by 31 people |
Tis the season for carving and decorating Halloween pumpkins! If you're looking for great designs on pumpkins that are a little less scary, try our patriotic pumpkin carving, scraping, and decorating ideas.
All you need to get started is a pumpkin and a simple pattern. Use one of the patterns below, or create your own from an image, or draw one freehand! If your community has a pumpkin contest this fall, or if you just want to impress the Trick-or-Treaters, you'll be sure to draw attention with these unique designs.
First things first: Find the Perfect Pumpkin
Choosing the perfect pumpkin for your patriotic design is important. After all, if you're going to put so much work into decorating your pumpkin, you want to make sure it looks the best.
- Decide what you will be using the pumpkin for. Will it be decorated? Carved? Used as a centerpiece? This will help determine the size and shape you want to look for.
- Select a pumpkin with a smooth side. This will help you transfer a carbon paper image to your pumpkin.
- Don't carry pumpkins by their stem. Heavy pumpkins can easily end up with broken stems.
Patriotic Pumpkin Patterns
The following links take you straight to great American pumpkin carving patterns. Carve a patriotic jack-o-lantern this year with easy-to-use patterns and stencils.
- Flag and Stars
- A PDF pumpkin carving pattern featuring a very basic flag and stars pattern. A great design for your first carving experience or for kids!
- Statue of Liberty
- A basic carving featuring the head of the Statue of Liberty. Requires a steady hand as some shadowing is left with thin lines.
- United We Stand
- This pattern helps you carve "United We Stand" into your pumpkin. Creates a lot of small holes, so a larger pumpkin will work better.
- George W .Bush
- Create a presidential pumpkin with a George Bush pattern.
- Old Glory
- Carve a waving flag - this Old Glory pattern is rated difficult, and requires a large pumpkin.
- I *heart* NY
- Carve the familiar and simple I *heart* NY design into your pumpkin this year. Rated easy for beginners or kids, so they can create an all American pumpkin.
- Lady Liberty
- This Lady Liberty profile is rated moderate. This particular design would look great on a tall pumpkin with a flaming red and yellow bow at the top!
- Patriotic Flag Pattern
- A detailed, patriotic flag on a post template from the Pumpkin Wizard.
- Eagle & Towers
- A detailed carve and scrape pattern of an eagle watching over the twin towers.
- Flag on 9-11
- The famous image of firefighters raising a flag over the rubble of New York, in a detailed carve and scrape design.
- Statue of Liberty Carve and Scrape
- Profile of the Statue of Liberty with carve and scrape spots for a shadowed effect.
- Uncle Sam
- Uncle Sam wants YOU to carve an awesome patriotic pumpkin with his image on it.
Pictures and Ideas
Get started with an idea of what other people are doing for their American pumpkin designs.
- 9-11 Pumpkin
- A patriotic pumpkin carved with the World Trade Center towers and an eagle.
- Pumpkin Contest Winners
- The NFCA's 2001 Lanterns for Liberty Pumpkin Carving Contest had three great winners.
- Joe Orman's Pumpkins
- Joe's 2001 pumpkin is painted with glittery paint, then scraped to reveal the stars and stripes.
- Lady Liberty, carved
- A photo of an American pumpkin carved using the Lady Liberty template.
- Flag Carved Pumpkin
- A pumpkin carved with a simple flag and stars design.
- Pappy & Polly's Pumpkin Patch
- A great display with candles and a huge patriotic pumpkin centerpiece.
- Jason Taylor's Patriotic Pumpkin
- Dolphins Players Join Residents in Decorating Pumpkins at the Broward Partnership for the Homeless
- God Bless America Pumpkin
- A picture of a nicely painted pumpkin featuring the American flag.
A Cute Pumpkin Story
A woman was asked by a co-worker,
"What is it like to be a Christian?"
The co-worker replied,
"It is like being a pumpkin. God picks you from the patch, brings you in, and washes all the dirt off of you. Then he cuts off the top and scoops out all the yucky stuff. He removes the seeds of doubt, hate, greed, etc., and then He carves you a new smiling face and puts His light inside of you to shine for all the world to see."
"What is it like to be a Christian?"
The co-worker replied,
"It is like being a pumpkin. God picks you from the patch, brings you in, and washes all the dirt off of you. Then he cuts off the top and scoops out all the yucky stuff. He removes the seeds of doubt, hate, greed, etc., and then He carves you a new smiling face and puts His light inside of you to shine for all the world to see."
Pumpkin Carving and Decorating Tips
Not a pumpkin carving wizard? No problem! With these great tips and photos, you'll be scooping and scraping like a pro in no time.
- Pumpkin Carving 101
- Smart steps for traditional pumpkin carving and scraping techniques.
- Pumpkin Carving Tools
- What tools do you need to carve the perfect patriotic pumpkin? Find out how to create your own basic tool kit.
- How to Use Stencils
- Tips for carving a pumpkin using a stencil design.
Master the Art of Pumpkin Carving
Carve the best pumpkin on the block with the help of these pumpkin carving books. Learn great techniques for making the perfect holes. Find out which cleaning method works best and how to choose your pumpkin for the ultimate result.
Extreme Pumpkin Carving: 20 Amazing Designs from Frightful to Fabulous
Amazon Price: $10.17 (as of 11/20/2009) 
Great Pumpkins: Crafty Carvings for Halloween
Amazon Price: $12.78 (as of 11/20/2009)
How to Carve Pumpkins for Great Results
Amazon Price: $9.99 (as of 11/20/2009)
The Pumpkin Carving Book: How to Create Glowing Lanterns and Seasonal Displays
Amazon Price: (as of 11/20/2009)
Pumpkin Carving Book and Kit
Amazon Price: (as of 11/20/2009)
Preserve your Patriotic Pumpkin
Halloween doesn't last forever, and neither do pumpkins. There are a few things you can do to make them last longer.
- Rub cut edges with petroleum jelly. This will keep them moist, prevent them from drying and curling, and help discourage mold.
- Keep your pumpkin moist. When you're not displaying your pumpkin, spray it with a little water and wrap it in plastic. Keep it in the fridge if you can.
- Rejuvenate your pumpkin with a bath. If your pumpkin starts drying out, soak it in water. It may take a while, depending on how dry it's gotten, but a good soak can help bring a dying pumpkin back to life. Pat it dry with a towel before putting it back on display.
- Ward off bugs with bleach. A mist of water and bleach mixture from a spray bottle will help keep the bugs and mold away.
Find Pumpkin Carving Tools on eBay
eBay is a great place to find unique tools and decorations for your Patriotic Pumpkin. Don't scour the city for utensils - search from the comfort of your chair.
Fetching new data from eBay now... please stand by
Did you find a perfect pattern?
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- ideadesigns ideadesigns Oct 29, 2009 @ 11:07 am
- Great links and patterns! I've featured your lens on my new carving lens! It's so much fun to carve a pumpkin and let the kids get help create a masterpiece! http://www.squidoo.com/pumpkincarve
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- Manbiki Manbiki Oct 15, 2009 @ 2:22 am
- This is wonderful!
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- BalanceGirl BalanceGirl Oct 6, 2009 @ 3:42 pm
- Playsational has some great free pumpkin carving stencils. Here are some good ones.
Disney Pumpkin Carving Patterns
Free Pumpkin Carving Stencils
Scary Pumpkin Stencils
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- Nov 18, 2008 @ 6:55 pm
- Never thought of this before but this seems a good idea!
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- BethErickson BethErickson Nov 12, 2008 @ 1:08 am
- I love Halloween! And this wonderful idea would be in my listings! 5*
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