How do you carve your pumpkins?

[Annette1990]

How do you all design your pumpkins? I usually buy a book and use it for a design as I am not that great at carving. I have a friend who can put such cool designs on hers doing it freehand. I spoke with my sister today who has a 7month old little boy. It's his fist Halloween! She said she had bought him a little pumpkin and she used ribbon (which she tied on the stem) and curled it for hair. I don't recall what she said she used for the eyes or nose but she told me she put a small hole where the mouth goes and inserted one of the babies old pacifiers/binky...this was too cute. The visual I had of this baby's pumpkin made me laugh.

[Billy Battles]

I just try to free hand it. They always look the same.

[kidzrme]

I have done stencils and freehand. The stencils always come out looking much better than the freehand.

[clarebear]

I use stencils, sometimes just free hand knife carving.

[kidzrme]

I take that back, I used a stencil this year, and it came out terrible! I tried to get too fancy :(

[Maureen]

I just wing it!!!

I must admit, when my son was smaller, pumpkin carving wasn't big over here in Scotland so you couldn't get them that easily in the supermarkets. So, I decided to do what the natives did and carve a turnip. Have you ever tried to carve a turnip???!!!!!!

Thank goodness pumpkins are now more readily accessible - I no longer have to replace my cutlery and grow skin back on my hands!!!!!!!

[act_as_if]

I freehand. This year, I carved the Chicago Bears "C" in mine. It's pretty awesome if I do say so myself!

[xmaslilly]

For my wood ones I use a jigsaw..
the foam ones I use a razor and knife
for real ones a reg knife
and stencil or just draw it on
you can see some here, this is not all of them though
http://s79.photobucket.com/albums/j136/imdiamondlilly/pumpkins/

[michellibell]

I use Pumkinmasters stencils and have for several years. I'm getting pretty good at it... last year I did a pumpkin free hand with our family name. It looked professional, if I must say so myself! LOL! I was quite proud of it!

[trackrebel]

I just did it once...and it was done by hand...i mean no stencils...I´ll do it again this year...and will do it the same....I think we don´t even have these things.

[SparkleNana]

Annette1990 -- your description of the baby pumpkin with the pacifier in its mouth was adorable!!

The first pumpkins we put out are carved by the hungry squirrels eating away on them.

The most talented person in our household carves them (and that person is not me!)

[MsChristmas]

I have always done it freehand. I started making my husband do it last year. My son (who is 1 1/2 now) and I just watched and that was fun because he is a lot better at it then me =0)


:pumpkin:

[BritneyBug]

For my wood ones I use a jigsaw..
the foam ones I use a razor and knife
for real ones a reg knife
and stencil or just draw it on
you can see some here, this is not all of them though
http://s79.photobucket.com/albums/j136/imdiamondlilly/pumpkins/

I love your pumpkins!

[Ms_Speedy_Elf]

How do you all design your pumpkins? I usually buy a book and use it for a design as I am not that great at carving. I have a friend who can put such cool designs on hers doing it freehand. I spoke with my sister today who has a 7month old little boy. It's his fist Halloween! She said she had bought him a little pumpkin and she used ribbon (which she tied on the stem) and curled it for hair. I don't recall what she said she used for the eyes or nose but she told me she put a small hole where the mouth goes and inserted one of the babies old pacifiers/binky...this was too cute. The visual I had of this baby's pumpkin made me laugh.


That baby pumpkin sounds so cute ! cheesy

[MerryChristmasLydio]

I core my pumpkin then take a pencil and design what I want done. Then I try to find the smallest yet sharpest knife I can find. THEN I carve it. I always try to make them look as silly or happy as can be. I like "spooky" lanterns too but I also like my happy and silly ones. This year I am going to do something a little different. I am going to carve 4 different characters on it. I usually figure out where I can find 4 sides on a round pumpkin then I think of a pie and how to cut it into 4ths. So I take my pencil and mark off the areas and each character will have it's own "box". I am probably going to do a Halloween kitten, a silly little ghost, a spider, and a trick-or-treater. I'll have to try to find a round enough pumpkin though. I want to choose it cause I want the right one. The most perfect of all the pumpkins in the Wal-Mart box. LOL! Then I'll toast the seeds like i did last year.:pumpkin::boo: