How to Carve a Fancy Pumpkin With a Dremel
So, you want a fancy carved pumpkin, but you don't want to spend a lot of time on it? Welcome to the age of technology. An electric dremel tool and a few cookie cutters will have your pumpkin up and glowing in a flash.
- Difficulty:
- Moderately Easy
Instructions
Things You'll Need
- Votive Candleholders
- Votive Candles
- Pumpkins
- Cookie Cutters
- Paring Knives
- Old Newspaper
- Permanent Markers
- Dremel Tools
- Safety Goggles
- Permanent markers
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1
Select a pumpkin with a smooth surface.
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2
Draw a pattern on a separate piece of paper. Some suggestions are bats, skulls, spiders and ghosts. Or find cookie cutters in scary shapes to use as an outline.
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3
Cut away the top part surrounding the stem, and remove any seeds and pulp from inside the pumpkin.
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4
Draw the pattern on the surface of the pumpkin, and cut around the outline with a sharp knife. Alternatively, press the cookie cutter of choice into the orange skin to create the outline.
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5
Use the dremel drill to remove the areas that are to be completely cut out -eyes, mouth, nose, etc.
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6
Remove the orange part of the skin inside the outline with the dremel tool. A dremel tool resembles a bulky electric toothbrush but is actually a small drilling tool. There are many types of attachments available for this versatile piece of equipment, including high-speed cutting bits, saw blades and drilling tips.
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7
Select the bit (tip) of the dremel tool based on the finished effect you desire. The deeper you cut into the pumpkin's flesh, the more light will shine through.
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8
Place a votive candle inside the pumpkin once you are finished. The light from the candle will provide an eerie glow.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Mistakes and slips of the knife can be mended by pinning the skin back in place with a toothpick or two.
This job is beyond messy! Wear an apron and safety goggles, and cover the surrounding work area with newspaper or plastic sheeting to prevent a daunting cleanup job.
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Comments
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This is horrible. Where are the bits? What are the sizes? Where are the specifications... Really bad. The writing is sub-par.
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Ugh!
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punkinshell
Oct 26, 2009
I cut the opening in the bottom of my pumpkins, too. I sit each on a sheet of aluminum foil, which magnifies the candlelight.
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Nov 22, 2005
If you do not have a dremel, local department stores like Wal-Monster have $10 electric pumpkin carvers.
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Nov 22, 2005
Some models of Dremel tools offer a long flexible bi5t extention. I find it's much easier to do precesion work without the weight of the tool or the torque of the motor putting twist into your wrist.
