Make a Halloween Pumpkin
Ever looked at the carved pumpkins at Halloween and wondered how you can create your own that way? Well, this wikiHow will teach you how to make a Halloween pumpkin!
10 Second Summary
1. Draw a lid on top of your pumpkin. Make sure it's big enough for you to reach into.
2. Cut the lid out at an angle. Set it aside.
3. Remove the seeds and pulp.
4. Scrape the inside walls until they are 1 inch thick.
5. Draw your pattern into the pumpkin.
6. Cut along the lines that you drew and push out the shapes.
7. Insert a candle or battery-operated tea light and replace the lid.
Steps
- Buy a pumpkin from your local supermarket or from a farm shop. Buy one that's a good size with little visible damage/marks.
- Draw a circle around the stem on the top where you want the lid to go. Make it big enough to fit your arm and a scraping tool through (a diameter of about 6 inches is recommended).
- Cut a Pumpkin. Make sure you do so at an angle (tip of the knife facing the center of the pumpkin) so that the lid doesn't fall into the pumpkin. You may want to cut a small notch into the lid too so it doesn't fall.
- Use a spoon to clean out the inside of the pumpkin. Scrape away the walls until they're about an inch thick. There should be no seeds or pumpkin strings left.
- Wipe down inside with some kitchen roll. Leave to dry overnight if desired.
- Select or draw a pattern
- Make sure it suits your ability. Thinner bits will be harder to cut out.
- Pick one that suits the size of the pumpkin.
- Put the pattern onto the pumpkin.
- Premade patterns:
- Print it out to the right size.
- Cut along the edges inwards so it folds round across the curve of the pumpkin.
- Tape it down using masking tape.
- Your own pattern:
- Use a washable marker to draw the pattern directly onto the pumpkin.
- Premade patterns:
- Carve the pumpkin
- Start by getting a pin or thin poking device like a screwdriver. Make small dots in the pumpkin all around the edges of the shape you're going to cut out. Keep them close together.
- If you used a premade pattern, carefully remove the paper.
- Get a pumpkin carving knife (or most normal knives will work) and poke it all the way through the edge of one of the shapes. Alternatively, you can make your pumpkin glow by using a chisel knife (you can buy them from most art stores) or similar tool to glide along the pumpkin, following the edge of the design. Remove the only top layer of skin (do not poke all the way through).
- Slowly move the knife around the shape following the dots.
- Once you've gone all the way round, push the shape out and carefully run your knife around the edge again to neaten the cut up.
- Repeat for each shape.
- Decorate further if desired.
- Add food coloring.
- Reuse the cut-out pumpkin or insides as part as part of the design.
- Stick skewers into the pumpkin to look like arms or hair
Tips
- Don't rush! Take your time!
- When you're cutting out shapes, you can always cut them into smaller pieces if you're having trouble taking it all out at once.
- If you're feeling really adventurous, try carving stuff out of different fruits and vegetables. Try various squash or melons.
- Get a good range of tools. You can buy pumpkin carving kits from most department stores around Halloween time. You could also buy some carving tools from some art shops.
Warnings
- If you slip and cut off the wrong bit, try re-attaching it using toothpicks
- Be careful not to cut yourself with any of the tools!
Things You'll Need
- A pumpkin
- A pattern
- Some carving tools (such as knives)
- Some poking tools (such as a screwdriver)
- A spoon
- A bowl
- Rubber gloves (optional)
- Masking tape
- A sharper knife
- Toothpicks
- A tea light
- Kitchen tissue
