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Pumpkin Carving - Make your Halloween Pumpkin Glow!
Carving pumpkins is fun Halloween tradition. It usually takes the form of a Halloween pumpkin carving party with family or friends. It is frequently finished off with some hot, crisp pumpkin seeds fresh out of the oven.
Did you know? Pumpkin carving comes from ancient Celtice (Irish) traditions. But, at the time, they didn't carve pumpkins. They carved Turnips and Rutabagas. About carving turnips for Halloween.
Pumpkin carving is not just for Halloween. There's a growing trend to carve pumpkins for Thanksgiving, too. Different, fall pumpkin carving stencils are used at Thanksgiving.
For the record: Just so you can show your Pumpkin and Jack O Lantern expertise........ A pumpkin is a beautiful round, orange fruit that comes from the garden. A Jack O Lantern is a pumpkin that has been carved.
Preparation and Cleaning: When selecting pumpkins for carving, lighter colored ones carve easier, as they are softer. The downside is they do not last as long. Pick a pumpkin with a nice stem and a carvable face. Clean the pumpkins off outside by washing them off with plain water and a sponge. Allow to dry. Keep the pumpkin outside, or in a cool place, until you are ready to carve it. Cut open the top of the pumpkin and clean out the inside seeds and and guts (many of us call them "Pumpkin Brains"). Be careful not to pull hard on the stem as it breaks easily. Tip: When cleaning the inside of your Jack O'Lantern, scrape the inside wall to an inch thick. This will make carving a lot easier. Set the seed aside for cooking pumpkin seed snacks or for saving pumpkin seeds for next year.
Safety Tips: Here are some simple tips which will help to make your pumpkin carving safe: Do not let a young child use a knife. Always point knives away from you. Keep your free hand away from the direction of the knife. Use slicing motions and never force the knife. When using candles to light your Jack O'Lantern, do not leave it unattended. For indoor lighting, we recommend battery operated lights. Carving Pumpkins: Select your design. Have the kids draw a picture of what they want their pumpkin to look like. Even a toddler can draw a pumpkin, and it always comes out just the way he or she wanted it. We recommend a pumpkin carving knife. It is designed for carving pumpkins, and is less likely to cause injury. For younger children, keep the design simple The fewer curves, angles, and cuts, the better the result. Once you have mastered carving a pumpkin, you can graduate to a pumpkin carving design, or create your own. There are a wide variety of designs and are limited only by your imagination.To use a design,:
Halloween pumpkin carving parties are not complete without roasting the pumpkin seeds you have taken out of your carved pumpkin. See Roasted Pumpkin Seeds recipe.
Pumpkin carving is easier, quicker, and more fun with this battery operated pumpkin carver. Many people use popular Pumpkin Masters carving kits with easy to use saws and patterns. Buy Pumpkin Carving Kits now! The latest craze is a CD that allows you to create your own Jack O Lantern patterns on your computer. It is very inexpensive. You can create your own customized and unique patterns, as well as size it for your pumpkin. Buy CD Pumpkin Pattern Maker!
Other Great sites to try:
Pumpkin Carving Tips: * Use an ice-cream scoop to clean out your pumpkin instead of bending your kitchen spoons. * Select pumpkin carving patterns or stencils that fits your age and expertise level. * For a unique jack-o’lantern, add a little glow paint, or fake blood. * Insert a bowl into a carved pumpkin and add dry ice and warm water to create an extra spooky, smoke filled jack-o’-lantern.
Making your Pumpkin Last: Apply a light coating of petroleum jelly on the cuts. It will seal the wound and the pumpkin will last longer. After carving, place the pumpkin in a cool, dark place. It will spoil quickly if left at room temperature and will attract fruit flies. Did you know? You can usually revive shriveled Jack O Lantern, by soaking them in a bucket of water.
Make your Halloween party a Spooktacular success. Halloween party supplies, Pumpkin Mastesrs carving kits, lighting, and all kinds of indoor and outdoor decorations. Shop the net's best Halloween Superstore...... TGN"s Pumpkin Nook! Buy Jack O Lantern pumpkin seeds and many other varieites of pumpkins, too. Jack O Lantern Pumpkin Carving kits and patterns - Pumpkin carving tools, and the biggest collection of pumpkin carving patterns anywhere.
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