on a tray, and let them dry overnight.

- Then roast them at a low temperature (70 Celsius/160-170) Fahrenheit for about 15 to 20 minutes. Roasting them for a short period at a low temperature preserves valuable healthy oils that will be lost if you roast them at higher temperatures. One can of course also add spices or other flavorings while roasting them, should one wish to do so.

Tips on How to Preserve Pumpkin Seeds:

- Add a pumpkin seeds to mixed salads (they go best with green salads, but others are not ruled out).

- Pumpkin seeds can also be ground up and added to salad dressings.

- I personally like to add a few pumpkin seeds to stir-fry vegetable dishes.

- You can add pumpkin seeds to fruit and nut mixes (trail mix).

- They can be added to corn flakes or other cereals (hot or cold).

- When baking bread, they can be added to the dough.

- Add them to your oatmeal and raisin cookie recipes or to your granola recipe.

Pumpkin seeds overall can be very beneficial to your health, weight loss, and wellbeing.

Find more information on Low Calorie Recipes and Articles on Vegetarian Foods and How to Roast Pumpkin Seeds.

The festival honoring the saints marks the end of hot summers, a day when the good spirits move on earth craving of warmth and cheers whereas evil and malevolence spirits roam craving for victims and preys.

The day eventually turned out to be a day of fun, entertainment and joys in many countries of the world. It is also known as a day of witches, pranks and mischief. There are groups of people who knock every door asking for foods, gifts and other useful articles. These groups gather various different articles for the evening festivities. They harass people and play pranks on them in the name of Muck Olla or St. Columb Cille. Muck Olla is an early Druid deity and St. Columb Cille is an Ireland worker of the 6th century.

Halloween customs, celebrations and pranks brought into picture the art of carving pumpkins. These mark the start of Halloween season and are considered to be the symbol of Halloween.

Pumpkins are most popularly used to make Halloween crafts and decorations. These antique and beautiful craft pieces are designed exclusively to enlighten the festival and add on to the festive mood.

Pumpkin carving is a fairly simple method of decorating your homes. Carved art pieces characterized with simple or detailed designs, patterns and colors are also used as favors for the festival. Essentials for pumpkin carvings are pumpkin, small nail or pumpkin poker, printer and paper, spoon or pumpkin scoop and serrate knife or pumpkin saw.

The key fundamental for creating beautiful pumpkin craft pieces is the art of selecting the right pumpkin. Your selection of pumpkin greatly depends on what you want to carve on the pumpkin. Based on your design, pattern and tool used for carving, select the pumpkin with the right shape and size. If, using a knife for carving the pumpkin, then a tall and narrow pumpkin works the best and is using a carving stencil then a large gouge free pumpkin is the best fit. Ripe pumpkins with no scratches and bruises are most easy to carve.

Once, the right pumpkin is selected, select the right tool for carving and transferring designs or patterns. There are many sharp, flexible and sturdy tools like knife, saw, poker tool, grease pencil, scraper, hand saw, drill bits and power tools to make stunning patterns. The best pumpkin carving tool is the knife because it requires less force as compared to saw for carving detailed areas. Poker tools help in easy transfer of designs and grease pencils are used for highlighting the outlines. Scrapers help in easy removal of seeds and pulp from the interior. An array of power tools and drill bits are used for effortless carving.

After selecting the right tools for carving, take stencils and printed paper to carve patterns and designs. This makes exhilarating and fascinating pumpkin carving patterns.

I watched him as he lifted the wire-rimmed glasses from the bridge of his nose. “This is nice,” he said as he inhaled long and hard the scent of burning wood.

If I were a gambler, I would have bet that this bearded and mustached FSU professor assumed that he would win this hand.

“Can you do better than this?” he probed with his bare eyes as he laid his cards across the coffee table.

“Not with this hand,” I said. “Should we play another one, or are you hungry?”

“I’m starving!” he replied.

In the blink of an eye, we transformed the purpose of the coffee table. The game supplies were stowed away in a nearby armoire. He watched as I dressed the glass top with a tapestry runner and rich autumn touches.

