So you think you’re already the expert pumpkin carver? Here are a couple helpful hints that even the most professional pumpkin designer can benefit from:
Use an ice cream scoop or a melon baller instead of a spoon to remove the guts from the inside of the pumpkin.
Try cutting out the bottom of the pumpkin instead of the top. You can attach the candle to the bottom with a toothpick and then, when your pumpkin in carved, place the pumpkin on top. This makes lighting the candle much easier. It also works great for pumpkins that are really skinny and tall.
Use Christmas tree lights instead of a candle.
For an even brighter light, line the bottom and back of the inside of the pumpkin with aluminum foil.
Experiment with other kinds of lights inside the pumpkin. Try a glow stick or bicycle reflector light.Â
Get a pumpkin with one side that is very flat. Use this side as the bottom of your pumpkin. Carve the pumpkin with the stem as the nose.
Make warts, teeth, ears and other assorted features out of some left over pumpkin meat taken from the inside of the pumpkin. Attach these to the outside of the pumpkin with toothpicks. Cut a circle of flesh from the inside of the pumpkin and attach it with a toothpick inside the eye socket. When lit from the inside, it will look like the pupil is floating inside the eye. Spooky.
For some interesting effects, play with the guts. Leave a few dangling on the inside of the pumpkin to give a “cobweb” effect or pull some out of the mouth for a grosser effect. If you do leave in any of the guts, use an electrical or other non-flame light for the inside.
Add dry ice inside the pumpkin for a spooky fog effect.
To completely avoid burning the top of your pumpkin, light a large candle inside, put the top on, wait 10 to 15 minutes and remove the top. You will see a brownish ring on the inside of the pumpkin. Make a small hole around that ring in the lid of the pumpkin to let the heat and smoke out.
When you finish carving your pumpkin, wipe the inside, outside and edges down with Vaseline or oil to keep the moisture inside the pumpkin. Be careful with the candle flame, however, as some oils can be flammable.
For a creepy glowing effect, carve out the flesh on the inside of the pumpkin, but leave the skin on. When lit from the inside, it creates a very cool effect.
To make carving the pumpkin easier, when you draw your design, pierce the skin with toothpicks, or make small, short incisions with a knife in the skin of the pumpkin.Â
To give your pumpkin a little color, scrape the outside with sandpaper. Then wipe it with a cloth that has been soaked in water tinted with food coloring.
Don’t forget, when you cut the top from your pumpkin to empty it, cut the edges on an angle so that it doesn’t fall down inside the pumpkin.
If your pumpkin is beginning to dry out and you would like to preserve the life of your creation, dip the pumpkin in a bucket of water (or the bathtub). If your pumpkin is very dry, monitor the amount of water that it soaks up. If it soaks too much, it can begin to break apart, especially if there is a lot of detail to the carving.
To prevent discoloration, dip your pumpkin in a solution of 1 part vinegar and 1 part water for about 5 minutes.Â
Sprinkle cinnamon, allspice, cloves and even apple peels inside your pumpkin. When lit, the spices will fragrance your apartment beautifully.
Don’t stop at just carving pumpkins. Try a turnip, gourd, melon, orange or squash too!
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