Carved from a pumpkin in the form of a frightening head. Everyone can create their own drawing to decorate a pumpkin for Halloween. For development creativity you can make your child out of a pumpkin with your own hands.

The autumn holiday is coming soon and you will think, what could be done beautiful and unique with your own hands? The solution to this issue is described in stages in this article. Read and do step by step beautiful crafts from a pumpkin with their own hands on.

It doesn't matter if you are a child or an adult; if we're talking about carving a holiday pumpkin, the process is messy, difficult, and frustrating when the art starts to rot in just a few days.

In order to save yourself and your little one from a tearful goodbye to your pumpkin friend, here are a bunch of simple tricks that will make Halloween pumpkin carving a much more enjoyable experience for the whole family.

From ways to make the process easier to tips on how to extend the life of your masterpiece, here are 16 hacks you need to carve a Halloween pumpkin.

Spray the inside of the pumpkin with the vinegar solution

This tip is for those who like to carve their Halloween pumpkins ahead of time. Vinegar will help prolong the life of the "shimmering Jack".

Apply vaseline ointment to intricate patterns

One of the most important Halloween pumpkin carving hacks. A small amount of vaseline applied to the edges of the pattern will protect them from drying out and twisting.

connect the dots

If you are using a stencil, transfer the stencil onto the pumpkin itself with a marker so you have a clearer idea of ​​where to cut to carve your Halloween pumpkin nicely.

Don't use permanent marker

Drawings on a pumpkin are best done with the most common erasable marker, in case the baby changes his mind or makes a mistake.

Try bleach (chlorine)

If you don't have pets in the house and you're going to store your artwork outside, spray your finished, carved pumpkin with bleach. This one will save your artwork from bugs and mold.

Experiment with cookie cutters

What if instead of using a knife, you could try cutting holes in a pumpkin with a cookie cutter? A little force and the picture will appear in a split second!

Also use a drill

Fantasy is not over-imagination - change drills and create your own unique Halloween pumpkin design.

How about a plastic jaw?

Don't force your child to fight with every single tooth - just put a plastic jaw on the pumpkin when you decorate it for Halloween.

Start at the bottom, not at the top

Instead of cutting off the top and starting to peel the inside of the pumpkin, try making a hole in the bottom. This will make it easier to clean and install a candle or flashlight inside.

Use the floor cleaner too

Tail will do everything for you

Mister Pumpkin's permanent nose! You don't even need to think of anything.

A bag of gel balls will also come in handy.

Remember the little bags of silica gel you usually put in your pockets or shoeboxes? Place just such a specimen inside the pumpkin to prevent mold from forming. Just remember if you have Small child, it is better to put a pumpkin with silica gel so that the baby does not reach it and cannot swallow the gel balls.

Toys are on the move

Some extra toys, like Mr. Potato Head or colored puzzle pieces, can be safely attracted when you carve a Halloween pumpkin with your child.

Another way to cut off the top of a pumpkin

Starting to cut the top, also cut off a piece of the back wall of the pumpkin. This will make it much easier to clean the insides of the berry when you carve the pumpkin for Halloween.

Stock up on glow sticks or flashlights

If you're nervous about candles or want something a little more original, glow sticks are the way to go. Simple and fun.

Use an ice cream scoop

If your child intends to carve a Halloween pumpkin himself, it will be much easier for him to clean out the middle of the pumpkin with an ice cream carve.

We hope the article was useful for you and you can easily and beautifully carve a pumpkin for Halloween. And your family and guests will appreciate the originality of pumpkin crafts at the highest level.

Halloween pumpkin is as much a symbol of the holiday as numerous costumes, specific dishes and scary stories. With the appearance of a pumpkin with a candle inside, the magic that is peculiar only to this holiday penetrates into our house, and everything takes on some special, mystical meaning.

It is simply impossible to forget about the pumpkin on the eve of Halloween. There are many articles, photos and recommendations on the Internet about the ways and techniques of carving a pumpkin for Halloween. Almost everywhere it is said that there is nothing difficult in carving a funny or scary face out of a pumpkin. However, if you have ever tried to make a Jack lantern yourself, then you have probably encountered a number of problems.

Firstly, the pumpkin peel can be quite dense and tough, which creates significant difficulties when cutting, in addition to the fact that significant physical force is required, the chance of being cut increases dramatically. Secondly, even if you managed to cut off the top of the pumpkin and take out the insides, then when cutting the pumpkin it easily breaks, cracks, and in general everything turns out not at all as beautiful and neat as in numerous pictures on the Internet. And, thirdly, the pumpkin needs to be cut exactly on October 30-31, otherwise it will begin to dry out, wither, or even worse - become moldy.

