Halloween–It’s Not Just For Pumpkins Anymore

Watermelons carve just the same way as do pumpkins, except for the fact that they are way juicier and you can eat what you take out of it immediately! Now both of those are advantages!

If you do carve a watermelon your decorative design will be green and ugly–just the way you want it. Halloween is a time for orange and ugly usually, but green and ugly is second place for sure.

Here are some examples of watermelon Halloween pumpkin carvings for some ideas.
Happy Goolish Halloween to Everyone! 

“Freaky Tiki” by Dan

How To Carve a Watermelon

Carefully take away  both upper halves of the watermelon.

• Cut the red watermelon flesh from the removed halves for use in the fruit salad or other watermelon recipes.

Use the sharp point of the   knife to carve an outline of the bottom of the heart down one layer of the skin to the white part. Do not cut completely through or the handle will detach.

• Carve the centers of the hearts.

• Slice inward around the rim of the watermelon to remove the red flesh.

• Trim the flesh from the underside of the heart handle, leaving the handle at least 1 inch thick. If you trim it too closely, it will wilt and sag.

• Clean off  the marker outlines with a clean cloth.

• Begin at the base of the heart and carve a sawtooth border around the rim of the watermelon using a sawing motion.

• Think ahead to get the points even. Begin on either side of the bottom of the heart point and meet on the far left and right sides.

• A sharp serrated knife is good for this task.

(BE CAREFUL !)

ll carvings are carved on Fun-Kins artificial pumpkins. Do not use open flame for illumination. We recommend battery powered lights. The Pumpkin Lady is not responsible for damages resulting from improper use of these pumpkins and/or illumination.

Halloween Pumpkins on Youtube
Singing Pumpkins 2011 – “Grim Grinnin’ Ghosts”

Singing Pumpkins 2011 – “Grim Grinnin’ Ghosts” All the animation you see is original! It’s meant to be projected onto a screen in a window or onto a wall for a Halloween display! The song is “Grim Grinnin’ Ghosts” and is sung by Thurl Ravenscroft who is one of the voices of the singing busts in the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland. If you would like your own animation done to your favorite Halloween song, send me a message! I can do Christmas animations as well! *The words scrolling down during the song are for copyright purposes and won’t be present on videos I produce for clients! From: bopeesdad Views: 9 0 ratings Time: 01:41 More in Entertainment – 19 hours ago

Halloween Craft Pumpkins

Halloween Craft Pumpkins Jo shares lots of ideas for decorating craft pumpkins. From: MichaelsStores Views: 186 4 ratings Time: 01:53 More in Howto & Style – 8 days ago

Halloween pumpkins jack o lanterns 2010

Halloween pumpkins jack o lanterns 2010 These are the three pumpkins I carved this year for Halloween. I’ve never been too good at carving pumpkins but I’m very happy with how these turned out. I drew the budgie myself and carved it on the 29th. The light used to shine through his eyes and beard but it’s starting to shrink now. You can see still images of it and these others on my live journal destroyah-des.livejournal.com The big Halloween Jack O Lantern was inspired by my friend Killer Pumpkins. And the little yellow pie pumpkin is space themed. Funny enough I think that’s my favorite just because it’s so fun and if you spin it it makes reflections of the moon, stars, Saturn and a rocket. This Halloween is turning out to be fun. Oh and my cute little ghost lights I bought at Sam’s Club. So, now it’s time to prepare for Thanksgiving and enjoy the Fall decorations for their last month. Oh and my little glitter pumpkins. Those turned out so pretty. Fun and messy to make. Original upload date Oct 31, 2010 From: Thagirion9 Views: 13 0 ratings Time: 05:29 More in Travel & Events – 2 weeks ago

Ghost & Pumpkins

Ghost & Pumpkins Here are floating Ghost & Pumpkins that will be used in our 2011 Halloween Display in Wheeling, West Virginia From: HDHalloween Views: 144 0 ratings Time: 00:53 More in Entertainment – 3 weeks ago

Floating Pumpkins

Floating Pumpkins Here are floating pumpkins that will be used in our 2011 Halloween Display in Wheeling, West Virginia From: HDHalloween Views: 179 0 ratings Time: 01:06 More in Entertainment – 3 weeks ago

RAZ Halloween Pumpkins

RAZ Halloween Pumpkins RAZ Halloween Pumpkins with big flashing eyes and eerie sounds. Visit http://www.trendytree.com for more information. From: pencetreefarm Views: 39 0 ratings Time: 00:44 More in Howto & Style – 6 weeks ago

