On the night of October 31 to November 1, one of the oldest holidays in the world, Halloween, is celebrated. This ancient Celtic celebration has interesting story, original traditions and funny paraphernalia. The holiday strangely combines two traditions: the honoring of evil spirits and the worship of all saints.

In the United States, Europe and Canada, it is customary to dress up in costumes of evil spirits, arrange masquerades, light bonfires and build pumpkin lamps on this day. It is not surprising that on the outskirts of the famous holiday, many people have a question: how to make a pumpkin for Halloween? Today we will try to give you comprehensive instructions regarding the manufacture of the "Jack Lantern".

Pumpkin is the main attribute of Halloween. On a ripe fruit, the celebrants, as a rule, cut out ominous muzzles and insert a candle inside, constructing a kind of lantern. The habit of making vegetable lamps originated in Ireland and Great Britain. Celtic monks (druids) made them from turnips, beets, rutabaga and used to expel evil spirits.

Initially, this ritual had nothing to do with Halloween, but in the 19th century North America made it the main tradition of this holiday. Only instead of these vegetables they began to use a pumpkin, since it is she who symbolizes the time of harvest. The Americans named the pumpkin lantern the Jack-O-Lantern and made it the official symbol of Halloween.

Jack Lantern - who is he?

Before you start making a pumpkin for Halloween, you should familiarize yourself with the legend of Jack O'Lantern, whose soul still wanders in search of peace.

According to legend, Jack led a miserable life as a lazy farmer, drunkard and thief. Running away once again with stolen goods from a crowd of angry peasants, he met the devil, who announced his death hour. But Jack did not want to die and asked the messenger of hell to delay death a little, offering to defame the sinless peasants in return.

The insidious pact was that the devil was to turn into gold coin, which Jack will pay for the stolen items. The coin will then disappear and the greedy peasants will start a fight to find out who stole it. The Devil liked Jack's idea. He immediately turned into a gold coin and climbed into the thief's pocket.

But since the stolen item was a cross, the demon instantly lost its power. Jack released him on the condition that he not take his soul to hell.

But when he died, his soul was not accepted in either heaven or hell. Finding his way in pitch darkness, Jack asked the devil for a lantern, to which he threw him several embers. The thief made a lamp out of a pumpkin, put coals in it and began to wander between heaven and earth in search of peace. This is how the Jack Lantern appeared, annually commemorated on the night of November 1.

How to Make a Pumpkin for Halloween: Step by Step Guide

To make a Jack Lantern, you will need the following arsenal of improvised means:

• pumpkin;
• cutting board;
• knives (one long, one short with a thin, sharp blade);
• a spoon;
• felt-tip pen, marker or stencil with a face;
• candle.

Attention! Try to choose the freshest pumpkin. The skin of such a fruit has not yet hardened, which means that it will be easier for you to cut patterns on it.

So that the lantern can not only fulfill its purpose on the day of the holiday, but also please the eye after, check the pumpkin for the presence / absence of damage and rotten areas. At the same time, its shape and size do not matter.

Let's get to action. Detailed Process the manufacture of the lantern is shown in the photo.

Step 1. Having chosen a pumpkin, cover the table with old newspapers or oilcloth, as carving on the fruit is fraught with pollution.

Step 2. On the top of the pumpkin (around the stalk), draw a circle or square with a marker to indicate the future hole. Make it large enough that it is easy to free the fruit from the pulp with your hand or a large spoon.

Step 3. Armed with a long kitchen knife, cut out the designated "hat". It is necessary to carry out this process at a slight angle so that it is possible to close the pumpkin with a cut off top, like a lid.

Step 4 Using a sharp spoon, scoop out the pulp and seeds. Work especially on the “front” part of the vegetable. The pulp in this area should be removed and leveled with a spoon until the wall thickness reaches two centimeters.

Step 5. Before making the Halloween pumpkin face, draw on the skin with a felt-tip pen the outlines of the eyes, nose and mouth, frozen in a sinister smile. The eyes and nose are applied in the form of three triangles, and the mouth is in the form of a crescent with two fangs.

Attention! Make the features of the faces large and noticeable, otherwise they will be difficult to cut out..

If you stocked up on a stencil, attach it to the fruit with tape or glue and transfer the drawing to the pumpkin with dotted lines. To do this, you can use both a knife and a needle or a thin awl. After that, the template can be removed.

