How to Troubleshoot Pumpkin Carving

Make pumpkin carving easier by troubleshooting any issues you have.

If you find yourself in the Halloween spirit and you decide to carve a pumpkin, you may find a few problems along the way. While carving a pumpkin may seem a simple task, it takes many individual steps to make up the entire process, leaving plenty of room for things to go wrong. Troubleshoot any issues that arise at carving time so that you can make the process go a bit smoother.

Things You'll Need

• Serrated knife
• Ice cream scoop
• Power drill
• Drill bits
• Paring knife

Instructions

The Lid Falls into the Pumpkin

1. Mark the cutting line around the stem of the pumpkin with a marker before cutting. Draw the line about 2 inches away from the stem all the way around.

2. Position a serrated knife so that it slants inward toward the marker line.

3. Cut all the way around the line with the knife still in the slanted position. This bevel will keep the lid from falling inward.

The Pumpkin Walls Are Too Thick

1. Turn your pumpkin to the side that is the smoothest and most attractive, where you want to carve it.

2. Score the inside surface of the wall of the pumpkin with a serrated knife to soften it. To do this, cut slashes about halfway through the total thickness of the pumpkin walls, about a quarter inch apart, over the entire inside surface of the side you want to carve.

3. Scrape the scored surface with an ice cream scoop to thin the wall. This will give you a thinner wall to carve through.

Hard-to-Navigate Cuts

1. Fit a drill with a bit that closely matches any tiny cuts in intricate carving patterns that you cannot cut with a knife.

2. Drill into the pumpkin while holding it steady with your other hand. Do not hold the side you are cutting through; keep your hand safely away from the drill bit.

3. Drill more holes along the thin line, close together, to remove small sections. Smooth the cuts into straight lines with the tip of a paring knife.

The Pumpkins Won't Stay Fresh

1. Soak dried-out pumpkins in buckets of fresh water for a few hours to rehydrate them.

2. Apply a commercial preservative spray, available in most Halloween or craft stores around Halloween time, onto the cut edges and inside surface of your carved pumpkin.

3. Place your carved pumpkin in a plastic bag, and keep it in the refrigerator when you are not displaying it.

References

• SpookMaster: Pumpkin Carving Instructions: Tips and Troubleshooting