Her Campus Cal Poly’s Guide to Pumpkin Carving

Halloween is coming… And so is the annual Jack O’ Lantern show down! If you want the prettiest pumpkin around, follow our guide on how to carve a beautiful pumpkin. 

1. Pick a design.

Think of an idea for an awesome Jack O Lantern, or browse Pinterest for some inspiration! Once you’ve decided on the perfect spooky or silly squash design, it’s time to pick your pumpkin!

2. Pick your pumpkin!

With your design in mind, head over to your local pumpkin patch to search for the perfect pumpkin with a good shape that would accommodate the design. If you don’t have the time to make it to a pumpkin patch, a grocery store will do just as well! Just be sure to pick a firm pumpkin with an intact stem and no soft spots or visible rotting! Don’t worry too much about dirt—you can take care of that in the next step!

3. Give your Pumpkin a bath!

It can be really difficult to find the perfect pumpkin. Luckily, a little water and some elbow grease can go a long way! Give your pumpkin a scrub under warm water to remove any dirt, especially focusing around the stem.

4. Cut a lid.

In order to get to the gooey insides out of your soon-to-be ghoulish gourd, you’ll need to cut the top off with a sturdy knife. I like to cut mine in a circle (approximately 6-8 inches in diameter, depending on the size of your pumpkin) with a triangular notch. The notch will make it easier to fit perfectly back into place once you scape the pulp and seeds.

5. Get scrapin’.

Now for the fun part! Using a large spoon, scape the inside of the pumpkin of all the seeds and pulp, grabbing a handful and tossing it in the trash as needed. Continue until the walls are clean and somewhat dry. You may complete this process on top of sheets of newspaper, but scraping in the sink will make for an easier clean up and don’t forget to scrape the bottom of the lid.

Bonus: Set aside some of the pulp to arrange on top of your finished Jack O Lantern for extra spooky-points.

6. Make a seasonal snack.       

Separate the seeds from the pulp and give them a rinse to clear any stuck on gunk. Dry the seeds and spread them across a cookie sheet with some olive oil and salt. Set the oven to 350 degrees and bake for 30 minutes or until toasted.

7. Draw on your design.

Using tracing paper, copy your design onto your pumpkin using a dark, washable marker so that you can clearly see where you will be cutting. If you are artistically inclined, or just feeling gutsy (pun intended), free hand your design. The beauty of washable marker is that no one will know if you give it a few tries.

8. Cut out your Jack O Lantern.

Using a long, thin knife, carefully cut along the lines you previously traced. Though store bought kits are convenient, they aren’t necessary to get the perfect pumpkin. In order to reveal your design, push the cut shapes out of the pumpkin from the inside to prevent stress or tearing to your beautiful design. Wipe away any stray marks with a wet cloth.

Bonus: Use unconventional tools (i.e. cookie cutters, apple corer) to help you carve a one of a kind pumpkin.

9. Make it your own!

Add some flair! Take some creative liberties by carefully scraping away varying amounts of surface skin around your knife for varying levels of light.

10. Admire your work!

Plop some tea lights into your menacing masterpiece and replace the lid. Take a step back with some freshly toasted pumpkin seeds, and watch your pumpkin glow!

Pro Tip: Be sure to wait until just a few days before Halloween to carve your pumpkin… once you cut into a pumpkin, it begins to rot.

Good luck carving!

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