Americans love pumpkins. We love pumpkin seeds, pumpkin flavored coffee, pumpkin bread, pumpkin picking and most of all, carving pumpkins!
Global Ed is hosting a free pumpkin carving party on Thursday, October 20 at 7:00pm! To help get you ready for the ultimate Halloween activity, here are some tips on how to carve the most spooktacular pumpkin.
Tools you will need: a pumpkin, carving knives, a big spoon, newspaper/paper towels to put down to because it will be messy, and a small tea candle. (If you are going to Global Ed’s pumpkin carving party, everything will be provided for you)
- Select the perfect pumpkin!
- Pick a design! It can be spooky, funny, traditional, or something completely made up by you. Some people like to find a stencil online, others like to free-hand their designs.
- If you are using a stencil, find a design online, the simpler the design, the easier the carving will be.
- Cut out the outline of the design you want.
- Hold it against the pumpkin and, using a permanent marker, trace along the outside of the design onto the pumpkin.
- If you are drawing your own design, use a permanent marker and draw directly onto the pumpkin.
- Before you carve into your pumpkin, you will need to cut a circle around the stem of the pumpkin and remove the top like a lid. Do not cut completely vertical, cut on an angle so that this lid can later be placed back on and will stay in place.
- Using a big spoon, scoop out all of the insides and seeds of the pumpkin.
- After the inside is clean, now you can turn the pumpkin on its side and start carving out your design.
- Be careful while carving because if you mess up, you can’t go back.
- When you have finished carving and removed all of the chunks of pumpkin that you cut out, place a tea candle into your pumpkin.
- Put the top back on, turn off the lights or wait for it to get dark, and watch your masterpiece glow!
You are now an expert at pumpkin carving and all things Halloween. If you mess up or simply cannot decide on a design, make more than one pumpkin! Your pumpkin should last about a week to a week and a half.
Another option people traditionally follow is painting their pumpkins instead of carving them. This way is a lot less messy and the pumpkin will last longer!