Carving Pumpkins Halloween fun at the pumpkin carving party. From: jchant26 Views: 11 0 ratings Time: 02:40 More in Pets & Animals – 7 weeks ago

Zombie Pumpkins! – pumpkin carving patterns – Heroic HeadlinersMy model for Carving the PumpkinA+ paper pumpkin patterns for children! | Pumpkin Carving Stencil Design patterns for Halloween JackWatermelonsPumpkin Carving Party 101Free Pumpkin Carving Pattern Stencils24 Tips for Carving and Keeping the Perfect PumpkinFruit and Vegetable Carving Pumpkin SquashWatermelon Carving

Pumpkin Masters Pumpkin Carving Kit with 12 Patterns & Tools

• 12 Patterns
• 2 Saws
• 1 Scraper Scoop
• 1 Drill
• 1 Pounce Wheel

"SIGNATURE BRANDS" PUMPKIN CARVING KIT 12 patterns with instructions 2 Saws, 1 Scraper Scoop, 1 Drill, 1 pounce wheel 2 patterns skull, spooky tree,vampire, cat, spider, goblin, witch and more ages 9 and up Also easy to follow step by step directions to complete your spooky halloween pumpkin pattern.

Price: $ 7.99

Filed in Halloween Spirit, Pumpkin Carving, how to, ideas on Friday, September 23, 2011 · Anymore, halloween pumpkins raz, HalloweenIt's, just, Pumpkins, raz halloween · 1 Comment »

Carving Pumpkins: Jack-o-lanterns of the Twenty-first Century

Every year at Halloween, jack-o-lanterns are everywhere. On doorsteps, on window sills, hanging as paper on walls, even as plastic candy collectors for trick-or-treaters. You can easily find them in department stores, restaurants and even along public streets. They are an absolute part of Halloween.

Many things have changed over the hundreds of years since jack-o-lanterns were first brought to America. The pumpkin is no longer always a real pumpkin. As a matter of fact, artificial jack-o-lanterns are much more common these days than real ones, and it’s been that way for many years. As usual in our increasingly sedentary lifestyle, we’d rather buy it than make it. But there are those out there who wouldn’t have it any other way. It’s got to be a real pumpkin or nothing at all.

So let’s make a jack-o-lantern from the twenty-first century. Not the traditional method where all you use are your hands, a couple of knives and maybe a drawing tool. This is the jack-o-lantern that could look like a haunted house, a grave yard, a witch on a broomstick or bats flying through the air, almost any image that can be carved onto the face of a pumpkin.

You’ll need to gather a few things: the right kind of pumpkin, the stenciled image you want and a handful of simple tools. Once you’ve completely finished carving the jack-o-lantern, all you’ll need is the right lighting.

The Right Kind of Pumpkin. To help get a pumpkin of the right size and shape, you should already know what you want the carving to look like when you’re done. Medium sized pumpkins are the most popular for jack-o-lanterns. It may be short and squat or tall and narrow, depending on the image to carve. Whichever you decide, make sure that it has a uniform color throughout. The bottom of the pumpkin should be flattened so that it’ll stand upright.

Inspect your pumpkin for injuries. These are pumpkins with bruising, scratches, gouges, dents or damage of any kind. These deformities will affect how you carve and how pleasing you’re jack-o-lantern will appear when you’re done.

Safety Tip. The stem of a pumpkin can easily break off. Never carry your pumpkin by the stem. If it does break off, use toothpicks or a similarly narrow shaft to hold the stem in place.

Modern Day Carving Tools. The carving tools for a modern day jack-o-lantern are very simple. Most of them you can get yourself right at home.

? Pumpkin Carving Patterns. These are stencils, or templates, of images that you could get on the internet. If not, there are booklets or books available at arts and crafts stores, specialty stores or even in a library. Or you could create a stencil from a drawing of your own.

? Transfer tool or poker tool. This tool is used to transfer the image from the stencil to the pumpkin’s face. You could use the tip of any sharp tool, an ice pick, a nail or even a sharpened pencil or a pen.

? Securing the Image. You can use pins, tacks or even tape to hold the stenciled image in the exact place you want.

? Two knives. One long, thin bladed knife and one short, thin bladed knife. You can easily get these in your kitchen.