Step 6. Picking up a short knife with a thin blade, carefully run it along the outline of the picture. You need to cut slowly so as not to spoil the future lantern. Cut pieces can be pushed inside the pumpkin, or hooked with a knife and pulled forward. To make the contours even and clear, do not forget to scrape off the flesh protruding in some places with a knife.

To get a clear picture, you can use special tools for carving vegetables.

Step 7. Having freed the pumpkin from the cut out pieces, fix the candle in its cavity and cover the fruit with a lid. Main character Halloween Jack Lantern is ready!

• To keep the pattern longer - cover its contours with petroleum jelly or vegetable oil.
• So that the lantern pumpkin does not lose its freshness, soak it for several hours in water.
• Poke a few small holes in the lid of the fruit so that hot air flows out without roasting the pumpkin from the inside.
• Put candles in the freezer for 2-3 hours before use - the lantern will burn longer.
• To make the Jack-O-Lantern not only burn, but also spread fragrance in the air, rub it inside with chopped cinnamon or nutmeg.

Attention! A peeled and carved pumpkin will keep a decent appearance only for 3-5 days, so it is necessary to build a lantern on the day or the day before the holiday.

You can admire a variety of pumpkin ideas in the presented photos.

paper halloween pumpkin

construct original crafts for a holiday you can not only from vegetables, but also from paper. A paper pumpkin will fit both for home decoration and as a souvenir or gift for guests. Let's see how to make a Halloween pumpkin out of colored paper quickly and easily.

To do this, you will need the following tools:

• orange A-4 sheet;
• green A-4 sheet;
• black A-4 sheet;
• thread with a needle;
• scissors;
• pencil and ruler;
• glue.

Step 1. Using a pencil and a ruler, divide the orange sheet of paper into several thin strips, approximately 1.5-2 cm wide and 15-16 cm long. Cut the sheet with scissors. If you want to make a pumpkin unusual, use a tool with a raised edge. For one craft, 18-20 paper strips are needed.

The oldest Celtic holiday Halloween surprisingly took root in many countries. This celebration has its own amazing history, established traditions and recognizable paraphernalia. Interestingly, the holiday is based on a contradictory meaning: the worship of saints and the glorification of evil spirits.

Traditionally, on Halloween, everyone prepares a costume for himself. evil spirit, witches, vampires and other frightening creatures. But the main attribute of the holiday is always a pumpkin lamp - Jack-o-lantern. It is placed on the windows, hung over the threshold to scare away evil spirits. How to make a pumpkin for Halloween with your own hands - read below.

Why among all the variety of fruits is pumpkin?

The Halloween pumpkin is a ripe fruit with holes cut out in the form of ominous faces with sharp fangs. A candle is placed inside such a pumpkin, which is why it is called a lamp. Initially, vegetable lamps were made in England and Ireland, and they had nothing to do with Halloween, but in the 19th century North America adopted this tradition and introduced it into the celebration. The pumpkin was chosen as a symbol of the harvest, and the Americans called their vegetable lamp Jack-O-Lantern or Jack-o-lantern.

Festive pumpkin for Halloween

There is also a legend about Jack-o'-lantern - a thief, a useless farmer and a noble drunkard. Once again, having collected stolen goods, Jack ran away from the peasants and met the devil. He told him that now it was time for him to die, but Jack asked to delay death, and in return to commit some dirty trick - to discredit the good names of the peasants. According to the agreement, the devil became a gold coin, which Jack paid for the stolen items. But at the time of the transfer of the coin, it should disappear, and the peasants should start a fight, finding out which of them stole it. The devil liked the idea and he put a gold coin into Jack's pocket.

Kids can decorate a pumpkin for Halloween too

But it so happened that the stolen thing was a cross, so the devil immediately lost his power, and Jack let him go on the condition that he would not drag him to hell. However, after death, Jack's soul was not accepted in either hell or heaven. On the way, in complete darkness, Jack was looking for a lantern, but the devil threw him only a few coals. Then he carved a pumpkin lamp, put coals in it and continued his eternal wandering between heaven and earth.