Faced with all these problems, you might think that there is a special profession in the world of a pumpkin carver, very in demand on Halloween eve. Of course, in fact, such a profession does not exist, but with the knowledge of technology and a little practice, you can carve the most creepy and impressive Halloween pumpkin. To begin with, it would be nice to prepare and stock up on all the necessary tools and materials. You should start by choosing a pumpkin. The classic Halloween pumpkin should be orange, the brighter and richer the color, the better. But in fact, it is not at all necessary to look for an orange pumpkin. There are many varieties of pumpkin different colors, and you can take any, because in the twilight of the night, when an uneven candle flame sparkles inside this pumpkin, it will be difficult to make out the color of the pumpkin itself.

Color is not the most important thing in a pumpkin. Carefully inspect it, the more fresh it is, the better. You should also pay attention to the shape, try to choose a pumpkin with the most rounded shapes. Oval, flattened, or any other shape may be interesting in general for decoration, but carving on them will be much more difficult. Once you've chosen your Halloween pumpkin, prepare the basic tools that will come in handy while carving. You will need dishwashing detergent, a sponge, a marker, some very sharp knives with blades different lengths, board, plate, tablespoon, alcohol, cotton wool, awl and candle. Do not be afraid of such a long list, each of these tools will definitely come in handy.

You need to start by thoroughly washing the pumpkin. Use a sponge and dish soap to not only clean but also degrease the peel. This is necessary so that the marker fits better on the surface. Now it's time to use the marker. With it, draw a circle around the stem, the diameter can be any, the main thing is that your hand can freely pass into the future hole. Take a sharp knife with a strong, rigid blade and cut out the “lid” along the drawn circle. At the same time, the knife should be held at an angle so that a cone-shaped cut is obtained, then the future cap will not fall into the pumpkin. Now you need strength and accuracy. Grasp the stalk and begin to turn the cap while pulling it out, if necessary, use the knife again. Trim excess pulp and fibers from the lid. Now use an awl to make a few holes in it. They are necessary so that the hot air from the candle comes out of the pumpkin better, and it does not begin to fry from the inside. Half done, your Halloween pumpkin is almost done.

Now you need to clean the pumpkin from the inside. First, remove the seeds and fibers with your hands, put them on a plate and do not throw them away. The seeds can then be dried and added to soups and many other dishes. Next comes the spoon. Surely, the walls of the pumpkin remained quite wide, and you can’t remove all the fibers with your hands, so you can’t do without a strong tablespoon. Carefully scrape off the remaining fibers and seeds, as well as excess pulp. The optimal wall thickness of the pumpkin is about 2 centimeters. In this case, it will be easier for you to cut it, and at the same time it will not break.

And now the most difficult - cutting out faces. To get the most original and impressive Halloween pumpkin, you need to be patient. Think about what exactly you want to carve out of the pumpkin. Will it be a classic face or something else, if it’s still a face, then which one is it - funny, angry or surprised. You can find a template, cut it out and use a marker to transfer it to your prepared pumpkin, or you can show your imagination and draw something yourself. Before you start carving, take another look at the pumpkin, make sure that the drawing meets all your requirements, if something is not to your liking, use cotton wool and alcohol, carefully erase the marker and redo the drawing. Paint over the places that you need to cut, this will avoid annoying mistakes. Now you can start cutting. Place the tip of the knife on the contour and gently press, now the main thing is not to rush and adhere to the template as accurately as possible. If you need to cut a corner, do not try to turn the knife, it is better to pull it out and stick it in at a different angle. When the face is cut out, remove the remaining marker.

Do not hope that this is the end of the Halloween pumpkin carving procedure. There is still a long 12 hours ahead, which will be required in order to dry the pumpkin. And only then it will be possible to put a candle inside and cover the pumpkin with a carved lid. The carving procedure cannot be called easy; preparing a pumpkin takes time, patience and accuracy. However, it will be difficult only the first time, and each next pumpkin will turn out neater than the previous one. While you fantasize and come up with your own ways to decorate a pumpkin for Halloween, we offer several original ways decoration of the main symbol of this holiday.

A Halloween pumpkin is also called a Jack-O-Lantern, so you don't have to carve a scary face. Patterns of circles or rhombuses carved on a pumpkin will look original. This method is suitable for beginner "pumpkin carvers", and will also be useful if you decide to carve not one, but several pumpkins at once for Halloween. Prepare the pumpkin in the above way, remove the pulp and cut out small circles or diamonds in any order or by folding them into any pattern. Put candles inside and arrange several pumpkins together, you will get a bright, unusual composition that will surely be remembered by all your guests.

What if the pumpkin perfect shape can't be found? Do not despair and turn on the fantasy. Even if you decide that you will cut a face, you can dream up and do something unusual and unusual, and a pumpkin irregular shape it will only help you. Prepare the pumpkin, remove the seeds and carefully scrape out the flesh. Draw the future eyes and mouth of the face. Now use a vegetable peeler and just peel the peel from these places. Now you can use a sharp knife with a short blade and carefully cut out the eyes and turn the pumpkin into a charming monster with an equally charming fanged smile. Once the pumpkin has been peeled off, it will be much easier to carve, so you won't have any trouble creating voluminous, sharp teeth. And now you can use the wire and Christmas tree toy, painted in the form of a pumpkin for Halloween. Attach the wire to the stem and hang the toy. You will get an original flashlight that is sure to impress all the guests.

Halloween pumpkins don't have to be scary! It should be just a pumpkin with a candle inside, and what character and facial expression it will have is up to you. So, a pumpkin may well turn out to be cute, and it's not just a smile. Try making an "old" pumpkin for Halloween! Prepare a pumpkin, cut out a kind, toothless smile and put it in a preheated oven. Roasting time depends on the size of the pumpkin, make sure that it does not start to burn and remove it from the oven as soon as it becomes soft and wrinkled. When the pumpkin has cooled down, put a candle in it and surprise your guests!

During the preparation for Halloween, you will surely come across many vivid examples of the design of the main symbol of the holiday, inspired by which you will come up with and make your most original and amazing pumpkin.

Alena Karamzina

How to carve a pumpkin for Halloween with your own hands + Photo

Handmade pumpkin for Halloween. Photo

Halloween, until recently, was celebrated only in the West, but gradually this event is becoming popular with us. It is not realistic to imagine Halloween without colorful, scary outfits, but without a pumpkin face with candles inside. How to carve a pumpkin for Halloween with your own hands? Below is detailed master class how to carve a "classic" pumpkin.

To create a pumpkin for Halloween, you will need:

Pumpkin

sharp knife

A spoon

Pen or marker

Candle

Oilcloth or newspaper.

Halloween pumpkin carving process:

Spread oilcloth or newspaper on the surface where the work will be carried out, since you will have to remove the pulp from the pumpkin. Take a felt-tip pen or marker and draw a circle around the top of the pumpkin. Then take a knife and cut it out. It is important to cut deeply and hold the knife at an angle to the center so that the lid cannot fall into the pumpkin.

Remove the lid along with the pulp. Try to get as much pulp out of the pumpkin as possible.

Next, using a spoon, begin to remove all the pulp from the pumpkin. The more pulp you can remove, the easier it will be for you to cut. One way or another, the walls do not need to be made too thin, a thickness of 2- 3 cm - and in this case, your pumpkin will not wrinkle on the outside.

Now, with a felt-tip pen or a pen, draw a scary face on the surface of the pumpkin. It will depend on your preferences how scary it will be.

Then cut along the contour with a knife. Use reciprocating motion for this. There is no need to rush, try to adhere to the outline drawn with a felt-tip pen as carefully as possible. It is likely that traces of the marker may remain on the pumpkin, so after work they will need to be washed off.

Place candles inside the gourd, preferably small. Then cover it with a lid and enjoy the result!

This version of the pumpkin can be called a "classic" version. You can cut out whatever you want: funny, scary and just beautiful.

Idea and photo: new-age.co.uk

Halloween takes its roots from the people of the ancient Celts. They lived in what is now England and Northern Ireland. The holiday date is October 31st. This holiday is unofficial, that is, not a public holiday, and it is not a red day of the calendar. Halloween is celebrated in modern society on the eve of All Saints Day. All Saints Day is a purely Christian Catholic holiday. In Orthodoxy, All Saints' Day falls on the first Sunday after Trinity, while Catholics celebrate November 1st.

