Tips for Pumpkin Carving
Choosing the Pumpkin
- Be sure to choose a big pumpkin that’s lighter in color, as these are easier to carve.
- Avoid pumpkins that have moldy stems or are sporting too many bruises. These will spoil faster.
- Flat-bottomed pumpkins won’t roll away from you while carving.
- For a replaceable top, be sure to cut it at a 45 degree angle, pointing the knife towards the center of the pumpkin. This way, when you replace the top, it won’t fall through. Don’t forget to put a notch on the top and on the pumpkin so you know which way the top goes when replacing it.
- After cutting a hole, clean out the inside. Using a metal spoon, start scraping from the top and work your way down and then just dump everything out.
- Making your walls 1 inch thick is optimal. Anything thinner will rot and wrinkle, anything thicker would be harder to carve.
- Plan it out ahead of time. If you’re going to freehand it, use a dry erase marker so it’s cleaner and easier to correct any mistakes.
- You can also use a template. After printing out a template, secure it to your pumpkin and then poke holes along the lines you need to carve.
- A serrated knife will be easiest to cut with.
- Start with the most delicate parts of the design.
- It’s better to work from the center and work your way out.
- For a longer lasting pumpkin, soak the finished pumpkin for two hours in a solution of 1 tsp of bleach to 1 gallon water.
- Cover the entire pumpkin with petroleum jelly, Vaseline, or vegetable oil in order to keep it hydrated so that it’ll last longer.