Archive for October, 2008
Halloween Special Issue: How to Carve like a Pro
Carving a three-layered pumpkin takes practice, but the ending effect is very cool It’s also easy to start, though it takes practice to get it just right.
You need at least three tools: a knife for carving; a tool for peeling and scraping, such as a putty knife or clay loop tool; and a spoon to scoop the guts out. It can also help to have a thin blade for cutting only halfway through the pumpkin for the glowy parts, such as an X-Acto knife. You can probably use things you find around the house if you don’t want to invest in one of those pumpkin carving tool kits.
Start by conceiving your pattern. You can download patterns from www.carvingpumpkins.com. Think in layers, like making the white of your pumpkin eyes the thinner layers that glow and the pupils’ holes that go all the way through. Draw your pattern with a pencil or crayon so you won’t get ink on your hands. Carve a hole in the top and clean out the pulp and seeds.
Now for the fun part! Carve out the “holes” parts first, but don’t take the pumpkin slices out until the very end — this helps prevent accidentally breaking part of your design. Using a knife (the X-Acto blade if you have it), carve the outlines of the glowy pattern, but don’t go more than about half an inch deep into your pumpkin. Then use the putty knife or clay loop to peel off the layers you want to glow, only about half an inch deep. If your pumpkin is thick, you may want to scrape away some more of the wall from the inside to make the glow brighter. Then pop out the slices you left in the holes. Don’t forget air holes in the top for the candle.
Get creative, and get messy!
Read the original version of this feature online here.
