– Sponsored Post –

Halloween is right around the corner… that dark, shady corner. What better way to celebrate and be festive than with the use of pumpkins! There are lots of ways to enhance upon these fleshy orange gourds (also considered a squash or a fruit) to help them stand out from all other pumpkins.

Get yourself one or a few and get to carving out the ideas found below to become one of the best pumpkin Kings or Queens on the block!

11 Pumpkin Carving Hacks For a Killer Halloween!

1. Get To The Guts Quicker

When carving out a pumpkin lid, create an extension from the rounded circle at the top that connects to the lid and curves down over the side of the pumpkin. Doing this will keep your hands from getting too messy, make the guts inside much easier to scoop out, as well as simplify placing (and lighting) the candle used to light it with.

2. Drill Into Pumpkin Flesh

If you are unable to keep a steady hand when carving your pumpkin or simply want to take the quickest, easiest route to a stellar design, try using a hand-drill to poke several holes through the pumpkin shell. Create a starry-eyed design or even make a hanging disco ball or swinging lantern. To do this, push a coat hanger through one of the holes on either side, then bend the hanger on the interior of the pumpkin to secure it from slipping out and hang it up high.

3. Make Teeth Using Toothpicks

Carve out the face of your jack-o-lantern but don’t carve teeth, instead carve out a mouth so there is a gaping hole. Then, use the carved-out mouthpiece to cut off long pieces resembling teeth and secure these pieces inside the mouth of the pumpkin using toothpicks.

4. Shave Your Pumpkin For Extra Effect

Another way to make teeth is to carve them into the pumpkin when doing the rest of the face. Using a sharp knife, gently remove the thin, outer layer of pumpkin skin to reveal the lighter, fleshy pulp underneath. Use this technique on the entire pumpkin without carving any part of it if you prefer.

5. Use Thumb Tacks and Stencils

Many pumpkin carving kits come complete with various stencil designs and plastic carving tools, or there are special wooden tools for repeated use such as those found here; pumpkin carving tools. However if unable to acquire these, consider using a thumbtack to poke holes in the pumpkin, creating a design before carving, or even a pen. Also, hundreds of stencil designs can easily be found online to help create a classic jack-o-lantern face or something more unique and challenging.

6. Mark It Up With Dry-Erase Marker

Instead of using a thumbtack or carving tools, you could also use a dry-erase marker to create a design before carving into your pumpkin. Pencils, pens, and regular markers make it difficult to get the design just right, leaving little margin for error since they’re difficult to be erased. When a mistake is made with a dry-erase marker, simply use a damp cloth or paper towel to remove the ink.

7. Cut It Up With a Cookie Cutter

Want to skip the entire design and/or stencil process? Use cookie cutters! Get any number of various cookie cutter shapes and stamp them all over your pumpkin. Once, twice, or however many times. As chaotic or as orderly as you wish.

8. Make a Flaming Pumpkin

Draw on and carve out the face or design of your pumpkin. Place a roll of toilet paper inside then soak the toilet paper in kerosene. Light this roll of kerosene-soaked toilet paper somewhere outside that is fire-safe. Kerosene is a slow burning fuel and it may take a moment to light, yet it remains burning up to a few hours.

9. Make a Pumpkin Cooler

Make your Halloween party even cooler with a pumpkin that can store cans or bottled beverages. Find the biggest, baddest pumpkin in the pumpkin field that can hold a large number of beverages depending on the number of guests invited. Carve the top portion of the pumpkin as well as the inner pulp and seeds. Then fill the pumpkin with ice and beverages. Also, you could carve small holes to hold your beverages around the outside circumference of the pumpkin. Fit your beverages into these holes and fill the inside of the pumpkin with ice. For an extra added smoky effect, use two bags of dry ice!

10. Turn The Pumpkin Stem Into a Nose

Make a lid on the opposite end of the stem to scoop out the pumpkin’s fleshy bits then use the side with the stem to create the face. Using the stem as a nose, carve out the eyes and mouth the regular way, or use the method of slicing off the outer thin layer of pumpkin skin as shown in the image below. Use black paint or a heavy-duty black marker to draw in pupils.

11. Make a Smoking Pumpkin

For this pumpkin carving trick, you will need a small tin foil tray, a bottle of deionized water, a bottle of glycerin, four nails, and 3-4 tea light candles. Place the four nails inside the pumpkin to prop the tin foil tray on, then mix together equal parts glycerin and deionized water (creating a solution similar to what is found in fog machines). Place this solution in the tin foil tray and light the tea light candles beneath it. Replace the lid and after a few minutes, the pumpkin will filter smoke from its face.

Whichever pumpkin carving method you choose to go with, make a memory of it and have fun. Also, consider making vegan spiced pumpkin seeds out of the experience as well. Create both a fun craft plus a tasty treat. Happy Halloween! ☠

~Recommended: Pumpkin Carving Tools

Sources:

(1) http://cdn.goodshomedesign.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/final_pumpkins-1.jpg

(2) http://blog.partydelights.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/pumpkin-carving-step-2.png

(3) http://s.hswstatic.com/gif/pumpkin-carve-24.jpg

Image: http://s3.amazonaws.com/ftk-s3/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/21205932/pumpkin-cooler.jpg

.

FTC DISCLOSURE: In order to support the continuance of Spirit Earth Awakening, monetary compensation for any endorsement, recommendation, testimonial and/or link to products or services from this article may be received. However, only products or services used and tested by members of our staff, and in alignment with Spirit Earth Awakening’s ideals, are ever recommended. Spirit Earth Awakening is a proud participant of the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. All information provided is meant for educational and informational purposes only. The statements on this website have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Products and/or information are not intended to diagnose, cure, treat, or prevent any disease. Readers are advised to do their own research and make decisions in partnership with their health care provider.