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Pumpkin Carving Checklist

Easy 22 items · 1.5 hours
testuser's avatar
testuser Published 1 week ago
Lifestyle

Use this the evening you carve, whether it is one pumpkin on the porch or a table of kids with a pumpkin each. It runs from picking the pumpkin at the patch to setting it out lit, with the steps in the order that keeps the mess on the newspaper.

Cut the opening in the back or the bottom instead of the top. A bottom opening lets you set the pumpkin straight down over a light, and the top stays whole, with no lid line cut around the stem.

Carve close to the night you want it on show. Once a pumpkin is opened it starts to soften and grow mold, and a warm porch speeds that up.

Progress
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  1. Pick a pumpkin with a firm green stem and no soft spots — Press around the base too. A soft bottom is where rot starts.
  2. Check that it sits flat without rolling
  3. Choose your design before you cut anything — Big simple shapes are easier for a first pumpkin than thin lines.
  4. Get a carving kit with a small serrated saw and a poker — A thin saw follows curves where a kitchen knife wedges and slips.
  5. Gather a big metal spoon, a marker, tape, a bowl for seeds and a bin bag
  6. Cover the table with newspaper or a plastic sheet
  7. Wash and dry the outside of the pumpkin — Dirt dulls the saw and a wet skin won't hold tape or marker.
  8. Cut the opening in the back, bottom or top — If you cut a top lid, angle the saw inward so the lid rests on a ledge instead of dropping in.
  9. Scoop out the seeds and stringy pulp — This is the best job for small kids.
  10. Set the seeds aside if you plan to roast them
  11. Scrape the inside of the face side thinner — A thinner wall is easier to cut and lets more light through the design.
  12. Tape the pattern on, or draw it with a washable marker
  13. Poke dots along the pattern lines, then peel the paper off — The dot outline is your cutting guide.
  14. Cut the small details in the middle first, then the large outer shapes — Cutting the big pieces first weakens the face and the small bits snap.
  15. Saw with gentle up-and-down strokes and keep your other hand out of the blade's path
  16. Push each cut piece out from the inside — Pushing from outside can crack the edge of the design.
  17. Wipe off the pattern marks and loose bits
  18. Use a battery tea light or LED instead of a candle — It can't set fire to a costume brushing past the step.
  19. If you use a real candle, cut a small vent hole in the top — Keep it away from doorways, curtains and dry decorations, and never leave it burning unattended.
  20. Place the pumpkin somewhere cool and out of direct sun
  21. Check it each day and throw it out once it goes soft or moldy
  22. Compost the pulp and the finished pumpkin
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