Jack-o'-lanterns are the true essence of the Halloween atmosphere, and anyone can carve a pumpkin; it just takes patience.
"You don't have to be good at carving pumpkins to carve a pumpkin," said Tom Nardone, professional pumpkin carver and creator of extremepumpkins.com. "It is not hard, you do not have to be an artist and you do not have to make it symmetrical. Just give it time, and you will have a good time."
1. Select a fresh pumpkin in a shape that pleases you. Some folks prefer their pumpkins low and round, while others like them tall and oval-shaped.
2. Draw a circle or hexagon on top of the pumpkin in preparation for making an opening large enough for your hand to reach through.
3. Cut through the stem end of the pumpkin along your outline with a sharp knife or pumpkin-carving tool. Use a back-and-forth slicing motion to cut through the thick, tough skin.
4. Remove the stem end, which will act as a cap, making sure you scrape off any seeds or pulp.
5. Use a large spoon to scoop out the seeds and pulp from inside the pumpkin. Hold the spoon by its bowl to get extra leverage while scooping.
6. Draw a pattern for the face on the clean pumpkin with a felt-tip pen or scribe the lines into the skin using a pencil. Be sure to make the eyes, nose and mouth large enough; you'll have a hard time cutting out tiny features when you're using a big knife blade to saw.
"I am a free-hander, but there is a batch of stencils on extremepumpkins.com," Nardone said. "I enjoy free handing though because of the creativity."
7. Follow your pattern as you cut all the way through the pumpkin.
"I use a jig saw, but any of the tools that come in the pumpkin carving kits are decent," Nardone said.
8. Push the cut-out features gently from the inside of the pumpkin and discard the pieces.
9. Place a votive candle inside the pumpkin to create an eerie glow.
"Carving pumpkins reminds me of my childhood and the loveliness of fall, and I love the smell of cutting open a pumpkin," said Mary Ansley Gilbert, senior in fashion design.
Dana Goodson, senior in marketing, said carving pumpkins is one of her favorite parts of Halloween. It is something she does every year.
For students interested, after the final project is completed, submit a photo of the pumpkin to extremepumpkins.com to enter the pumpkin contest and possibly win a prize.
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