Halloween is the night before All Saints Day, the day before. The name Halloween itself is like an abbreviation for All-Hallows-Even, which translates as the evening of all saints. Even - short for evening, in translation - evening. There is an opinion that Halloween is associated with the holiday of the ancient Romans, but this opinion is erroneous. The origin of the holiday comes from the Celts. They celebrated Samhain on October 31st. This is a pagan holiday, because before the adoption of Christianity, the Celts were pagans. Of course, the holidays at that time among the pagans were seasonal, and more often associated with harvest, fertility, and the change of seasons. In a word, pagan holidays are the veneration of nature and its phenomena. pagan holiday Samhain meant that the sun is captured by the god of death, and the days become shorter, winter comes. The Celts had only 2 seasons: summer and winter, respectively, and the Samhain holiday meant the transition from summer to winter. On the night of Samhain, the Celts believed that the doors to the other world open, the barriers between the world of the dead and the living are removed, accomplished magical rituals. After all, it is on this night that there are no barriers to communication with the other world. On this night, they guessed the future, performed magical rituals. The Celts believed that the souls of the dead descended to earth to complete unfinished business, to send messages. The tradition of dressing up in scary costumes began because the spirits that came from the world of the dead could harm living people. And then people, in order to deceive the spirits, tried to become like them.

Halloween acquired its current meaning under the influence of Christianity. Since in Christianity on the same date, October 31, the night fell on the eve of All Saints' Day, and the Celts still had the habit of celebrating the holiday of Samhain, then gradually over time they united with each other, intertwined and one of the two holidays turned out.

Why is a pumpkin used for Halloween?

The custom of making a pumpkin also came from the Celtic tradition of remembering the dead. According to their rituals, lamps and lanterns were made, which show the souls of the dead the way to paradise, because it was on the night of October 31 to November 1 that the door to the world of the dark and the other world was opened. In England, turnips were used for lamps, in the states it was replaced by pumpkin, as a more affordable and cheaper vegetable. The pumpkin is called "Jack's lantern". Traditionally, it looks like a pumpkin, on which an evil face with a smile is carved, and a lit candle burns from the inside. At first, pumpkins with carved faces were used at the fertility festival, later this symbol entered Halloween as one of its main attributes.

Step by Step Guide: How to Carve a Pumpkin for Halloween

one . If there is a candle in the pumpkin, then you need to make a hole from above, if the lamp is electric, then it doesn’t matter, you can do it from the side and from the bottom.

2. Clean the inside of the pumpkin from the seeds and pulp.

3. Make a stencil and put on it a drawing of a scary face on a pumpkin.

4. According to the drawing, cut a hole with a knife.

5. For lighting, you can wrap the jar with garlands and put inside the pumpkin. Or put a candle in a glass jar and stick it in a pumpkin.

6. So that the pumpkin does not turn black in the places of cuts, you can lubricate these places with petroleum jelly.

Pumpkin is the main symbol of Halloween (or All Saints' Day). Why exactly a pumpkin and why are brutal muzzles carved on it?

The tradition of carving lanterns from vegetables comes from Ireland and Great Britain and goes back to the time of the Celtic Druid monks, who used these sinister-looking lanterns to drive out demons and evil spirits.

Usually, lanterns were cut from turnips, beets and rutabaga, and until the 19th century had nothing to do with All Saints' Day at all.

The custom of carving a pumpkin for Halloween comes from North America, where the pumpkin was associated with the harvest season. The American pumpkin lantern was named the Jack-O-Lantern and became the official symbol of Halloween in 1866.

Who is Jack Lantern?

The pumpkin flame flickering in the darkness symbolizes the souls of the dead, wandering between heaven and hell.

The legend says that once there lived a negligent farmer, a drunkard and a thief Jack. One day, Jack was running from angry peasants whom he had robbed. And then on the way he met the devil, who announced to Jack that the hour of his death had come. Cunning Jack persuaded the devil to postpone death in exchange for the opportunity to bewitch the righteous peasants who were chasing the thief. He suggested that the devil turn into a coin, with which Jack will pay for the stolen things, and when the devil / coin disappears, the peasants will fight with each other, finding out who stole it. The devil agreed and, turning into silver coin jumped into Jack's pocket. But he was immediately deprived of his witchcraft power, as he was next to the cross that Jack stole in the village. Jack promised to let the devil go if he promised not to take his soul to hell.

When the time of death came, Jack could not go to heaven because of his sinful life, but he was not allowed into hell either, as promised. It was dark all around and Jack had nowhere to go. He asked for a lantern, and the devil mockingly threw him embers from hellish hell. Jack carved a lantern from a pumpkin, put coals in it and began to roam the earth in search of rest.

