Jack Skellington Halloween Pumpkin

Carving Halloween pumpkins is an old tradition that is easy to learn how to do. My husband decided this year he was gonna carve a simple Jack Skellington Jack 0' Lantern type pumpkin, He did a great job, and we had a lot of fun doing it! Scroll down for some awesome pumpkin stencils, print them out and get carving!

Select a healthy pumpkin. When you're choosing a pumpkin, try to pick one that's free of nicks, bruises, and cuts. Wash the Pumpkin Thoroughly, Whether your pumpkin came from a pumpkin patch or the grocery store, give it a good scrub with soap and water. This will give you a clean surface to work on, and it will eliminate any mold spores that might be lurking. Ours was homegrown it came out of our Pumpkin Patch.

First make a lid by cutting a circular hole on top, around the stem. This is one step where a sturdy serrated kitchen knife is probably preferred. Cut at a slight inward angle toward the middle, so the lid won't fall inside. Making the lid a unique shape will help you line up it up perfectly when you replace it. Make sure this hole has plenty of room to fit your hand through.

TIP: Sprinkle cinnamon onto the inside of the lid. When lit you will get a lovely pumpkin pie smell.

There are two ways to transfer your design onto the pumpkin. One is to copy it freehand, Washable Crayola markers work well, if you’re drawing the design freehand, and they wipe off easily when carving is complete. If the design doesn’t work out exactly the way you wanted, you can just wipe it off and start again.

The other is to tape your template to the pumpkin, then score the design into the skin by poking holes through the template with a nail or plastic poking tool that comes in some pumpkin carving kits. I walked into my local Dollar Store and this one was readily available, and they are so cheap!

Select the paper stencil you want to use and trim the excess paper from it with scissors. Be sure to leave at least a 1/2 inch border for the tape to go on. Attach the stencil to the face of the pumpkin with tape. Top first, then the bottom and lastly the sides. Because of the uneven and curved nature of a pumpkin, the stencil isn't going to sit flush against every bit. Use your one hand to flatten a small piece of a stencil at a time, and work your way around it.

Using the Transfer Tool, press the pointed tip into and through the design lines on the paper stencil spaced about a 1/8 of an inch apart. Complex and thin designs might require the dots to be a little closer together. The tip of the Transfer Tool should be pushed in just enough to go through the paper and the outer skin of the pumpkin.

Take your time and follow the pattern edges carefully, Using the Carving Saw, push the tip of the saw-blade into a pattern hole and saw through the design lines with short back-and-forth motions.

Battery lights are great for pumpkin lighting, and cheap at your local Dollar Stores. However, if you really love candles, use these to light your pumpkins. Light your candle and then, about a minute or two later, blow it out and observe the inside top of your pumpkin. You’ll see a dark area singed by the candle’s flame. Carve a chimney hole into this area, just over an inch wide, to allow the flame’s heat to escape. Now, relight the candle and watch your pumpkin Glow, Be careful in using candles.

Simply click on one of the following design stencils, print it out and create your own frightfully fun jack-o-lantern.