• 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!

Let’s suppose, however, that you want a design that is unique and personal. Something like, your family’s faces on a row of pumpkins, or your house as a haunted mansion, or your business logo. The possibilities are limited only by your imagination. Of course, you can’t download and print such designs, but, with a little instruction, you can make your own! Just always remember that you are designing a “negative” image.

Let’s start with a simple one. I’ll use a family photo, and I’ll open it in any photo program. Usually one comes on your computer, or with your digital camera, but you can find plenty of free programs online to do this job for you.
First, I am going to rotate the whole picture, although you can leave it at any angle you find pleasing.
Next, change the picture to greyscale. This will usually be found in the “Color” tab of your photo program. It may also be called “Discard Color Information”.
Then, find the brightness/contrast controls in your program. Start with brightness, and slide it bright enough that you lose most of the detail of the picture. Then increase the contrast to bring out only the most dramatic shadows. Keep this up until you have a completely black and white flat pattern of the face.
Next, clean up your design, smoothing the edges of the shapes and keeping in mind that you will be cutting away anything that is black. Don’t leave floating islands of white, they must be attached to the edges somehow. Once you have cleaned up your image, you have your carving pattern.

If you have a subject in mind that needs more detail, then increase the brightness and contrast slightly less, so that it leaves some grey areas. Try the “posterize” option in your photo program to reduce the photo to flat and well defined areas. In this case, you will cut away the black areas completely, but you will only remove a partial layer of the areas of your pattern that are grey. The light will shine through areas that are not completely cut away, giving it a shadowed, 3 dimensional look.

Experiment with silhouettes first, that are strictly black and white. Once you have mastered those, you will be ready to try more complicated designs! Watch this space for some original carving patterns, as the season draws nearer!

The pumpkin is a squash, a fruit, of the same family as cucumbers. They probably originated in Central America. Seeds from pumpkin like plants have been found in Mexico dating back to 5500 B.C. They were a staple of the Native American diet. When European explorers and settlers learned of the plant, they sent seeds back home. Today, pumpkins are cultivated all over the world.

Pumpkin is a rich source of Vitamin A and potassium. It has a high fiber content. Depending on how it is prepared, pumpkin can be a very healthy food source. Historically, pumpkin has been used medicinally as a cure for freckles and a treatment for snakebite. Today, the consumption of pumpkin seeds is known to promote prostate health for men.

Pumpkins come in all shapes and sizes, from “Baby Boo” miniature pumpkins that fit in the palm of your hand, to the giant, prize-winning varieties that can weigh upwards of 1500 lbs. They come in a rainbow of colors, from the common orange, to green, white and blue varieties. They can be smooth skinned, or extremely rough. Each variety suggests new and unique designs!

The basic components of a pumpkin are as follows:

The Stem: Located on top of the pumpkin, the stem is usually brownish green. It was the umbilical cord that connected the fruit to the vine, and brought in nutrients from the main body of the plant. When choosing a pumpkin, it is best to find one with the stem still firmly attached. Never lift your pumpkin by the stem, or it will break off. This will become the handle for the “lid” of your Jack O’Lantern.

The Shell: This includes both the skin, also called the rind, the shiny orange outer covering, and the pulp, also called the meat or the flesh, the part that is cooked and used in many wonderful recipes.

The Blossom End: When the pumpkin vine produces blossoms, each is a potential pumpkin. the scar where the blossom used to be attached is what we consider the bottom of he pumpkin.

The Guts, Brains, Goop: Actually, they are called the fibrous strands that fill the cavity in the middle of the pumpkin. These gooey strands contain the pumpkin seeds.

The Seeds: Pumpkin seeds can be planted to produce the next season’s crop of pumpkins. They are made up of the seed shell and the nut inside. There are many excellent recipes for snacks and foods made from pumpkin seeds. (See our recipe section!)

Watch for upcoming posts for choosing the design for your Jack O’Lantern and the proper pumpkin and tools to use for it.

