How to Carve a Pumpkin (and Make It Last Longer!)
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Nothing says fall like being elbows-deep in the squishy, stringy guts of a gourd. While the time-honored tradition of slicing and dicing an oversized squash is beloved from coast to coast, not everyone was raised knowing how to carve a pumpkin, or how to make that carved pumpkin last longer once it's been dissected. It can take time to perfect your pumpkin carving technique, especially if you didn't grow up carving jack-o'-lanterns by the fire in your spare time. But it's well worth the effort to truly get into the holiday spirit.
If you're looking for the best way to carve a pumpkin this Halloween, we've come up with a simple step-by-step tutorial to teach even the most uncrafty people how to carve with confidence. It's always tempting to go all out with a Pinterest-worthy pumpkin, but even the simplest design can make a statement. Here's how it's done!
Best Pumpkin for Carving
The first thing to consider is picking out the best pumpkin for carving. Something even the most seasoned carvers might not realize? There are many varieties of pumpkins, but one makes such a perfect canvas for your holiday crafts that it might as well have been bred specially for it: the Captain Jack. This large, barrel-shaped gourd has a flat bottom, giving you a good base to rest on the ground without worrying about it toppling over when you hack into it with your knife.
When doing your pumpkin shopping, the farm stand (or grocery store, let's be real) might even have signs denoting pie pumpkins and carving pumpkins. If not, have no fear: skip the smaller, more rounded gourds, which are typically better for baking, and go for the taller, thinner-skinned ones instead. In addition to the Captain Jack, Hobbits, Autumn Golds, and Gold Rush pumpkins would all work well.
Inspect your pumpkin before you purchase. Bruises or cuts on the outside will put your pumpkin at risk of rotting before you even make it to Halloween.
Once you have your ideal gourd in hand, it's time to get carving. Follow these easy steps for a low-mess, low-stress DIIY jack-o'-lantern experience that will bring you right back to the Halloweens of your childhood.
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Supplies Needed
- Pumpkin
- Pumpkin carving knife or a sharp kitchen knife
- Ice cream spade or large metal spoon
- Bowl
- Newspaper
- Dry erase marker or permanent pen
- Paper
- LED tealight candle
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Step 1
Draw a variety of sketches of your jack-o'-lantern face onto a piece of paper or print out a simple pumpkin template. Pick your favorite.
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Step 2
After picking out your favorite pumpkin variety from the patch or grocery store, draw your design directly onto the pumpkin. Using a dry erase marker will allow you even more freedom to make mistakes!
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Step 3
Cover your work space with newspaper for easy cleanup.
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Step 4
With your pumpkin carving knife, cut a circle large enough to fit your hand around the stem of the pumpkin. Make sure to cut at an inward angle so you can set the stem back on the pumpkin later without it falling through. Take off the stem.
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Step 5
Clean out the inside of the pumpkin using your hands and a metal scoop or spoon. Place the seeds and guts into a bowl. After you take most of the mushy stuff out, use the edge of the metal spoon to scrape the inside of pumpkin as best as you can. The dryer you get the inside of the pumpkin, the less you'll have left behind to rot.
Don't forget to save the pumpkin seeds for roasting later!
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Step 6
Hold the pumpkin steady with one hand and use your knife to carve out the face of your jack-o'-lantern. Avoid injury by placing your supporting hand on top of the pumpkin and away from the tip of the knife. If you're using a permanent marker, cut outside of your marker lines for a clean look.
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Step 7
Once it gets dark outside, place your LED tealight inside the pumpkin and place the stem back on top of the hole.
How to Make a Carved Pumpkin Last Longer
To keep your carved pumpkin from rotting before you've even had time to bask in its glow, make sure you remember step five: scoop thoroughly.
The wetter the inside of your pumpkin, the quicker it's going to turn into a moldy mess. Another trick that's actually a treat for your gourd? Spray it with a mix of water and apple cider vinegar, which will deter insects. Happy carving!