# How to properly carve a pumpkin



## Dexman PE PMP (Oct 25, 2011)

http://manmadediy.co...wlGO8I.facebook







http://www.stumbleup...ngly-sculpture/


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## roadwreck (Oct 25, 2011)

I'm no art major, so I know those pumpkins are well beyond my abilities, but it is possible to make some pretty decent looking pumpkins even if you are a uncreative engineer. These are some of mine I've done in the past.


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## NCcarguy (Oct 25, 2011)

I can barely carve a noticible face.


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## Dexman PE PMP (Oct 25, 2011)

I started doing some google searching for ideas for this years pumpkins. There are some really good ideas out there, but hard to find "cool" ones that can be done by someone with no artistic skills...


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## Road Guy (Oct 25, 2011)

I am bad, I havent even picked up pumpkins yet this year, kids are asking every day...


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## snickerd3 (Oct 25, 2011)

Minisnicks bday party was at a pumpkin farm, so we picked one out while we were there.


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## Ble_PE (Oct 25, 2011)

We've got two pumpkins in the front yard, but i didn't carve either of them. I've got two plastic ones with a light in them that work just fine! 

I'm sure once mini-ble gets a little older we'll start carving them, but for now I'm too lazy/strapped for time to consider it.


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## Master slacker (Oct 25, 2011)

Mini-MS is too busy reenacting Peter in the *Plumply, Dumply Pumpkin *and we're too busy trying to rest.


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## Exception Collection (Oct 25, 2011)

I've never bothered with them - I'm not artistic enough to worry about them, and my spouse and I don't even hand out candy - we make plans to do other things.

Even as a kid I was more of a "Candy candy candy candy" kind of kid than anything else.

Edit: Oh yeah, I was gonna link






Now THOSE are well done pumpkins.


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## Dexman PE PMP (Oct 26, 2011)

Here are the 4 we did tonight:






I picked out the two on the outside, my daughter wanted the kitty, and my son wanted the monster. I have one more ready to be carved, but am waiting for my wife to pick out the pattern tomorrow.


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## Capt Worley PE (Oct 26, 2011)

We still haven't gotten our pumpkins yet. We'll probably get them and carve them this weekend.


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## Supe (Oct 26, 2011)

I did a Jack Skellington one with junior this year. Have to drum up a picture of it tonight. I don't like putting more than 20 minutes worth of work into those things.


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## envirotex (Oct 26, 2011)

Dexman PE said:


> Here are the 4 we did tonight:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I love the monster! I may have to steal that one...

Anyway, that's what we do too. Everyone gets a pumpkin, designs a face (or whatever), and dad carves it up. He's got mad skills. I guess that's one of the perks of having an art degree.


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## Dexman PE PMP (Oct 26, 2011)

Here is the pattern I used for the monster face. I had to cut-up the pattern and do the mouth with one piece of paper and the eyes/nose with another because the pumpkin wasn't flat enough on that side.

I got this pattern from extremepumpkins.com. It was in their free download section.


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## Dexman PE PMP (Oct 26, 2011)

Karen S. P.E. said:


> Now THOSE are well done pumpkins.


Here's the how-to (although the demo isn't as good as the above pic)...

http://www.instructables.com/id/The-Death-Star-Pumpkin/


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## envirotex (Oct 27, 2011)

Thanks for the pattern Dex! I'll post the results...


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## Guest (Oct 27, 2011)

I will be stopping by some farms to pick up pumpkins for carving this weekend! 

JR


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## pbrme (Oct 9, 2012)

bump cause we're getting close.

Here's the one I did last year: Nuclear waste pumpkin.











I screwed a piece of conduit to a base and skewered the pumpkins to stack on each other. Then I carved out the mouth, sliced the bottom off the head and stuck in on top. The arms were wire coat hangers with target bags wrapped and taped to give them some character. I spray painted these brown later, and speckled the whole mess in florescent paint to go with the black light I put in the outside light. These pictures don't show the nuclear pail I made either, I can post another picture later.


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## Capt Worley PE (Oct 9, 2012)

Mighty impressive!


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## knight1fox3 (Oct 9, 2012)

Capt Worley PE said:


> Mighty impressive!


Agreed! Well done.


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## Dexman PE PMP (Oct 9, 2012)

This idea shall be stolen...


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## MA_PE (Oct 9, 2012)

knight1fox3 said:


> Capt Worley PE said:
> 
> 
> > Mighty impressive!
> ...


X3. very cool!


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## RIP - VTEnviro (Oct 9, 2012)




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## knight1fox3 (Oct 9, 2012)

Some more good ones here as well: http://photos.msn.co...ings/233nxn0d#1


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## RIP - VTEnviro (Oct 9, 2012)

I found my new Halloween avatarlabatar.


