Pumpkin Carving Checklist

22 items · Lifestyle · Easy difficulty · 1.5 hours

Pick, scoop, pattern, carve and light a jack-o'-lantern, with the scooping left to the kids and a battery light in place of a candle.

• Pick a pumpkin with a firm green stem and no soft spots

  Press around the base too. A soft bottom is where rot starts.

• Check that it sits flat without rolling
• Choose your design before you cut anything

  Big simple shapes are easier for a first pumpkin than thin lines.

• Get a carving kit with a small serrated saw and a poker

  A thin saw follows curves where a kitchen knife wedges and slips.

• Gather a big metal spoon, a marker, tape, a bowl for seeds and a bin bag
• Cover the table with newspaper or a plastic sheet
• Wash and dry the outside of the pumpkin

  Dirt dulls the saw and a wet skin won't hold tape or marker.

• 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.

• Scoop out the seeds and stringy pulp

  This is the best job for small kids.

• Set the seeds aside if you plan to roast them
• Scrape the inside of the face side thinner

  A thinner wall is easier to cut and lets more light through the design.

• Tape the pattern on, or draw it with a washable marker
• Poke dots along the pattern lines, then peel the paper off

  The dot outline is your cutting guide.

• 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.

• Saw with gentle up-and-down strokes and keep your other hand out of the blade's path
• Push each cut piece out from the inside

  Pushing from outside can crack the edge of the design.

• Wipe off the pattern marks and loose bits
• Use a battery tea light or LED instead of a candle

  It can't set fire to a costume brushing past the step.

• 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.

• Place the pumpkin somewhere cool and out of direct sun
• Check it each day and throw it out once it goes soft or moldy
• Compost the pulp and the finished pumpkin

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