It was encouraging to have a gentleman friend who tolerated my whims and didn’t mind sitting on the living room floor, even though there were comfortable Chippendale chairs in the dining room.

“Hmmm … pumpkin soup baked in the shell. What a novel idea!” Then, with an almost theatrical and dramatic gesture of raised arms and an exaggerated inhaling of his nostrils, he continued his brief soliloquy. “So this is what smells so d-i-v-i-n-e! I’m glad to see that you’ve put our pumpkin-patch catch to good use … ” he trailed off as he bent his sturdy frame to smell the roses in the large pumpkin flower arrangement that graced the nearby antique buffet.

“Yes!” I answered. “I’ve been carving, roasting, baking and stuffing pumpkins all week. What a stroke of brilliance on your part to plant those seeds in your garden last summer!”

“I figured I would try my luck with pumpkins this year,” he said. “Here, let me carry that for you.”

He stepped down into the sunken living room and set the hot pumpkin tureen onto the short dining table while I changed CDs.

Moments later, as Pavarotti’s music bellowed softly in the background and I ladled the fragrant soup into the handcrafted pottery bowls, the bearded and mustached professor leaned forward with a misty sparkle in his eyes and whispered in a barely audible and raspy voice, “Marry me!”

“Oh, stop!” I responded, shaking my head from side to side. “You are irresistibly eccentric, but I cannot marry you.”

“Well live with me then!” he said with a hearty laugh.

“No way!” I replied.

“Well, why not?” he asked.

“Because I’ve far too much inner work to deal with right now,” I said. “Maybe in 10 years.”

Then it happened! Sometime between that moment and when the spent logs turned to cooled ash, there was a fiery and luminescent quantum leap over the fertile garden of my imagination. It was then that I realized that in some ways, I was no different than a pumpkin growing in a pumpkin patch.

Create A Pumpkin Flower Arrangement

For a casually chic and smile-popping display, the whimsical juxtaposition of jaunty autumn blooms artistically stuffed inside a hollowed-out pumpkin is always in good taste.

Select a pumpkin of any size you fancy. Ideally it should stand upright.

Wash, scrub and dry the exterior of your pumpkin.

Cut a circle into the top of the pumpkin, just as you would a jack-o’-lantern.

Clean out the inner pulp. Rinse and scrub. Save the seeds to roast!

Insert a block of florists foam or potting soil inside the pumpkin.

Then add stems of your favorite autumn blooms and greenery.

Camouflage the foam or soil with Spanish moss or hay.

Finally, swathe your arrangement with autumn ribbons, rustic vines or country raffia.

© 2006 Kathi Dameron, Kathi Dameron and Associates

This article originally appeared on October 25, 2006 in the “Entertaining with Kathi” column of the Northeast Chronicle, a Florida newspaper.

Note To Publishers: You are free to publish this article in your e-zines, however, please keep copyright and resource box intact. Thank You!

Kathi Dameron is a free-lance writer, blogger and consultant who is available for writing assignments, speaking engagements, and food and entertaining workshops. The Entertaining With Kathi column is available to newspapers, magazines and digital media for syndication. Entertaining With Kathi Cooking Class inserts, show scripts and customized content-rich advertising opportunities are available for purchase. For information contact Kathi directly at 850-422-3599.

Many things have changed over the hundreds of years since jack-o-lanterns were first brought to America. The pumpkin is no longer always a real pumpkin. As a matter of fact, artificial jack-o-lanterns are much more common these days than real ones, and it’s been that way for many years. As usual in our increasingly sedentary lifestyle, we’d rather buy it than make it. But there are those out there who wouldn’t have it any other way. It’s got to be a real pumpkin or nothing at all.

So let’s make a jack-o-lantern from the twenty-first century. Not the traditional method where all you use are your hands, a couple of knives and maybe a drawing tool. This is the jack-o-lantern that could look like a haunted house, a grave yard, a witch on a broomstick or bats flying through the air, almost any image that can be carved onto the face of a pumpkin.

