Halloween Pumpkin Carving Templates | Stencils | Patterns

Pumpkin Carving Tips To Create Great Jack-O-Lanterns

• Prep your pumpkin - Use a room-temperature pumpkin. Draw a circle around the stem with one triangle or notch so you will always know how the top fits on right. Cut the top with a long saw type pumpkin carving blade
• Cleaning out the center - Scoop out the pulp and seeds with a large spoon or pumpkin scraper. Keep scraping until the walls of your pumpkin are about 1 inch thick. This makes it easy to carve but at the same time keeps it sturdy.
• Adapt the pattern to your pumpkin size - use a photocopier to enlarge or scale down the paper pattern so it fits on your pumpkin nicely. Tape or pin the pattern on the pumpkin, then use a tracing wheel or sewing pins to cut the shape into the outer skin of the pumpkin. If you use pins, make little pricks into the pumpkin about a half inch apart all the way around your pattern. Don't poke all the way through the pumpkin wall.
• Cutting shapes - Lay the pumpkin in your lap to cut the design. Use one had to cut and the other to hold the pumpkin steady. For basic shapes use a long blade carving saw and cut with an in and out method. For smaller details use a fine tooth saw. Start in the center and work outward on larger designs.