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Pumpkin Carving Halloween 2009: Ideas and Patterns

by Amy Judd | October 16, 2009 at 03:42 pm

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Pumpkin carving is as essential to Halloween as picking out an excellent costume can be, and many enjoy the feeling of squishing the pumpkin between your fingers as you carve it out, but pumpkin carving can be serious business.

How would you like to impress your neighbors with your Death Star pumpkin for example?

First of all you have to select a good pumpkin. You will need one that can stand up on its own, has a good round base and if you have a specific design in mind, you will need to pick one that can accomodate that design. Don't get your pumpkin at the beginning of October, chances are it won't last. Also, don't get one that is bumpy unless your design is bumpy like this pimply faced pumpkin as genearlly a smooth pumpkin is better. Lastly, knock on the pumpkin when selecting it; if it is hollow then it's good.

Next you have to hollow it out.

Cut the top of the pumpkin off and remove the cap as this is the top and you will need this later. Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds and flesh and you can separate the seeds if you want to for roasting later. You will then need to draw the face or design you want to have on the outside of the pumpkin and then you are ready to create your masterpiece. Careful when using knives though! Be safe!

One technique you can use, such as on this skull pumpkin for example, is to remove the outer layer of the skin but not cut all the way through to create a textured effect and a ghostly one too. If you want to do this, take a vegetable peeler or an X-Acto knife (again, be careful!) and peel away the skin. Additionally if you have one you could use a dremel.

With just these simple techniques, you can create pretty much any pattern you want.

A Michael Jackson pumpkin

A Cannibal Pumpkin

A scary demon pumpkin

A cold beer pumpkin

But if you need some pumpkin patterns to follow (like most of us here at NowPublic), here are some ideas (they are printable)

Alien Face Pattern

Banshee Pattern

Scary Cat Pattern

Spider Pattern

President Obama Pattern

John McCain Pattern

Sarah Palin Pattern

Standing Michael Jackson Pattern

Death Star Pattern

The night of All Hallows Eve used to be for honoring the dead and remembering your loved ones that has passed on and is considered the Witch's New Year. People used to place glowing jack-o-lanterns made from turnips or gourds in their windows and on their porches to let the dead know that they were welcome at that house, and they also protected against bad spirits.

When European settlers, particularly the Irish, arrived in American they found the native pumpkin to be larger, easier to carve and seemed the perfect choice for jack-o-lanterns.

Pumpkins are actually a fruit, did you know that?

Happy Halloween!