How To Carve a Pumpkin
- October 7, 2008
- 45,466 Views
Voice Over Artist
Liv Rooth
Writer
ShannonH
The first jack-o’-lanterns were carved centuries ago to ward off evil spirits. Now we use them to lure little ghosts and goblins to our home—but the technique remains the same.
You Will Need
- A pumpkin
- A sharp knife
- A crayon or marker
- A large spoon or ice cream scooper
- And a small candle, glow stick, or battery-operated light
- Salt
- Baking sheet
- A carving template
- A thumbtack
- And petroleum jelly
Step 1: Choose pumpkin
Choose a pumpkin that’s large and smooth with a stem of at least 2". If you plan to put a candle inside, choose a gourd that’s at least 9" tall.
Pumpkins with smaller stems rot quickly.
Step 2: Draw circle or hexagon
Draw a circle or hexagon on the top of the pumpkin an inch or two below the stem. Don’t worry if it’s not perfect, but make sure it’s a little bigger than your fist.
Step 3: Carve through pattern
Carve through the pattern with a sharp knife—which requires less force, and is therefore safer. Angle your cut so the top of your circle is wider than the bottom, which will ensure that the top fits snugly in place.
Step 4: Remove top & clean out
Remove the top and clean out the pumpkin’s seeds and stringy membranes with the scooper. Continue scraping the inside until the walls are about half an inch thick—otherwise it will be hard to carve.
For a delicious—and healthy—treat, wash and sprinkle the seeds with salt, and then toast them in the oven on a baking sheet.
Step 5: Draw face
Draw the eyes, nose, and mouth—or any other pattern you want, like perhaps Van Gogh’s famous painting “The Starry Night.”
If you’re not good at drawing, find a carving template online or at a store. Fasten it to the pumpkin and use a thumbtack to poke holes along the lines.
Step 6: Cut through pattern
Use your knife to cut through the pattern you’ve just drawn. Remember that cuts that connect to each other will remove the entire piece in between, so cut around anything you want to stay intact, like teeth or a wart on the nose.
Step 7: Make cuts & scrapes
Make disconnected cuts and scrapes to allow the light from inside the pumpkin to shine through without removing whole pieces, a good technique for drawing outlines or scenes, or for creating more definition in a face—like glowing pupils.
To keep the edges from browning before the big night, dab on a little petroleum jelly to lock in moisture.
Step 8: Place candle
Place a small candle and light it when you’re ready to show off your work. If there’s a large opening level with the candle, like a mouth, light the flame through it so you don’t burn your hand.
If your flame is weak or keeps going out, it’s not getting enough oxygen—cut a small opening in the top of the pumpkin, hidden from sight behind the stem.
Step 9: Use glow stick or battery-powered light
If you’re not keen on having a real flame, use a glow stick or battery-powered light.
Because pumpkins weren’t common in Europe, early jack-o’-lanterns were made out of turnips!
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Comments (7)
Jack my lantern, I dare ya...
over 3 years ago by deckard1
IF YOU LIKED THIS WATCH AND VOTE FOR ANOTHER GREAT VIDEO BY THE SAME DIRECTOR!
http://www.howcast.com/contests/The-Howcast-Emerging-Filmmakers-Program-HowTo-Video-Challenge#entry_id=2
over 2 years ago by michaelrsanchez
The person in the video is using the knife unsafely, a danger if kids are watching this, more effective would've been ";how to use a knife properly when cutting out a pumpkin"; the actor is demonstrating cutting towards his thumb &; body! One slip and he's missing a thumb or pulling the knife from his stomach!
over 3 years ago by WesleyJ
While this is a nicely put together video, I think all of us in the US have grown up carving pumpkins our whole life and have even heard that they were originally created out of turnips. A little more research &; variety would have made this how to more compelling. (ie, how to pick out a good/unique pumpkin, going to the patch, different tools.) Also more cultural perspective, like the connection to Dia de la Muertos.
The petroleum jelly was a good suggestion, and kudos for adding the pumpkin seeds suggestion (often forgotten I think)
over 3 years ago by WesleyJ
Gorgeous, Michael!
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