Pumpkin Carving Tips and Tricks

It’s finally here – we love the Spooky Season! It’s time to get tricking, treating, and most importantly – pumpkin carving. We spoke to The Pumpkin King and his Halloween Ragdoll friend – and they agreed to share their very best tips and tricks for carving your pumpkins “spooky style”!

Why hello all you ghosties and ghoulies! I am the Pumpkin King.

And I am the Halloween Ragdoll! Hello there, little pumpkins.

Decorating for Halloween, and pumpkin carving in particular is something very close to my cold heart. We have decided to share some tips and tricks of the trade with you, you lucky things.

We are going to teach you all about pumpkin carving using stencils! Then we have a very special treat for you… Some downloadable stencils for you to print out and try at home. Read on to find out more…

Step One – Choose Your Stencil

This is a most important step. Why, it’s choosing what you’d like to carve! Maybe you’d like to carve a cat, a bat, or a spooky scary skeleton… Whenever I’m mixing potions I just close my eyes and let my imagination decide, so think of the most spooky thing you can – and follow your heart.

If you scroll down to the bottom of this page, you may find a little treat… Some of our favourite stencils that you can download and have your grown-up print out for you! If not you can always purchase some on the world wide spiderweb. I like the look of these ones here…

Step Two – Pick Your Pumpkin

Now that you have chosen your design, you must pick the canvas for your artwork – a perfect, plump pumpkin.

This is truly my area of expertise! On the very night of Halloween, I carve a spooky face into the largest pumpkin I can find and I wear it on my head, laughing loudly for all to scream at! So make sure you choose your pumpkin wisely.

Ask your grown-up if you can all go to a pumpkin patch together! What a lovely day out you’ll have...

Step Three – Tracing Your Stencil

Once your have selected your stencil AND selected your victim I mean pumpkin, you must prepare your work station for torture I mean carving. Lay some newspaper or ask your grown up if you may use a table. Lay out your tools – You will need a pen, perhaps a pin, a knife, a large spoon and a candle. For this stage, there are two options to proceed: a pen or a pin.

If your stencil already has its holes cut out, a pen will be a great option! Place your stencil on the side of your pumpkin. It could be useful to stick the edges down with some squashed frogs. If you don’t have any squashed frogs, you could also try using sticky tape. You’ll then need to take your pen, and draw around the negative spaces of the stencil, directly onto the pumpkin!

If your stencil is printed onto a solid piece of paper, that’s ok too. The best way I like to work around this is by using pins! Make sure you have your grown-up’s permission and help to use these as they can be a bit sharp. I always have a needle stashed somewhere safe incase I fall apart and need sewing back together, but a flat headed pin from any voodoo doll will do nicely.

Stick your stencil to your pumpkin in the same way, and instead of drawing around the design, you are going to use your pin to poke little dots along the lines of the stencil instead. It’ll take some time, but it’ll work just marvellously!

Step Four – Connecting the Dots

Now, remove your stencil! If your design has been drawn on with a pen, you may skip this step. If, however, you have chosen instead to repeatedly stab small pointy objects into your pumpkin, when you lift off your stencil you will be left with a picture that resembles one of those dot-to-dot drawings.

Much like with sewing, you must now connect all the dots, weaving them together to make solid and clear lines. Take your pen and watch your masterpiece unfold!

Step Five – Pumpkin Carving

It is very important that you have a grown-up with you to help for this step. Now we are pumpkin carving, you will need to use a knife to stab into the fleshy parts! Don’t worry, I’ve been told they barely feel a thing. Start by asking your grown up to cut a large circle into the very brain of the pumpkin, creating a lid. Take your spoon, and scoop out the insides until nothing remains! Then, following the lines you made with your stencil and pen/pin combo, you may begin the pumpkin carving…

Your design, piece by piece, should be brought to life! Just like me, in a way. Just make sure that if one day your pumpkin tells you that they’re miserable and want to leave your house to be with their King, you must let them go. Thankfully, I suspect you’ll give them the most wonderful home that they won’t want to rot away from!

Place a candle within the empty shell of the pumpkin, set it aflame and watch as your pumpkin transforms into a perfect Halloween front door guardian. Now place your creation outside and let the trick or treaters know to beware your hallowed halls!

Tips, Tricks and a Treat!

We recommend that you source yourself one of these! These pumpkin carving kits are useful for little ones as they’re a little safer than the normal methods of disembowelling vegetables. You’ll still need your grown-up’s supervision though! The poking objects make a great alternative for pinning your stencil. The scoop is remarkable good at scraping out insides and the saw, well – the saw is a personal favourite of mine for various reasons.

The most important tip we have for you – is to have fun! If your pumpkin ends up looking a little wonky, don’t feel too down. Where we’re from, its all the odd things that look perfect for spooky season. Embrace your creation however they come!

And now for the TRICK. We were just kidding about downloadable stencils! There is nothing here for you to download! Hahahaha!

Now now, Jack, it’s not Halloween yet. For your TREAT, click below and download our pack of Imaginacts’ Halloween Pumpkin Stencils. Enjoy!

Well, well, well. The Spooky Season is here and the very night of Halloween is approaching! We look forward to seeing your preparations for our arrival – particularly those beautiful pumpkins…

Well done on your wonderful creations. We would love to see how well you’ve done – send us a photo to our friend [email protected] and we’ll be sure to appreciate your splendid work! Happy trick or treating, little ones. Stay safe and be spooky!

Written by Fiona Lynn