Jack O' Lantern Carving Templates

A jack-o'-lantern (sometimes also spelled Jack O'Lantern) is typically a carved pumpkin. It is associated chiefly with the holiday Halloween, and was named after the phenomenon of strange light flickering over peat bogs, called ignis fatuus or jack-o'-lantern. In a jack-o'-lantern, typically the top is cut off, and the inside flesh then scooped out; an image, usually a monstrous face, is carved onto the outside surface, and the lid replaced. At night, a light is placed inside to illuminate the effect.

Sections of the pumpkin are cut out to make a design, often depicting a face, usually menacing like a demon or devil. A variety of tools may be used to carve and hollow out the gourd, ranging from simple knives and spoons to specialized instruments, typically sold in holiday sections of grocery stores. Printed stencils can be used as a guide for increasingly complex designs. After carving, a light source (traditionally a candle, sometimes an electric light) is placed inside the pumpkin and the top is put back into place. The light illuminates the design from the inside. Sometimes a chimney is carved in. It is possible to create surprisingly artistic designs, be they simple or intricate in nature. But towards the end of the 20th century, artists began expressing every kind of idea they could imagine on pumpkins. Today, it is common to see portraits of political candidates, celebrities and cartoon characters.

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Draw the shape of your lid very lightly with a washable marker. Cut the the lid first in a hexagonal shape; it helps keep the lid from falling into the pumpkin as the pumpkin lid begins to dry out and shrink. Using a serrated knife, begin cutting the lid with the knife angled at 45 degrees toward the center of the pumpkin; this will keep the lid from falling into the pumpkin. Cut a piece out of the lid as a chimney if you are planning to use a candle. Once the top has been cut off you can begin cleaning out the pumpkin with a large metal spoon or one of the scraping tools that you find in pumpkin carving kits. Clean the pumpkin until the wall thickness is about 1" all the way around. Now you are ready to carve your pumpkin.

Picture courtesy of Adrianne Lacy on Creative Commons.