It’s time to break out the pumpkin carving tools and get carving! I’ve included some free pumpkin carving stencils for y’all in this post, as well as my pumpkin carving essentials.
I still enjoy the old jack-o-lantern look to my pumpkins, but sometimes it’s fun to carve a design that’s a little more “you”. You can really go hog wild with the ideas – have you seen some of those intricate pumpkin designs? Crazy!
I gathered a few designs that I thought would make cool pumpkins but are beginner friendly, too. After all – the kids will likely to take part in this and we don’t want to sit there for hours carving away or make it too hard for them to participate.
Pumpkin Carving Tools
First things first. If you want a stellar design on your pumpkin, you need to have the right tools. Those packaged tools they sell in the grocery store don’t really cut it (pun intended). These tools are somewhat hard to use (read: tiny) and end up bending or breaking. I do like the scoop, however.
But my advice is to invest in a set of quality pumpkin carving tools that you can bust out year after year. I recommend this set. It’s stainless steel and heavy duty – but they are sharp so use caution!
Free Pumpkin Carving Stencils
Here’s some free pumpkin carving stencils. These are each on 8.5 x 11 inch paper – so just print it out, stick it on the front of your pumpkin with tape, and carve through the paper into the pumpkin. Once you have the basic outline done, you can remove the paper and finish carving.
Click here to download these stencils.
Pumpkin Candles
Another important factor is how to light the pumpkins once you are done. Thankfully, we are past the days of having to put a real flame candle in there. Phew! I bought this set of solar candles a long time ago and they are still going strong!
They really give off a great amount of light and I never have to worry about batteries. The only caveat? You have to take them out the pumpkins in the morning so they can charge by sun, and then put them back in the pumpkins at night. It’s not a big deal for me to do this because it’s only a week.
The other option is to use these battery operated tealights. I own these and I love them! They are realistic, flicker and give off a soft glow. They also sell them in an orange color. I highly recommend checking out Homemory candles when you get a chance.
Pumpkin Carving 101
Carving a pumpkin is messy, but not hard.
- Cut a circle around the top stem of the pumpkin and lift the top off.
- Scoop out the flesh and pumpkin seeds (save the seeds for snacking!)
- Carve your design in the front of the pumpkin.
- Place a candle inside and put the top back on! Voila!
And that’s it, my friends. Happy Pumpkin Carving!
Karen Sloan
Karen Sloan is the founder, editor and syndicated content writer of www.decorhint.com. She offers hints of inspiration for everyday living, including home ideas, DIY projects and lifestyle content. Her work has appeared on Google News, MSN, Pioneer Woman, Apartment Therapy, and Bustle, among others.