Materials:
6 white flat sheets (queen size were used in this project)
3 boards, 1″x2″, 8 feet long (or 6 pieces of PVC pipe 4 feet long can be used)
Plastic grocery sacks, newspapers, black markers, heavy tape
Heavy black thread or non-reflective fishing line

Directions:
Cut the boards or PVC pipe into 4 foot sections. Cut one end of each at an angle, to make it easier to insert it into the ground. Pound these gently into the ground with a hammer. You don’t want to set them in too firmly at first, until you get a feel for how big your circle will need to be. This will depend on the size of your finished ghosts.
Next, make the heads, by stuffing a white plastic grocery bag with crumpled newspaper. Alternatively, you could use large styrofoam balls. Secure a head to each stake with tape (duct tape works well for this).

Drape a sheet over each head, so that you have an equal amount of fabric hanging on each side. At this point you can secure the sheet to the head in any of several ways: You can tie the head at the “neck” with string or fishing line, or, for the “neckless” version we have pictured, try gluing the very top of the sheet to the plastic bag head, or, stitching it there with fishing line and a darning needle.

With the permanent black marker, you may draw faces on your ghosts, or leave them blank, for an eerie effect. Tie the sheets together at the sides, as pictured, for the ghosts’ joined hands. If desired, attach fishing line to each knot and tie them to a tree branch to raise the hands to different heights and keep them off the ground. For the free standing ghosts, you can make your stakes longer, or your placement a little further apart to keep the ghost “hands” from dragging on the ground. If you choose to make the free standing ghost circle, try placing an artificial campfire in the center. Light your “campfire” with the flickering electronic pumpkin lights available at many party stores and Halloween shops.

Finish the project by pounding the stakes securely into the ground with a hammer. The ghosts can be stored and reused year after year. Watch this site for other ghostly yard decoration projects!

This Halloween craft project is similar to a Christmas snow globe, although the liquid used in the jar is clear corn syrup. It’s a great project for preschoolers, with the help of an adult. Watch for more “…in a jar” projects to come!

Materials:

Clean empty jar (tall baby food or small jam jar size) with leakproof screwtop lid

Marbles, glass stones or small pebbles.

One plastic spider, ghost, witch or other Halloween figure (the largest you can find that will fit in the jar without touching the sides. An excellent source for these figures would be cake decorating picks, as we have pictured here.)

Halloween confetti with bat, spider and pumpkin shapes.

Silicone caulking

Instructions:

1. Add a layer of marbles or aquarium gravel to the bottom of the jar.

2. Add a selection of Halloween confetti pieces.

3. Coat the inside of the lid with silicone caulk, almost to the edges. Press pebbles or gravel into the silicone to create the “ground”. Glue your Halloween figure to the center. If using a decorating pick, break all but about 1/4 inch of the “stem” off with a pliers and insert the remaining stub into the silicone, to secure it.

4. Pour in clear corn syrup to fill the jar. If you are adding a figure glued to the lid, remember to allow space for this so the syrup doesn’t overflow.

5. Screw on the lid and invert the jar. For safety’s sake, you can run a bead of silicone caulking around the lid to secure it permanently. Activate your Halloween scene by shaking or inverting the jar so you can see the confetti and marbles floating slowly around.

]]> http://www.halloweenexperts.com/2010/07/12/halloween-in-a-jar/feed/ 0 http://www.halloweenexperts.com/2010/07/01/halloween-luminaries/ http://www.halloweenexperts.com/2010/07/01/halloween-luminaries/#comments Thu, 01 Jul 2010 18:08:46 +0000 Annie http://www.halloweenexperts.com/?p=535 Our project for this week will help you provide atmosphere and charm to your Halloween decorating! Luminaries are most traditionally made from small paper bags, and contain a small votive candle or tea light to add the soft glow with which to line walkways and stairs. Our luminaries will be sturdier, reusable, and nearly free! They can be used for any occasion, but lend themselves particularly well to the Halloween season.

