Easy Pumpkin Carving Ideas to up your Carving Game
Carving a pumpkin is a Halloween tradition we'd never skip. But that doesn't mean we'd shy away from improving our jack-o'-lantern routine. These helpful hacks and creative ideas will help you make the carving process easier (and prettier!) this year.
Don't Remove the Top- Remove the Bottom
Conventional wisdom will have you carve a circle around the stem of the pumpkin to open it up. But whose idea was that? Cut a hole out of bottom instead- use a tall bowl to steady the pumpkin while you do it. This simple pumpkin carving hack means you can place a votive candle right on your porch or windowsill, and lower the pumpkin over it. The candle doesn't have to rest on the uneven interior of the gourd, and you don't have to reach inside the pumpkin to light it!
Trade the Candle for Fairy Lights
Alternatively, skip the flaming, drippy candle completely. Instead, fill a mason jar with battery-powered LED lights and place it inside your jack-o'-lantern. You'll get all the glow without the heat.
Bust the Guts with a Drill and a Beater
Scooping out a pumpkin's seeds and stringy flesh can be a slow and slimy job. To make quick work (and less mess), grab a beater from your hand mixer and attach it to a drill. Whirl it around inside the pumpkin — it will grab and loosen all guts so you can just dump them into the compost. Got stragglers? An ice cream scoop is sturdier and deeper than a spoon, so it'll grab any lingering bits in a flash. Who says pumpkin carving can't be efficient?
Use Cookie Cutters to Carve Words and Shapes
Not feeling too savvy at doing it freehand? This easy pumpkin carving idea will be your saviour. Let cookie cutters do the artistic heavy-lifting. You'll need a hammer or a mallet to help punch the cutters into the pumpkin.
Another simple pumpkin carving idea is to use toothpicks keep the "negative space" cut-outs in place and add to the scary, rickety look. You can also use toothpicks to turn the pumpkin pieces into a 3D design!
A Drill Can Make a Polka-Dot Pattern
Sometimes you need a power tool to do a pretty job. And it takes basically zero effort to drill holes through the pumpkin — no carving calluses here! Make a deliberate pattern or take an ad-hoc approach; either way, the effect will look striking when it's lit up.
Skip the Pumpkin Carving Completely
If you're not one for wading through pumpkin guts and wielding a sharp knife for the sake of holiday decor, you can still make a glowing Halloween presentation. Glow-in-the-dark paint looks great after the sun's been hitting your porch pumpkin all day — or buy black light bulb to really make the pumpkin pop at a party.
Got one or two leftover? Discover our tasty autumnal pumpkin recipes to put them to good use!
