How to Make a Pumpkin Face a Real Face

Pumpkin carving can be interesting and challenging when you carve the face of a real person into a pumpkin.

Pumpkin carving is one of the main events during Halloween in the United States. Jack-o'-lanterns are seen at nearly every doorstep or porch. Some designs are simple, and others are more realistic and complex. Creating a realistic portrait as a pumpkin carving is not as hard as it looks, if you prepare before you carve. A little patience goes a long way when carving a pumpkin.

Things You'll Need

• Photo
• Computer
• Printer
• Pushpins
• Pumpkin
• Pumpkin carving tools

Instructions

1. 

   A photo that already has a decent amount of contrast is ideal for this project.

   Take a photo into a digital photo manipulation program. Turn the photo into a black-and-white image. Turn the contrast up all the way, so that only black and white remain, without any gray. Print the photo at the same size you need it to be on your pumpkin.

2. 

   Taking your time with the pushpins can facilitate the carving process later on.

   Tack the printout onto the pumpkin with pushpins. With another pushpin, poke holes along the black shapes. This will show you where to carve. Keep going until you are done. Take the printout off, and keep it next to the pumpkin for reference as you start to carve.

3. 

   An adult should always do most of the carving.

   Use a pumpkin carver, and start to carve out shapes according to your pushpin tracings. Be careful. Do not cut out too many pieces, as sometimes this can make the pumpkin weak, and the whole image can cave in. Use both the pushpin holes and the reference of the printout as you carve. Continue until you are finished.

References

• Traditional Pumpkin Carving