Safety Tip. Sharp knives are safer than dull knives, because dull knives will force you to exert extra force or extra leverage to make clean cuts. Sharpen your knives before you begin carving. The moment it seems like you have to use more force, it’s time to resharpen them. Be careful not to assume that your knives will always stay sharp.

? Carving saw or cutting saw. A carving saw is mainly for cutting out fine details that would be difficult to do with a knife. But if you’d prefer, you surely could carve the entire jack-o-lantern this way.

? Gutting spoons. These are for removing all of the soft flesh from the inside of the pumpkin. Ice cream scoops or thick ladles are great. Any large sturdy spoon or scoop will do. Twenty-first Century Jack-o-Lantern Carving. The first thing is to carve the lid. Use the long knife to cut a pentagon or a hexagon around the stem. As you cut into the top of the pumpkin, make your cuts angle towards each other beneath the stem. You are effectively cutting a cone shaped chunk out of the top of the pumpkin. This keeps the lid from falling in. Your hand and some of your forearm should be able to pass easily through with a utensil. Remove the lid. Now get in there with your gutting spoon and scrape all that soft flesh out. Be thorough.

When the jack-o-lantern is burning bright, you want to know that the candle inside is secure in its setting. Make the floor inside of the pumpkin firm and flat. If you give the pumpkin a little smack on its side, the candle shouldn’t move from its position. You’ll know what to do.

The easiest place to put the face of your jack-o-lantern is the flattest section on the outside of the pumpkin. Select the stencil for the image you want and place it there. Secure it with pins or tape. If you’re using tape and have to crease the paper, try to do it in a section where there will be the least distortion.

Use the transfer tool to poke holes along the lines of your image. Puncture through the image and into the pumpkin’s skin just a bit. It isn’t necessary to make deep punctures. These holes should be from an eighth to a fourth of an inch spaced apart. In areas where you may be unsure when carving, add some extra dots. The more the dots, the easier the carving. It’s all up to you. When you’re completely done transferring, inspect the dotted outline. Save the stencil in case you need it for clarification while you’re carving.

Take the carving saw and connect those dots. Make sure that the saw is cutting straight into the pumpkin and not at an angle. Remember to use a back-and-forth sawing motion. Don’t use it as a knife. Saw all the way through to the inside open space of the pumpkin. For tight corners, remove the saw and reinsert it where the lines connect.

If you have pretty large chunks to remove, you could easily cut them into smaller sections and have them fall off, one after the other. Push the cut pieces with your finger into or out of the pumpkin, whichever is smoothest.

Trim up the edges with your small knife or carving saw. More light will come through the pumpkin if these edges are trimmed at a 45 degree angle or thereabouts. This is great if additional lighting will compliment the image you’ve just carved.

You are done. Now how can you make your jack-o-lantern last longest? Take some petroleum jelly and coat every exposed surface, everything left after a cut. This will include the entire inside surface of the pumpkin, too. Dehydration is the enemy. Any sign of wrinkling or shriveling can be helped by soaking the pumpkin in water over night. Natural decomposition can be slowed greatly by refrigerating it during the day. This is a bit of work for every jack-o-lantern you make, so try not to carve your jack-o-lanterns too early from when you’ll be using them.

Wasn’t that fun? Making jack-o-lanterns sure is fun for me. In this day, almost any image could be found on the face of a pumpkin. It just depends on how creative you want to be. Go forth and broaden your mind. Happy Scary!

Filed in Pumpkin Carving Patterns on Wednesday, October 27, 2010 · Carving, Century, Jackolanterns, Pumpkins, Twentyfirst · No Comments »

The Right Way in Choosing and Carving Your Halloween Pumpkins

An attractive accessory to your Halloween costume this year, would be a well designed pumpkin. Select one with no bruises or spots, because it will last longer. The difficulty when selecting, is we usually see a pumpkin as a large face. So for example, you might pick one that a family member always bought and carved out in to a grinner. Maybe you go for the oddly shaped one that needs looking after. You can see how they start to take on a life of their own.

Skilled carvers use utility knives and all sizes of small saws to make their life easier. You may have a double edged serrated knife which is particularly good for small areas because you can cut in both directions.

An apple corer is excellent for making holes to represent freckles. Cookie cutters can be tapped through the pumpkin to punch out the design. As a guide, cut open the top of your pumpkin in a five sided shape and angle the cut inwards so the top does not fall inside.

