Pumpkin Carving Tips and Tricks

 
 


Carving a Real Pumpkin can be a fun experience and will help put you in the holiday spirit. Save the seeds for toasting or for planting next year’s pumpkins! Real pumpkins will last between 2-5 days after being carved.

Carving a Foam Pumpkin has it's advantages too. They are of uniform size, shape and color. They're also less messy than real pumpkins and last for years. Some patterns, such as the more advanced ones which take longer, are worth it to carve on a foam pumpkin as your work will last much longer than 3 days.

 
 

Click here for Real Pumpkin Carving Instructions

Click here for Foam Pumpkin Carving Instructions

 
 

Host a Halloween Pumpkin-Carving Party this year!

Remember that the pumpkins are the star of the show, so don't plan an elaborate feast. Something casual and easy works best!

Menu:

Gameplan

The night before:

Pick up assorted pumpkins for carving. Avoid broken stems or bruises, as they can cause faster spoilage.

Choose pumpkins that are at least 9-10 inches high so there is adequate room for a votive candle to burn safely.

Shop for carving and painting supplies: carving patterns, permanent markers, water-based markers, tempera paints, small paintbrushes, plastic carving tools, stickers, sponges and glass votives with candles.

Grocery Shopping List:

Cook dessert according to recipe; cover and refrigerate.

Cook sloppy joes according to recipe; cover and store pan in refrigerator.

Prepare coleslaw according to recipe; cover and refrigerate.

Set up a sloppy joes station near the stove. Set out a fall-colored placemat and stack dinner plates, napkins and utensils on top.

Print out our pumpkin-carving templates, like our Franken-Pumpkins I and II series, so guests have some ideas about what to carve. Make sure you have pumpkin templates that vary in skill level and are age/skill appropriate for your guests.

Print out our carving tips for your guests to help ensure that everything goes smoothly and the carvings last as long as they can.

30 minutes before the party:

Stack pumpkins under a tree to create a mini patch where guests pick their own. Add a scarecrow, a bale of straw, and a few corn stalks for added fun and atmosphere.

Set up a carving table outside. Cover it with several layers of newspaper taped into place with masking tape.

Lay out markers, stickers, paints, cutting tools and any large spoons, ladles or ice cream scoops you can find on table.

Fill a few glasses or empty yogurt cups with water and set out for painters. Set out sponges so kids can wipe off mistakes.

Place pot with premade sloppy joe filling on the stove to reheat. Transfer filling to a crock-pot set on the low setting.

Heat up Apple Cider and add 1 cinnamon stick and three large slices of an orange and transfer to crock-pot on low. set out coleslaw and dessert.

Start up a nice fire in your outdoor pit to add to fall smells.

Now enjoy the fall weather with your friends and family while carving pumpkins and sharing in the joys of the season.

During the party:

Let each guest choose a pumpkin and bring it to the table.

Ask adults to cut tops of pumpkins with sharp knives. Make holes big enough for a hand to reach inside. Angle cuts inward so that top of pumpkin won't fall in.

Have younger kids clean out seeds with large spoons, ice cream scoops, or soup ladles.

Use water-based markers to experiment with jack-o'-lantern faces. Outline the design in permanent marker before carving or painting.

Younger kids can paint or mark pumpkins with markers or stickers. Older kids can use plastic carving tools or knives to cut out the pumpkin designs.

Test votive lights. Light candle and put lid on pumpkin. If the light goes out, make some wider cuts in pumpkin to allow better air flow.

Let kids toss store-bought pumpkin seeds with vegetable oil and salt; roast at 350 degrees F until crunchy. (Freshly scraped-out seeds need to be picked through and cleaned, plus air-dried, before roasting.)