Carving Pumpkins can be an exciting project for anyone. Follow these instructions and you can create the perfect jack-o-lantern for your Halloween decoration.

Objectives

• To show the basics of pumpkin carving
• To demonstrate the use linoleum cutting tools to enhance a carved pumpkin
• To show how to create attachments to your pumpkin.

Procedure

Note — The linoleum cutters should not be used by young children. They are sharp and may cut the carver. Use with caution.

1. Using the pumpkin cutter cut an opening around the stem large enough to fit your hand inside. Cut at an angle so that the lid won't fall inside.
2. Remove the fibrous material from inside the pumpkin using a large metal tablespoon and your hand. Hold the head of the spoon and start scraping the inner wall. Removing approximately 1/8" to 1/4" at a time until the walls are approximately 1-1/2" thick all around.
3. To create the eyes, cut two small holes about 3 inches below the lid and 6-8" apart using the pumpkin cutter. Cut several small holes around them creating a circular, oval or rectangular shape for the eyes.
4. For the nose cut 2 holes about 2 inches below the bottom of the eyes.
5. For the mouth, cut a curved slit to represent the opening between the lips or the teeth. It should be about 3 inches below the bottom of the nostrils.
6. Some other decorative cuts may be added around the eyes, nose and mouth.
7. When all holes for the face area are completed, it is time to cut relief cuts. Relief cuts for the purpose of this lesson will refer to any cuts into the surface that do not cut completely through the walls of the pumpkin. Recommended linoleum blades for this will be blade numbers 3,5 and 6.
• Areas that may be suitable for relief cutting are the forehead, the temple areas, the cheeks, the side of the face, the chin, the teeth, several areas of the nose and the area under the nose.
• Use a number 3 blade to cut thin lines that are still wide enough to be observed when the pumpkins are displayed in a darker setting.
• The number 5 blade will make wider lines and can be used for making a textured area with ridges. These ridges may be random or may be cut to form patterns. This blade may also make a relatively flat area by cutting closely to the previous cut mark. The texture or flat area may be cut 1/8" or may be cut as deep as 1-1/4" if your pumpkin walls are 1-1/2". The deeper the area is cut, the more light that will show through when the candle is lit.
• The number 6 blade is used to cut deeper lines more quickly. It is also used to clean up edges of spaces for a more defined area.
8. You can carve attachments out of the backside of the pumpkin in the shape of ears, horns, antlers, lightning bolts, antennae, etc. Cut holes in the top or side area for these. Be sure not to cut the holes too large, otherwise your attachment may not hold securely in place.

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