Read about carving pumpkin using stencils, using paper patterns to carve pumpkins and templates for Jack-o-lanterns.
Carving Pumpkin Using Stencils
Halloween calls for pumpkin carving and indulging in artistic endeavors. You can fire your imaginations and use your creativity to the hilt in carving pumpkins. People with good artistic and craft skills prefer carving their pumpkins freehand, but those with underdeveloped artistic skills can still create beautiful and detailed designs on their pumpkin by using stencils for their carvings. In fact, stencils can be used beautifully to carve pumpkins in a highly artistic way. Given below is the procedure for pumpkin carving using stencils, just for you.
Carving Pumpkins
- To prepare the pumpkin for basic carving, cut out the top of the pumpkin, like a lid and empty whatever is inside.
- Tape the stencil on the pumpkin and then using the transfer tool, press the pointed tip through the paper stencil and the outer skin of the pumpkin, making dots that are about 1/8th of an inch apart or may be a little closer.
- Transferring patterns may take time, but it becomes quite helpful when you start sawing out the design.
- Remove the stencil only when you have transferred all the lines clearly. You may use the same stencil twice.
- Push the tip of the carving saw blade into the pattern hole and saw through the designs very carefully, using back and forth motions, connecting the dots.
- Follow the pattern edges carefully and align the saw blade to make straight cuts into the pumpkin.
- At sharp corners, take out the saw, align the blade and re-insert in the pattern hole.
- Cut out the pieces carefully, by first sawing them carefully and then giving them a little push, using the blunt tip of a pencil.
- After removing all the cut pieces, trim the edges of the pumpkin, using the carving saw at a 45-degree angle, to allow more light to shine through the design. Remove the cut pieces from inside the pumpkin. Coat the edges with petroleum jelly.
- If the stem from the pumpkin has broken off, do not cut the lid from the top. Instead, cut a similar round from the bottom of the pumpkin, to allow you to insert the candle, so that you won't need the handle for the lid.
- Now, add a lit candle to your pumpkin, so that your design shines eerily enough and projects desired silhouettes.
Tips
- A carving saw is quite handy while working with fine and detailed carving. On the other hand, transfer tool assists in transferring the designs from stencil to the pumpkin.
- You may buy carving stencils, draw on paper or copy a pattern from somewhere on the paper. Trim the extra paper using the scissors, leaving half an inch of border to tape the pattern on the pumpkin.