You’ll need to gather a few things: the right kind of pumpkin, the stenciled image you want and a handful of simple tools. Once you’ve completely finished carving the jack-o-lantern, all you’ll need is the right lighting.

The Right Kind of Pumpkin. To help get a pumpkin of the right size and shape, you should already know what you want the carving to look like when you’re done. Medium sized pumpkins are the most popular for jack-o-lanterns. It may be short and squat or tall and narrow, depending on the image to carve. Whichever you decide, make sure that it has a uniform color throughout. The bottom of the pumpkin should be flattened so that it’ll stand upright.

Inspect your pumpkin for injuries. These are pumpkins with bruising, scratches, gouges, dents or damage of any kind. These deformities will affect how you carve and how pleasing you’re jack-o-lantern will appear when you’re done.

Safety Tip. The stem of a pumpkin can easily break off. Never carry your pumpkin by the stem. If it does break off, use toothpicks or a similarly narrow shaft to hold the stem in place.

Modern Day Carving Tools. The carving tools for a modern day jack-o-lantern are very simple. Most of them you can get yourself right at home.

ª Pumpkin Carving Patterns. These are stencils, or templates, of images that you could get on the internet. If not, there are booklets or books available at arts and crafts stores, specialty stores or even in a library. Or you could create a stencil from a drawing of your own.

ª Transfer tool or poker tool. This tool is used to transfer the image from the stencil to the pumpkin’s face. You could use the tip of any sharp tool, an ice pick, a nail or even a sharpened pencil or a pen.

ª Securing the Image. You can use pins, tacks or even tape to hold the stenciled image in the exact place you want.

ª Two knives. One long, thin bladed knife and one short, thin bladed knife. You can easily get these in your kitchen.

Safety Tip. Sharp knives are safer than dull knives, because dull knives will force you to exert extra force or extra leverage to make clean cuts. Sharpen your knives before you begin carving. The moment it seems like you have to use more force, it’s time to resharpen them. Be careful not to assume that your knives will always stay sharp.

ª Carving saw or cutting saw. A carving saw is mainly for cutting out fine details that would be difficult to do with a knife. But if you’d prefer, you surely could carve the entire jack-o-lantern this way.

ª Gutting spoons. These are for removing all of the soft flesh from the inside of the pumpkin. Ice cream scoops or thick ladles are great. Any large sturdy spoon or scoop will do.

Twenty-first Century Jack-o-Lantern Carving. The first thing is to carve the lid. Use the long knife to cut a pentagon or a hexagon around the stem. As you cut into the top of the pumpkin, make your cuts angle towards each other beneath the stem. You are effectively cutting a cone shaped chunk out of the top of the pumpkin. This keeps the lid from falling in. Your hand and some of your forearm should be able to pass easily through with a utensil. Remove the lid. Now get in there with your gutting spoon and scrape all that soft flesh out. Be thorough.

When the jack-o-lantern is burning bright, you want to know that the candle inside is secure in its setting. Make the floor inside of the pumpkin firm and flat. If you give the pumpkin a little smack on its side, the candle shouldn’t move from its position. You’ll know what to do.

The easiest place to put the face of your jack-o-lantern is the flattest section on the outside of the pumpkin. Select the stencil for the image you want and place it there. Secure it with pins or tape. If you’re using tape and have to crease the paper, try to do it in a section where there will be the least distortion.

Use the transfer tool to poke holes along the lines of your image. Puncture through the image and into the pumpkin’s skin just a bit. It isn’t necessary to make deep punctures. These holes should be from an eighth to a fourth of an inch spaced apart. In areas where you may be unsure when carving, add some extra dots. The more the dots, the easier the carving. It’s all up to you. When you’re completely done transferring, inspect the dotted outline. Save the stencil in case you need it for clarification while you’re carving.

