How to Carve a Spooky Cat Pumpkin
Carving of Jack-o-Lanterns for the Halloween holiday is a fun and artistic way to spend time together, as a family, in preparation to make the hairs on the backs of your neighbors' necks stand straight up in the air. An all-time favorite of pumpkin carving artists is the black cat. When carving your kitty into a pumpkin, always remember that at least three or four body parts must be connected to the rest of the pumpkin. This can be the feet, ears and tail. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Small pumpkin carving saw set (late September and October at K-Mart, Wal-Mart, Target and at dollar stores)
- Cat pumpkin-carving stencil (optional but very useful)
- Sharp pencil
Instructions
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1
Draw a circle around the stem at the top of the pumpkin where you will cut out a section to serve as a lid. Make the hole large enough that one hand can be inserted into the pumpkin when making a fist.
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2
Cut out the lid from the pumpkin using one of the larger-sized pumpkin carving saws. Alternatively, you may use a large serrated kitchen knife. When cutting out the lid, aim the knife inward toward the center of the pumpkin so a ledge is formed onto which the lid cutout can rest when setting it down on top of the pumpkin. Set the lid aside.
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3
Reach into the pumpkin and remove all of the stringy pulp that contains seeds. Discard the pulp and seeds, and scrape the interior of the pumpkin clean using your fingers to pull as much of the material out as possible.
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4
Draw an image of how you desire your spooky cat carving to appear on the exterior of the pumpkin. Be creative, but keep in mind while drawing that the more surfaces of the cat's body that connect to the rest of the pumpkin body, the less chance the cat will break off falling into, our away from the pumpkin. To do the drawing with a stencil, hold the stencil against the pumpkin. Use the tip of a sharpened pencil to poke holes through the paper and into the pumpkin along all of the cat body outlines.
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5
Saw away all areas surrounding the cat body carefully, so candle light can shine through around the cat. Allow three or four areas of the cat body to remain connected to the pumpkin body by leaving the base of the feet, the tip of the tail, and the ears of the cat connected. The end result should be a large hollowed out hole, shaped as desired, with the cat's body in the center with its feet, ears, and tail remaining connected.
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6
Set a candle holder in the center of the pumpkin through the top hole. Insert a large candle into the candle holder. Light the candle and place the lid over the top of your new spooky cat pumpkin. Step back and admire your work, and to make note of any areas you would like to modify further for the most stunning appearance.
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Tips & Warnings
Add additional detail to you spooky cat pumpkin. An example could be crooked branches of a tree extending toward the center of the open hole surrounding the cat, with the branches extending over the cat's head.
As long as you remember that all items that are outlined by the candlelight must have a portion remaining connected to the rest of the solid pumpkin, any additional details become simple to include.
Keep fingertips away from the areas being carved when using serrated pumpkin carving saws. The saws are very sharp and can can cause very deep cuts requiring stitches or surgery.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Thinkstock Images/Comstock/Getty Images
