Stencil

For those of you who want to use a stencil this is the tricky part. I am going to do an Obama pumpkin, and because the stencil has a lot of small peices I am going to just cut away the skin. going all the way through would leave less deffinition...and this way is easier.

I dont know if there is an easier way, but this is how i do it
1. draw the stencil

2. cut the stencil out

3. tape it to the pumpkin

4. trace it on the pumpkin and swear a few times because it shifted.

This (i am going to stress) will be the hardest part of the pumpkin carving process.
If you plan to use a 3 colored stencil (the skin, shaved areas, and all the way cut), make a few different stencils, I did that for a Gollum. The trick for that is have a few different colored sharpies so it doesnt get too confusing.

Tools

The tools are rather important.

I dont actually have ANY of the specific pumpkin carving tools. I dont have the knives or hollowing tools. I couldnt bring myself to spend money of them.

-I use box cutters. I have one large one and one small one.
-For the inside (to take out all the muck out) I have just a normal soup spoon
-I have a normal bowl to put seeds into (to cook later on)
-a lage bowl or a plastic grocery bag to put all the stuff inside in.
-A sharpie to draw the stencil on the pumpkin
-paper for for the stencil (if you choose to use one)
-a normal kife to cut the top off (just a steak knife). Thats the thickest park of the pumpkin so the box cutter wont cut through it.

I also get a good music play list going, or some NPR podcasts haha

Intro

This is the first entry on carving pumpkins. I will go through tools I use and go step by step with designs from start to finish.

I am getting geared up as the season starts for pumpkins. Last year I carved pumpkins for everyone I work with...this year I plan on doing a lot more!

Anyways I hope this helps if you are interested on pumpkin carving, but don't know how to go about it...Obviously you can go about carving your pumpkin in any way that feels right, this is just how I do it, feel free to change any step or send me things that you do different or pumpkins you have carved!

Enjoy the season!!!