Things You'll Need:
- Paper
- Pens
- Thumb tacks
- Pumpkin carving saws in different sizes
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Step 1
Choose your pumpkin first. Your design will need to adapt to the size of the pumpkin’s face to maximize its appeal. Look for a pumpkin that has at least one side that is fairly uniform in size and symmetrical.
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Step 2
Hold your paper over your pumpkin and draw a circle on the paper that corresponds to the same size of the area where your design will fit. Try to envision what you want your finished jack-o-lantern to look like.
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Step 3
Draw a face or another design that fits within the circle you drew on the paper. It’s your pumpkin so you can design it any way you like but remember to think of it as a silhouette. The design must be comprised of only lines and spaces if you want to carve it out.
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Step 4
Allow for pumpkin support when creating your design. As you begin to cut through the pumpkin, any areas not connected to the edge will fall away. Because of this, you must design your pattern so the interior details supported by a connection to the pumpkin on outside of the design.
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Step 5
Use thumbtacks to carefully secure your paper to the face of the pumpkin and with another tack, poke holes along the lines of your design every ¼ of an inch. When you remove the paper, your design will appear on the pumpkin.
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Step 6
Follow the manufacturer’s instructions when using the pumpkin carving saws to cut out your design. Use the smaller, narrow saws for fine lines and the bigger ones for larger shapes.
