How To Carve A Ghouling Good Pumpkin
- 2 min reading time
You snuck right up on us. The leaves and air are getting crisp, sweaters and scarves are the standards, and we dare you to find anything that isn’t pumpkin spiced…but please call us if you do. Of course, all these autumnal signs point to another obligatory pumpkin carving sesh. If the usual janky, jagged face has you bored out of your gourd (sorry not sorry) gather round and pour a festive beverage into your favorite Silipint because we’ve got options that will put the “Oh!” in your jack-o-lantern.
Oh October,
You snuck right up on us. The leaves and air are getting crisp, sweaters and scarves are the standards, and we dare you to find anything that isn’t pumpkin spiced…but please call us if you do.
Please?
Of course, all these autumnal signs point to another obligatory pumpkin carving sesh. If the usual janky, jagged face has you bored out of your gourd (sorry not sorry) gather round and pour a festive beverage into your favorite Silipint because we’ve got options that will put the “Oh!” in your jack-o-lantern.
First things first. No one says your pumpkin has to go under the knife to be fabulous. And let’s face it, small children wielding sharp knives is scarier than any slasher movie. Try these family-friendly decorating options that are a whole lot less stabby.
- Paint your pumpkin all black, then add a spooky scene with glow in the dark paint.
- Free-hand art skills a little shaky? Trace shapes using cookie cutters as a guide, then fill ‘em in with glitter glue.
- Or wrap a few gourds in gauze and add oversized googly eyes to create a mummy pumpkin family.
If more power is your thing, look no further than the hardware store…or a neighbor’s well-stocked tool bench. Use a Dremel to shave off the outer layer of the pumpkin’s skin (eww!) and reveal an eerie glow from within. A drill with a thick bit makes perfect punctures for patterns like moons, tombstones, and ghosts. Check out the Pumpkin Lady for free and unique patterns to download. You could even channel your inner Jason and fire up the chainsaw, but results may vary so proceed with caution, and a lot of swinging room.
Side note from a friend: Be sure to clean the pumpkin guts off tool bits right after the carving fun is done or they’ll never be the same again.
When it comes to illumination, we won’t judge if you go old school with your real flames. But, may we suggest using Silipint shots to contain your candles? Less wobble, more light; we promise. Want to go with a flame-free glow (say that five times fast!)? Silipint glow-in-the-dark cups are a winner every time. For special effects, ball up a string of battery-operated blinking holiday lights and watch your pumpkin strobe.
Whether your creation is sili or scary, of course, you want it to last. Here are a few tips:
- Don’t carve it too soon. No more than 7-10 days before Halloween is a good rule of thumb.
- Shelter it! Nothing will cave in your pumpkins’ toothy faces faster than frost, so bring them in on cold evenings.
- Want to avoid the scary, hairy mildew that always seems to invade? Mist the inside of your pumpkin with a mix of white vinegar and water.
Try these tricks and make pumpkin carving, you guessed it, a treat.