Pumpkin Carving Tips

• Serrated metal saws, now widely available in carving kits, are a safer alternative to knives and allow younger children to get in on the action.

• Always carve away from yourself; kids should carve only under adult supervision.

• Don't hold the knife in a stabbing position.

• When you are carving, keep a portion of the knife blade in the pumpkin and use slow, steady saw strokes.

• Cut the lid at an angle so the outside diameter is larger than the inside.This prevents the top from falling into the pumpkin when it shrinks.

• Scoop out seeds and stringy flesh with a large spoon or ice cream scooper.

• Draw your design on the pumpkin with a water-based marker or you can find pumpkin face patterns, trace them on tracing paper then coat the back of the tracing paper with white chalk. When you put the pattern on the pumpkin and trace the pattern with a pencil the pattern will be left with the chalk imprint. You can also use the poker or ice pick, poke through the paper making dots along each outline on the pattern. Mistakes are erased easily with a damp sponge unless you have poked the holes.

• Carve the facial features closest to the center first and work outward. Cut out the larger features in sections.

• Use an X-Acto knife for details and the tip of a potato peeler to make small circles and curves. Or you can buy pumpkin carving kits usually at craft stores or on the internet.

• Remove carved portions by gently pushing them into or out of the pumpkin.

• Reattach a section that is accidentally removed by using a toothpick to pin it back in place.

• Make design holes large enough to provide adequate ventilation for the candle plus cut a chimney. Light a candle inside the pumpkin, then close the lid. Quickly put out the flame and look for the blackened spot inside the lid. Cut a small hole there; it will let the smoke and heat escape while a candle glows inside.

• Flatten a spot in the base of the pumpkin for the candle but avoid digging too deep because the pumpkin becomes prone to rot.

• Make sure the flame is not too close to the top of the pumpkin.

• To prolong the life of the jack-o'-lantern, seal in moisture by coating all cut surfaces with petroleum jelly or vegetable oil, or cover it with a damp towel when not on display.

• Consider giving smaller children stickers, tempera paint, or markers to decorate their own pumpkins rather than carving.