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Let me just put it out there that our family loves carving pumpkins! Our kids spend days, maybe even weeks, planning out their designs. We never carve until a day or two before Halloween, so the excitement really builds!
This year, I think we will end up with a Star Wars pumpkin and a Harry Potter pumpkin, but the debate continues…so we will see.
In the meantime, I’m gathering all the necessary supplies for our annual pumpkin carving festivities!
Brown paper shopping bag. These are great for holding those pumpkin “guts.”
Carving tools- I mostly use kitchen knives to carve out the kids’ designs, but the poker tool and the scooper, and some of the sturdier carving blades, can be helpful with details.
Paper—either printouts of designs from online sources or books, or custom drawings!
Candles- we prefer the battery operated kind or small LED flashlights.
We have had the kids draw the designs with Crayola markers right on the pumpkin and any mistakes just wipe right off. Alternatively, you can tape the paper onto the pumpkin and (carefully) poke out the design onto the pumpkin with a tool. Since our pumpkins are usually fairly large, it takes muscle to carve them, and we do the heavy lifting. We cut the top and scoop out the guts, setting the seeds aside.
I love the moment when the pumpkins are carved and we turn out the lights to see the designs come to life!
Then, the kids seem to disappear so we can clean the kitchen. Ha!
We also use those pumpkin seeds to make a tasty roasted snack. EVOO with salt, pepper and paprika is a great simple way to prepare them, but here are a few new recipes I’m eyeing:
So, grab a cold beer or a sweet kombucha, and get to carving! Happy Halloween!