Well, we did it again!
We procrastinated (actually just too busy) and we didn't get around to carving our pumpkins until 1 hour before the trick-or-treaters started arriving!
Anyway, here are photos of the pumpkins we decided to carve this year: A witch, a ghost, a baseball-cap-wearing-bubble-blower, and two happy gourds.
Here's how we did it...
We had carved the Witch and the Ghost in year's past.
They're both sort of 3-dimensional, and they look really cool close-up.
New for us this year were the gourds, and the baseball-cap-wearing-bubble-blower.
If you're interested in trying these yourself, first, check out our easy-to-follow, step-by-step directions for carving pumpkins in general, then follow these extra tips specific to the pumpkins we carved this year:
For the Witch or the Ghost:
Using the templates we've scanned for the Witch and the Ghost (or Bats, or Haunted House), remember to work from the center of the design outward to avoid putting pressure on areas already carved (since the pumpkin becomes weaker each time you remove a piece). And, you get the best effects if you only carve through about half the thickness of the pumpkin's flesh in some places (it looks 3-dimensional or shaded, allowing the light shows through at different intensities).
For the Gourds:
These are a very simple freehand project, and they make such an impact because so few people are doing it! After cutting off the bottom of the gourd (instead of the top), scrape out the insides as far up into the stem as you can. Note that the higher you scrape out the insides, the higher you can place the eyes. Simply hand-draw two eyes and a great big mouth (each in the size and shape of your choosing).
For the Baseball-Cap-Wearing-Bubble-Blower:
Cut out the bottom (rather than the top) of a small-to-medium sized pumpkin, then scrape out the insides and wash it out. Since the only part you're actually carving on this little guy is a couple of eyes, you also have to carve a huge hole in the back so enough air can enter and exit to keep the candle lit inside. Draw thick black lines under the eyes, and lightly draw on a nose. Poke a very tiny hole where his mouth would be, then after blowing up a small pink water balloon, poke the tied end through that little hole. Finally top with a baseball cap – worn backwards!
For us, next year's carvings will likely include:
Lessons We've Learned:
1. Don't buy the pumpkins too early ...they'll start to rot. We bought ours early in October, and they barely made it to late in October! And it didn't seem to matter what size they were. The outer skin on the very large ones started to shrivel ever-so-slightly as the days went by. And the skin of the gourds became moldy and squishy anywhere the gourd was touching a step (or another gourd). I guess they start to rot the fastest in the areas that are touching things.
3. Start carving earlier than 1 hour before the trick-or-treaters start arriving (...though it gives you something to talk about with all the parents of the tiny tots!)
4. Remember to buy plenty of tea-light candles ahead of time. The larger pumpkins need more light, and the bubble-blower has such tiny carved spaces (just the two small eyes) that you need a really powerful light inside to be noticeable.
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