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## blybrook PE (Oct 10, 2012)




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## RIP - VTEnviro (Oct 10, 2012)

Jacko Lantern!


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## Wolverine (Oct 10, 2012)

VTEnviro said:


> Jacko Lantern!


^ That's bad.


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## pbrme (Oct 10, 2012)

knight1fox3 said:


>


_"The galgamex_ vagina is 3 feet wide and has razor sharp _teeth_..._ Rabble Rabble...."_


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## RIP - VTEnviro (Oct 10, 2012)

Wow, I applaud the obscure reference. Post of the day.


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## blybrook PE (Oct 10, 2012)




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## engineergurl (Oct 10, 2012)

I did stewie one year...


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## blybrook PE (Oct 12, 2012)




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## RIP - VTEnviro (Oct 12, 2012)

That's disturbing.


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## Dexman PE PMP (Oct 15, 2012)

Here's the ones I carved over the weekend. There are a couple duplicates from last year, but I don't care. The spider and the Autobot symbol were just "etched" in as opposed to fully carved. I'm hoping this will help prevent them from wilting so quickly. I had done a Batman symbol for my son on Saturday, but by Sunday evening was all droopy. I will probably redo that one this next weekend.


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## blybrook PE (Oct 19, 2012)




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## Dexman PE PMP (Oct 19, 2012)

None of my "carved" pumpkins lasted the week. I have to redo my son's "Batman", my daughter's Golf Ball, and the Pi jackolanterns this weekend. I may just "etch" the backs of the ones already carved...


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## pbrme (Oct 19, 2012)

With all of the collective brain cells on this board, there's got to be something we could come up with that helps preserve the carvings. Elmers, plaster, quickcrete bath, ...soaking it in Lye..??? We're having a carving party on Sunday. I'll post some trials.


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## Dexman PE PMP (Oct 19, 2012)

From my personal experience, warm afternoons and direct sun do NOT aid in their preservation...


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## pbrme (Oct 22, 2012)

Here's the results from the anual pumpkin carving party, mine is the upper one with all the teeth.







A few things I learned to help preserve pumpkins:

1. Don't cut the stem. Like tomatoes, the stem should be left on for as long as possible, as it provides nutrients long after it's picked and aides in preservation.

Instead, cut small access door in the bottom to remove pumpkin guts or hog out the back. (It might be why the lid always lasts the longest)

2. Spray bleach water daily on all cuts and the inside to keep excess bacteria from decomposing your pumpkin.


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## snickerd3 (Oct 22, 2012)

Rotting problem solved...don't cut the pumpkin until a day or so before halloween then there is no issues with rot before the big day!


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## YMZ PE (Oct 22, 2012)

Another helpful tip from the YMZ household: if you're going to carve a pumpkin in such a manner that it rots after a couple of days, don't display it on top of expensive electronic equipment. We lost a good printer that way.


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## engineergurl (Oct 22, 2012)

also... rotting pumpkin guts MAY stain your concrete porch... no amount of pressure washing got that off...


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## knight1fox3 (Oct 22, 2012)

YMZ PE said:


> Another helpful tip from the YMZ household: if you're going to carve a pumpkin in such a manner that it rots after a couple of days, don't display it on top of expensive electronic equipment. We lost a good printer that way.


LOL, bummer!


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## Master slacker (Oct 22, 2012)

We carved our pumpkin last night and used bleach / water afterwards. Holding up well so far.


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## blybrook PE (Oct 24, 2012)




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## Master slacker (Oct 24, 2012)

Master slacker said:


> We carved our pumpkin last night and used bleach / water afterwards. Holding up well so far.


Still holding up with daily bleachings, but gnats are loving it too much.


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## Master slacker (Oct 25, 2012)

Well, got home yesterday and there was a little fuzz at the top on the inside. The average passer-by couldn't see it, so I left it out of curiosity on what the morning would bring.

... wow...

Both eyes and part of the nose were covered in white / black mold. The inside was horrifying. I encapsulated it and the horde of gnats in a bag and put it in the garbage can.


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## blybrook PE (Nov 1, 2012)




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## Dexman PE PMP (Nov 1, 2012)

I re-carved a couple more for the kiddos since the ones I did a couple weeks back were thrown away over the weekend.






I didn't even bother hollowing them out. Everything was done with a razorblade and a small chisel.


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## Capt Worley PE (Nov 1, 2012)

We carved ours Sunday, and they were toothless yesterday.


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## Capt Worley PE (Nov 16, 2012)




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## Capt Worley PE (Nov 16, 2012)




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