Pumpkins, With a Natural Twist

Carving pumpkins sparks the beginning of bustling creativity in the holidays to follow. A surge of excitement comes with purchasing the first Halloween pumpkins. Then comes Thanksgiving dinner planning and table decorations. Next … Christmas, tree, trimmings and all the wrappings! Heart races, head full of ideas. But it all starts with pumpkin carving. I get fired up just thinking about it.

I start out with four pumpkins. Since I don’t really hit my creative stride until the 2nd carving, four is never enough. Like a spellbound zombie (“Must … have … more!”),  I always head back to the store for extras. I usually stop after 8 or 10 pumpkins, when my hand is so tired it can't scoop any more pumpkin guts. I try to have enough to light all of our front stairs and welcome little goblins on Hallows Eve.

I like to stay with simple, geometric shapes. I pencil my ideas on the surface of the pumpkin first. I want to have fun and not get intimidated. I still use kid-safe cutting tools, with those great little saws that we have had for nearly 20 years. I also use an ice pick, a drill, an apple-corer, nails, awls and a melon baler among other things. Martha Stewart has some good suggestions for pumpkin carving tools to make the job easier.

I don’t carve anything too elaborate unless I drag out my Dremel Tool which works great for intricate and detailed images, words and calligraphy. This method takes more planning and patience. I create the image on my computer, print and transfer it onto the pumpkin by punching through the outlines with a pin. Make sure you use a  battery-operated Dremel, not electric. My son loved using the Dremel. Prepare yourself for a big mess of small, far-slung pumpkin mash.

I love to add decorations right from nature. A walk around the neighborhood can inspire all kinds of spooky ideas. Large, sugar maple leaves (or any leaves with a long, sturdy stem) make a great lion's mane. Carrots make devilish horns (they look better as they shrivel up). Boxwood trimmings can form crowns. You can add fallen branches with leaves or use toothpicks for teeth. I’ve wound up clematis vines for beehive hair-dos and attached sweetgum seedpods for warts. With garden snips in hand, the possibilities are endless. Pre-punch holes in the pumpkin surface for natural decorations like leaf stems, sticks and branches and pull them through from the inside. It’s fun and easy for the kids.

For a harvest twist, try Turnip Jack-o'-Lanterns.

More ghoulish links:

Blogger Linda Facci has a fun and interactive Halloween Pumpkin Carving Template Book

Spirit Jugs reuses milk cartons in ghostly way

How about Jack-o'-Lanterns from Legos?

Or extreme pumpkins

Best Pumpkin Carving Designs perfect for this 2011 Halloween

Better Homes and Gardens Pumpkin carving ideas and templates