Scoop out all the insides so you leave a shell no more than one inch thick. Before you start, sketch out on paper what you want it to look like. This will serve as a good guide to the finished article. You can paste your drawing on the pumpkin to help guide you. Always try to make your mistakes on paper first. It is far easier to ditch it and start again before you have even started cutting.

If you have been to a Halloween festival you know that no two pumpkins look the same. You can experiment with winking eyes, teeth, freckles and angry eyebrows. If you do make a mistake in your carving you can re attach a piece with toothpicks.

Finally, you can preserve your pumpkin longer if you keep it cool and do not start cutting until nearer Halloween. This is because they retain moisture and will last longer. After you have cut it you can still retain it longer by dipping it into water. Cover all cut surfaces with petroleum, jelly or vegetable oil. All these steps seal the moisture into the pumpkin and keep it in good condition for Halloween’s eve.

Filed in Pumpkin Carving Designs on · Carving, Choosing, halloween, Pumpkins, Right · No Comments »

Halloween Pumpkins: Learn The Ways to Choose and Carve

An attractive accessory to your Halloween costume this year, would be a well designed pumpkin. Select one with no bruises or spots, because it will last longer. The difficulty when selecting, is we usually see a pumpkin as a large face. So for example, you might pick one that a family member always bought and carved out in to a grinner. Maybe you go for the oddly shaped one that needs looking after. You can see how they start to take on a life of their own.

Skilled carvers use utility knives and all sizes of small saws to make their life easier. You may have a double edged serrated knife which is particularly good for small areas because you can cut in both directions.

An apple corer is excellent for making holes to represent freckles. Cookie cutters can be tapped through the pumpkin to punch out the design. As a guide, cut open the top of your pumpkin in a five sided shape and angle the cut inwards so the top does not fall inside.

Scoop out all the insides so you leave a shell no more than one inch thick. Before you start, sketch out on paper what you want it to look like. This will serve as a good guide to the finished article. You can paste your drawing on the pumpkin to help guide you. Always try to make your mistakes on paper first. It is far easier to ditch it and start again before you have even started cutting.

If you have been to a Halloween festival you know that no two pumpkins look the same. You can experiment with winking eyes, teeth, freckles and angry eyebrows. If you do make a mistake in your carving you can re attach a piece with toothpicks.

Finally, you can preserve your pumpkin longer if you keep it cool and do not start cutting until nearer Halloween. This is because they retain moisture and will last longer. After you have cut it you can still retain it longer by dipping it into water. Cover all cut surfaces with petroleum, jelly or vegetable oil. All these steps seal the moisture into the pumpkin and keep it in good condition for Halloween’s eve.

Find More Pumpkin Carving Designs Articles

Filed in Pumpkin Carving Designs on · Carve, choose, halloween, Learn, Pumpkins, Ways · No Comments »

Mini Painted Pumpkins and Pumpkin Cookies – Attractive and Tasty Party Pleasers

When is it we don’t usually think about whipping up a batch of pumpkin cookies until Halloween? I guess that’s when the pumpkins are ripe for the picking. The enticing aroma of freshly baked cookies fills your home with a warmth and coziness unlike anything else.

Here’s a great tasting recipe for Pumpkin Cookies that is ideal for all the pumpkin pie lovers in your life:

Ingredients:

1/2 Cup softened margarine
3/4 Cup brown sugar
1 Egg
1 tsp. Vanilla extract
1 Cup canned pumpkin
2 Cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. Baking soda
1 tsp. Ground Cinnamon
1/2 tsp. Nutmeg
1/2 tsp. Ginger
1 Cup raisins (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. / Yield: About 3 dozen cookies

In a large bowl beat margarine and sugar until smooth. Beat in the egg, vanilla and pumpkin until creamy. Add dry ingredients and mix just until blended. Do not over-beat.

Drop cookie dough by rounded teaspoonfuls onto lightly greased cookie sheet about 1 inch apart and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from cookie sheet and cool on rack.

With Halloween, of course, comes the decorating of pumpkins. You can chose to either carve your pumpkin into a traditional jack-o-lantern or Halloween design, or you can opt for the more modern technique of painted pumpkins. There are many styles and designs from which to choose.

If you give it a try you won’t be disappointed. For Halloween, even the “not so perfect” ones will work great! You shouldn’t be out for perfection, just pure, clean fun.

Filed in Pumpkin Carving Designs on · Attractive, Cookies, Mini, Painted, party, Pleasers, Pumpkin, Pumpkins, Tasty · No Comments »