Here is what you will need:

Empty soup cans, washed and dried with the labels removed.

A permanent marker

A towel

A hammer

A couple of nails of different sizes

Orange and/or Black spray paint (try metallic colors too!)

Wire coat hangers

Here is what you do:

Choose a simple Halloween graphic to use as a pattern. Clip art, which can be found for free online, is an excellent resource for patterns. Using the permanent marker, draw your pattern on the clean, dry soup can. Any marks will eventually be covered by paint. Fill the soup cans with water, and freeze them overnight.

Lay the towel on a flat surface to soak up any water from the ice melting and keep the cans from slipping around while you work. Using the hammer and nails, punch holes in the can, about every ¼ to ½ inch along the lines of your pattern. The ice will keep the can from collapsing while you work on it. If you want to hang your luminaries, make sure you punch 2 extra holes at the top on either side of the can for the handle.

Once your pattern has been “punched”, put the cans in warm water to melt the ice inside, and then dry the cans thoroughly. Spray paint the sides and bottom of the cans. If you are making hanging luminaries, cut a length of coat hanger wire about 12-14 inches long, and thread it through the top holes on either side of your lantern, like a bail handle.
When your luminaries are completely dry, add a votive candle or tea light.

This is a great family project, and your finished luminaries will add a touch of Halloween charm to your sidewalk or patio! As stated earlier, luminaries can be used for any occasion: weddings, Christmas, 4th of July, birthdays… Don’t wait for Halloween to let your imagination light up your decorating!

]]> http://www.halloweenexperts.com/2010/07/01/halloween-luminaries/feed/ 0 http://www.halloweenexperts.com/2010/04/17/milk-jug-skelly/ http://www.halloweenexperts.com/2010/04/17/milk-jug-skelly/#comments Sat, 17 Apr 2010 17:28:48 +0000 Annie http://www.halloweenexperts.com/?p=202 This is an excellent Halloween project to try with your kids. It’s fun and easy, and it is a great way to recycle some of your plastic milk jugs! We love to make these and hang several with different expressions from a big old tree with low hanging branches, then watch them dance in the breeze!

MATERIALS:
8 – 9 clean plastic gallon milk jugs per Skelly
String
Scissors & craft knife
Glue gun (for the adults to use)
One-hole punch

SKELETON HEAD
Turn a milk jug upside down
In the corner opposite the handle cut out a large pair of eyes, the mouth and two holes for the nostrils. If you have the kind of jugs that have 2 circular indentations opposite the handle, these make perfect places for the eyeholes.

Make two small slits in the top of the head and tie a loop of string through them to hang the finished skeleton.

SKELETON CHEST
Slice down the centre of a jug – opposite the handle.
Cut the plastic to make a rib cage.

Glue the head and chest together with hot glue.

SKELETON SHOULDERS
Cut off two jug handles leaving a small collar on each end. Use hot glue to attach them to the chest section.
Punch a hole at the outside end of each shoulder.

SKELETON WAIST
Cut out two spouts, leaving a 1/2 inch collar on each.
Hot glue the spouts together.
Glue to the bottom of the chest.

SKELETON HIPS
Use the bottom 4 1/2 inches of a jug.
Cut into a pelvic shape by cutting arch shapes from 2 opposite sides.
Glue to the bottom of the waist.

SKELETON ARMS & LEGS
Cut the bone shapes from the jugs.
Tie to the shoulders and hips.

SKELETON HANDS & FEET
Trace the kid’s hands and feet.
Cut these shapes out of the jugs.
Punch holes into the hands and feet and tie them onto the arms and legs.

You can paint your Skelly a neon color with “glow in dark” paint so that he will glow as he greets your Halloween guests. Another option is to outline all the edges with red marker, as in the illustration.

(Since your Skelly will probably be hanging outdoors in the wind, we recommend that you reinforce all the joints by threading silver florist wire through the holes and twisting it together.)

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