1 Note: Adult supervision is needed when using carving tools.
If children are allowed to carve, they should be instructed in safety and proper
use of tools.
Cut a lid. Draw a six-sided lid on top of your
pumpkin. Draw a "tooth" at the back of the lid as a guide for
replacing the lid. Make the lid large, so you can clean out the pumpkin easily.
Adults only: Very carefully, cut along the lines with a knife or a *Lid-CutterTM
saw. Angle the blade towards the center of the pumpkin to create a ledge that
supports the lid.
2.
Clean out the inside. Clean out the seeds and strings with a flat-tipped
ice-cream scoop or the *Scraper ScoopTM. Next, scrape the inner pulp away.
Scrape the area you plan to carve down to 1" thick. You can check the
thickness by pushing a straight pin through the wall.
3.
Transfer the design. Attach a pattern on your pumpkin with tape or straight
pins. If you use straight pins, place them along the design lines to avoid extra
holes in your pumpkin. Use the tip of the Pumpkin Master's Poker, a ball point
pen, or a straight pin to poke holes about 1/16" to 1/8" apart along
the design lines. Make sure all the lines have been transferred, then remove
pattern. If the design is hard to see, connect the dots with a pen or dull
pencil. If the dots do not show up well, rub flour over them to make them more
visible.
4. Cut or saw out the design. Carving the imprinted
pattern is simply a matter of slowly cutting or sawing from dot to dot. Work
from the center of the design outward to avoid pressure on areas already carved.
Always keep the saw or knife blade straight at a 90o angle to the pumpkin. Don't
twist the blade. Push the cut pieces in or out with your fingers, not the blade.
5.
Find the chimney location. Choose a spot towards the back and side of the
pumpkin bottom. Anchor your candle inside the pumpkin with melted wax or in
another way. Light the candle and replace the pumpkin lid. When the candle has
blackened a spot on the lid, blow out the candle. Cut out the blackened spot for
a chimney hole.