How To Get The Perfect Pumpkin

Halloween is just around the corner now and, though some of us Brits aren’t exactly the biggest fans of the occasion, it wouldn’t hurt to have some fun. There’s no need to go to extremes with over the top parties but a Halloween-must is definitely pumpkin carving. So, I’ve come up with some design ideas for your pumpkins. Some are (inevitably) harder than others but if you want to test yourself why not have a go?

Draw - Super Easy

A simple way around decorating your pumpkin without the hassle of actually carving is by drawing on it instead. This is a much more child-friendly way to still enjoy the perks of Halloween without risks and is also a lot quicker than carving. This way, you aren’t limited by design either, giving you the opportunity to draw whatever you want. You could even incorporate this idea with carving, for example, drawing a scary face but carving out the mouth.

Scary Face - Easy

The most popular of the bunch, the scary face is very easy to carve and allows you to be as creative as you want with it. For simplicity, you could maybe try triangle eyes and a big toothy grimace or for a bit of a challenge, try your hand at a vampire (the fangs are harder than you’d think!). There are so many different directions to go in with this which explains why so many people are a fan of it.

Favourite character - Medium

Depending on whose yours is, this could be either extremely easy or hard to carve. For example, last year I carved Olaf’s face into mine which was quite an easy design to follow compared to, say, a human face. You could try and carve your favourite superhero’s mask/logo, or even take inspiration from your phone and carve your very own emoji! Make sure you do some research prior to carving too so that you know what angles you want to use of the character. 

Full pictures - Difficult

Definitely for the more talented carvers out there, this more complex idea gives you the freedom to design any picture you wish - from a witch on a broomstick, silhouetting the moon, to a haunted house with bats and graves surrounding it. These designs are more about incorporating lots of ideas into one masterpiece so do bear in mind that they consist of a lot of small details which won’t be easy. But, with determination and a good eye for detail, you could really make this work! Once again, it’s a good idea to do a little bit of research and a light sketch beforehand so you know where you want everything to go instead of going straight in with the carving - a little prep can help you out a lot. 

Don’t forget to empty the inside of your pumpkins before you begin. I know it sounds over-simplified but it’s a mistake a lot of people make!

I’d love to see some of your amazing creations over the next few weeks!

Emma x