How to carve a pumpkin for Halloween (Jack O'Lantern)?

You will need:

Knife with a sharp and short blade. It is most convenient to make cuts with a small saw or a short knife with a serrated sharpening, a penknife, and a nail file. If possible, it is best to immediately purchase a special carving kit that includes everything necessary tools. It is more difficult to work with ordinary knives with a pumpkin. A carving knife costs around 50 UAH, and the set shown in the picture below is 300 UAH.

Pattern with a smiley

Awl (thick needle, ballpoint pen)

Scraper (blade)

Cutting board

Candle. Do not take too high a candle, otherwise the top wall of the pumpkin may burn. If there are small children in the house and you are afraid of experimenting with fire, a regular flashlight will do.

Halloween Pumpkin Carving Instructions

1. Pumpkin selection. Choose the most beautiful, most proportional, round and orange pumpkin. Choose only ripe fruits with a smooth and dense surface without damage or stains. It is desirable that the pumpkin is symmetrical. Pay attention to the tail (stalk) of the pumpkin. It should be firm, dry and at least 5 cm long. Pumpkins that have begun to deteriorate will drop their tails. If you plan to place a candle inside later, it is recommended to pick up a fruit more than 20 cm in height. Remember, we don't care what pumpkin tastes, we're only interested in it. appearance after cutting. Reminder: pumpkin, especially if it is not dried on fresh air, begins to rot in 5-7 days, so it is best to cook it 3-4 days before the holiday.

2. Wash, dry, paint. Wash and dry the selected pumpkin. If this is your first time carving a pumpkin, put your knife aside and grab a marker first. You will draw lines with them, along which you will then make cutouts. Make sure the marker is easy to remove from the surface and leaves no marks.

3. Scrub the pumpkin. The Jack O'Lantern work begins with carving the top of the pumpkin. You can also cut out upper part pumpkins, and the bottom. This option is appropriate for those who do not plan to put a candle inside, but want to insert a candle jar or a flashlight.

Cut off the lid along the contour with a knife, which must be held at an angle to make a cone-shaped cut: so your lid (in the end) does not fall inside the “head”. To remove the lid, pull on the stem and twist the lid if necessary. Trim off any excess flesh and fibers from the lid if using.
Next, we need to clean the inside of the pumpkin. It is very convenient to clean the seeds and pulp directly with your hands. To do this, use a special spoon for the pulp. In the absence of such a tool, you will have to work hard with an ordinary tablespoon. Remove all the insides from the pumpkin, scrape everything off the walls. If the pumpkin is large, then the upper hole should be no smaller than your fist so that your hand can freely penetrate inside.

For optimal results, the wall thickness on the side of the pumpkin where you will cut the face should be 2-3 centimeters. There is no need to carefully scrape the walls, otherwise the thin peel will be left without support and will fall through. The teeth on the knife leave small notches. The edges of the cut need to be trimmed a little.

4. Drawing a pattern on a pumpkin. Now you can move on to drawing patterns on the sides of the pumpkin.

Draw a sketch first on paper, make sure that's what you want. Keep in mind that straight lines are much easier to cut later than rounded ones. We attach the drawing with electrical tape to the even and beautiful side of the pumpkin and with an awl ( ballpoint pen) draw a contour that is imprinted on the peel. Paint over the places on the pumpkin that will be carved so that they are better visible. In this case, it will be easier for you to cut.

Stencils for pumpkins
In the absence of artistic skills, the option using a stencil (template) is perfect for you. Several examples are presented below. By printing such templates on paper, you can greatly facilitate your work and are not afraid for the result.

5. Cut out the pattern. Place the tip of the knife on the contour and gently press it. In order to cut the pumpkin, use the reciprocating motion. Take your time, try to stick to the contour as closely as possible. If you need to make a sharp corner, then pull out the knife and insert it at a new angle.

6. Making lighting. After finishing work, leave the pumpkin to dry.

If inside the pumpkin is lightly sprinkled with cinnamon, then the aroma from such a special candle will fill the whole house with a holiday in minutes.

Then you can install lighting. It can be a small candle, a garland or a lantern. You can place a candle (or several candles) inside the pumpkin. Place the candle in a glass cup and leave the top of the gourd open for ventilation. Another alternative would be a small flashlight.

Video lesson "How to carve a pumpkin for Halloween"