Take the carving saw and connect those dots. Make sure that the saw is cutting straight into the pumpkin and not at an angle. Remember to use a back-and-forth sawing motion. Don’t use it as a knife. Saw all the way through to the inside open space of the pumpkin. For tight corners, remove the saw and reinsert it where the lines connect.

If you have pretty large chunks to remove, you could easily cut them into smaller sections and have them fall off, one after the other. Push the cut pieces with your finger into or out of the pumpkin, whichever is smoothest.

Trim up the edges with your small knife or carving saw. More light will come through the pumpkin if these edges are trimmed at a 45 degree angle or thereabouts. This is great if additional lighting will compliment the image you’ve just carved.

You are done. Now how can you make your jack-o-lantern last longest? Take some petroleum jelly and coat every exposed surface, everything left after a cut. This will include the entire inside surface of the pumpkin, too. Dehydration is the enemy. Any sign of wrinkling or shriveling can be helped by soaking the pumpkin in water over night. Natural decomposition can be slowed greatly by refrigerating it during the day. This is a bit of work for every jack-o-lantern you make, so try not to carve your jack-o-lanterns too early from when you’ll be using them.

Wasn’t that fun? Making jack-o-lanterns sure is fun for me. In this day, almost any image could be found on the face of a pumpkin. It just depends on how creative you want to be. Go forth and broaden your mind. Happy Scary!

October 2008

Len Q. is a master blade sharpener and an adventurer who strives to protect the natural world. If you would like to learn more about

ª Knife Sharpening: How to Sharpen Knives, Maintain and Store Them
ª Tests for Sharpness, Steeling, Stropping and more
ª Sharpening Other Edges (i.e. Chain Saws, Lawn Mower Blades, Gardening Tools, Axes)

Find it here at http://www.MakeKnivesSharp.com

This technique in carving is more like pumpkin sculpting. Unlike traditional pumpkin carving there is no need to hollow out the pumpkin first, since there is no light or candle inside. In fact, you should never see the very inside of the pumpkin at all, unless of course you make a mistake and carve too deep. To make a 3-D pumpkin sculpture, you will use the pumpkin as is and simply carve a portrait into the side. This is done by using tools such as clay ribbon loops, a very sharp and exacting knife, and a paring knife to slowly whittle away layers of pumpkin meat. The result can be the most remarkable pumpkin anyone in your neighborhood has ever seen.

If you are interested in trying this technique there are some tips that you should be aware of. Here are a few of them:

• The Internet is a great source of information. If you do not personally know anyone who is into 3-D pumpkin carving you can gain a lot of information from a quick search on the web. There are sites that can offer tips, patterns and best of all photos to allow you to see what you are working towards. Be sure to check out several sites to really get an in-depth idea of what you are doing.
• Do not be afraid to use a stencil. While many experienced pumpkin carvers feel comfortable doing a design freehand beginners may find more security in using a stencil. While there are several sites that offer stencils for purchase unless your heart is set on something specific you find hundreds of 3-D pumpkin carving stencils online for free.
• Pick the right pumpkin. It is important to get a pumpkin with a thick wall. In order to get this kind you will have to choose one that is very heavy for its size. Experts also advise that you should avoid perfectly round pumpkins and opt for ones that have a protruding ridge that sticks out on one side. These shapes can make nice faces as it would be much more difficult to carve a 3-D face onto a shallow flat surface.
• Use the right tools. This is not a technique that works with just any tool. Expert extreme pumpkin carvers recommend certain tools for a reason-they work. Thinking that you can skimp and just use anything that you have at home is a mistake. This is due to the fact that you will need sharp and exacting tools to complete your design. Not using the right tools means that you probably will not get the design right and worse yet you could seriously injure yourself.
• Remember that this is technique that takes a lot of patience and practice. This is an art form and with practice and over time you will get better at it. Do not get discouraged if your first few tries are not exactly what you want. The fun of extreme Halloween pumpkin carving is in letting your creativity flow to make that super special extreme jack o lantern!

Stop by http://www.funhalloween.net/ for more Halloween crafts and holiday ideas.