201202968 ELI Lim Jung-Yun (임정연)
How to carve your Halloween pumpkin in 5 Easy Steps
Along with picking out fun and breezy costumes, carving your very own Halloween pumpkin is one of the many joys of Halloween. While we all dream of having the gruesome yet awesome pumpkin lantern that catches the eyes of on looking trick-or-treaters, the process of making the lantern is not as awesome but just as gruesome. But that is no more. Here is the Halloween pumpkin guide for dummies Sparknotes version abridged into 5 easy breezy steps.
The first step is picking a design. When it comes to the world of Halloween pumpkin designs, there are no wrong answers. Anything from a simple Smiley face to an elaborate depiction of an Orc from Mordor is acceptable. Sketch your design on a piece of paper to get a general idea of what the final result would look like. When sketching, do not forget to keep the round shape of the pumpkin in consideration.
After the design is completed, go buy your pumpkin. Keep in mind, that while a big pumpkin allows more room for details and realistic features, it takes more time and work to carve it. While a smaller pumpkin might take less to finish, it is hard to carve in detail unless you are a professional in the arts. Pick the appropriate sized pumpkin according to the design in mind, and purchase that bad boy. Also, regardless of size, it is important to pick a fresh pumpkin that will last long instead of shriveling up after a short while.
Now, it is time to hollow the pumpkin. After cutting the top off, take a melon baller or an ice cream scoop and empty it mercilessly. While doing so, scrape the inner hard skin of the pumpkin as well. If the inner layer of the pumpkin is too thick, the light will not shine through failing to fulfill its purpose as a lantern.
When the pumpkin is fully hollowed out, it is time to carve it into something marvelous. Scotch tape your design to the pumpkin and poke holes around the design using a knife or thumbtacks. This would be easier if you stick the design at the flat side of the pumpkin rather than the rounder side. When finished, remove the design and outline the poked out-sketch with a black and thick marker. Then, using a knife, carve out your pumpkin. The trick is to use gentle and rocking movements instead of brutally trying to hack it out. Also, do not forget to rub some lemon juice on the carved areas or the pumpkin will turn brown before it is even lit.
By following these instructions, what used to be a gooey orange pumpkiny smelling nightmare of an ordeal can be reduced to a short, yet fun process that is almost as enjoyable as lighting the pumpkin lantern itself. When you light the Halloween lantern on said day, do not forget to do the final fifth step of our guide: enjoy!.
201202968 ELI Lim Jung-Yun (임정연)
ReplyDeleteHow to carve your own Halloween pumpkin in 5 Insanely Easy Steps
Carving your very own Halloween pumpkin is one of the many joys of Halloween along with dressing up in whimsy costumes and hoarding sweet candy. While we all dream of having the gruesome yet awesome pumpkin lantern that catches the eyes of on looking trick-or-treaters, the process of making the lantern is hard. Most of the times, you end up covered in slimy seeds, multiple knife cuts, and a faint but persistent pumpkin smell that doesn't go away even after 3 showers. That pumpkin streaked nightmare ends now. Here is the Halloween pumpkin guide for dummies Sparknotes version abridged into 5 easy breezy steps.
The first step is picking the design. When it comes to the world of Halloween pumpkin designs, there are no wrong answers. Anything from a simple Smiley face to an elaborate depiction of an Orc from Mordor is acceptable. Sketch your design on a piece of paper to get a general idea of what the final result would look like. When sketching, do not forget to keep the round shape of the pumpkin in consideration. Otherwise, the final execution might end up looking lopsided. If you lack the necessary drawing skills, you need not despair. Many pumpkin lantern designs already exist on the Internet. Browse through the pictures and print out the one that you like the most.
ReplyDeleteAfter the design is completed, it is time to go buy your pumpkin. Keep in mind, that while a big pumpkin allows more room for details and realistic features, it takes more time and work to carve it. While a smaller pumpkin might take less to finish, it is hard to carve in detail unless you are a professional in the arts. Pick the appropriate sized pumpkin according to the design in mind, and purchase that bad boy. Also, regardless of size, it is important to pick a fresh pumpkin that will last long instead of shriveling up after a short while. If the pumpkin makes a hollow size when tapped on, it means that it is ripe and will probably be rotten within a week. On the other hand, a premature pumpkin will not only be hard to carve, and would not look as grand as a ripe pumpkin. Considering all this beforehand, choose the pumpkin that best suits your purposes.
Now, it is time to hollow the pumpkin. After cutting the top off, take a melon baller or an ice cream scoop and empty it mercilessly. While doing so, try to scrape the inner hard skin of the pumpkin as well. If the inner layer of the pumpkin is too thick, the light will not shine through failing to fulfill its purpose as a lantern. After scraping the pumpkin clean, check whether the bottom of the pumpkin is balanced or if it is wobbly. If the pumpkin wobbles, you might want to consider leveling the bottom so it evens out otherwise the lantern could drop on the floor creating an unfortunate Humpty Dumpty situation. Or, the candle put inside later could fall and set the pumpkin on fire. An actual fireman would have a very hard time trying to be taken seriously by people on Halloween and might arrive a little too late, leaving enough time for your house to get burned down to the ground.
When the pumpkin is fully hollowed out, it is time to carve it into something marvelous. Scotch tape your design to the pumpkin and poke holes around the design using a knife or thumbtacks. This would be easier if you stick the design at the flat side of the pumpkin rather than the rounder side. When finished, remove the design and outline the poked out-sketch with a black and thick marker.Then, using a knife, carve out your pumpkin. The trick is to use gentle and rocking movements instead of brutally trying to hack it out. Also, do not forget to rub some lemon juice on the carved areas or the pumpkin will turn brown before it is even lit.
By following these instructions, what used to be a gooey orange pumpkiny smelling nightmare of an ordeal can be reduced to a short, yet fun process that is almost as enjoyable as lighting the pumpkin lantern itself. When you light the Halloween lantern on said day, do not forget to do the final fifth step of our guide: enjoy!.