Halloween Experts

If you are carving a simple Jack O’Lantern, then simple tools are the right choice. The basic carving equipment includes:

• Dry Erase markers, if you are free-handing your Jack O’Lantern design. They wipe off with no trace!
• An icepick or awl to mark your design into the skin of the pumpkin, if you are using a carving pattern.



• A sharp, long bladed knife, to cut the “lid” and make any long smooth cuts in your design.
• A scoop, to remove the pumpkin guts and seeds, and also to thin down the wall of the pumpkin on the side you will be carving. You will want the thin wall of the pumpkin no more than 1/2 inch thick.
• A small, sharp, thin-bladed knife, for more intricate cuts.

Is it time to try something more complicated, or more adventurous this year? Then consider the following list of additional tools that I recommend for more versatility in your carving experience.

• A jig saw. Used gently, and especially on really large pumpkins, this can be a huge time-saver!
• A drill saw. Pictured here, the drill saw, usually used for dry wall, allows you to cut in any direction without repositioning the blade.
• Linoleum cutters. If your carving pattern includes areas that will remove the skin, but leave some of the flesh for shadow effects, linoleum cutters are an excellent sculpting tool. The solid round handles make for a comfortable grip when working on large areas.



• Dremel tool. This small handheld drill is capable of the most precise and intricate cuts and saves hours of painstaking labor. It is such a popular method of carving pumpkins, that Dremel makes a model specifically for that purpose!
• Exacto Knife. A good set of Exacto knives are a must have for any craftsman, and they will prove very useful for the tiniest and most precise cuts. I have a set of blades that mount into a comfortable handle, and have been known to substitute a jig saw blade for some carving purposes.

Armed with the proper tools, there is no pumpkin carving design that should prove too difficult. Just add patience and about 4 hours of free time to your list of materials!