Halloween cookies


Halloween jar decoration

Halloween Lanterns

Pumpkin for Halloween with your own hands - simple and fun

First you need to choose the freshest pumpkin - it has a soft crust, which will make it easier to carve. The shape of the pumpkin is up to you, it can be an elongated pumpkin or a traditional round one. First cover the working surface with paper or oilcloth, because during the cutting process, most likely, it will get pretty dirty.

You will need:

• fresh pumpkin;
• food board;
• well-sharpened long and short knives;
• spoon with sharp edges;
• marker, felt-tip pen and stencil with a face (you can draw without a stencil);
• candle.

pumpkin carving option

If you get the hang of it, then carving a pumpkin for Halloween will be quite simple:

Instructions for creating a Halloween pumpkin with your own hands


An example of a Halloween pumpkin

Funny pumpkins for Halloween


pumpkin carving

Save the pumpkin lamp for a long time

Naturally, the pumpkin lamp will soon begin to deteriorate, it is affected by oxygen and various microorganisms. In order for Jack to live longer, you can apply a few simple measures. You need to prepare a solution to disinfect the pumpkin and prevent the spread of bacteria:

Pumpkin decoration with sequins


An example of how to carve a pumpkin for Halloween

Halloween pumpkin carving options

Halloween decor and pumpkin


Pumpkin decoration with rivets

How to make a halloween pumpkin with paper

It is not always possible to purchase a fresh and beautiful pumpkin for making a lamp, in which case you can use paper. Prepare:

• A4 sheet of orange and green paper;
• scotch;
• pen or pencil;
• scissors or utility knife.

Halloween pumpkin from caps and leaves

After preparing all the necessary tools and materials, we proceed to making paper pumpkins:

How to Make a Halloween Pumpkin with Paper Step by Step

Halloween pumpkin with paper


paper pumpkin

So, using a ripe pumpkin or colored paper, you can create a unique atmosphere in your home when celebrating the mysterious Halloween.

Photo gallery (20 photos)

History keeps somewhere deep in its annals, under seven silver seals, the memory of a certain Jack, an Irishman who, for the first time in history, newest world decided to have fun with the Devil himself, brazenly fooling him.

And it was like that. Jack was known in the area as a stingy and cruel farmer who often went to a local tavern. He always borrowed a couple of glasses of strong there, drank, and brawled to the fullest. But that evening they refused to pour him without money. And then the lord of Hell offered his services to the distressed Jack. Like, I'll pay for your drink, and you give me your soul. Everything as in the best contemporary scenarios loved by many, horror movies. Jack accepted the offer without hesitation. He really wanted to drink. And the Devil, in order to pay for alcohol, turned into a coin. And Jack, instead of paying off the innkeeper, took that coin and put it in his pocket, where he always carried his mother's silver cross. Oh, and what happened to the Unclean! He began to cry and beg to be released "from the bosom of God", moreover, he agreed to accept any conditions of Jack. And he, except for a few years of a comfortable and carefree life on this Earth, asked to sign an oath, according to which the Devil will never take his soul to Hell! He was very cunning, that Jack!

After living happily for a few more years, Jack died. But the road to Paradise was closed for him (after all, he was a notorious sinner on earth), and the Devil did not take him to Hell, fulfilling the terms of the contract. Rumor has it that the distressed Jack is still wandering the earth as a restless soul between Heaven and Hell. Although, seeing off the poor fellow on such a hopeless journey, the Devil decided to do a good deed for him: he took out a few coals from the infernal fire and gave them to Jack so that he could light his way. And Jack, so that the Unclean gift would last him longer, carved a lantern from a turnip and placed the coals inside. Superstitious people believe that Jack still roams the earth with his lantern, lighting the way with smoldering hellish embers.

In ancient England and Ireland, Jack with a turnip lantern was a constant hero of mystical street theatricals on All Saints' Night (from October 31 to November 1). He symbolized a reminder of Hell as such, and at the same time - protected the houses of the decent, good people from evil spirits. But when Halloween "migrated" to the North American continent, turnips were replaced with pumpkins. Why this is so, to this day, no one knows for sure. And yes, it doesn't matter at all! After all, the main thing is that the fact remains undeniable: Jack's lantern pumpkin, with candles inside and a unique terrible "entourage" outside, has become an absolute symbol of an unusual night holiday. Even in our country, far from American traditions(and the scale of the celebration) almost every year they organize a competition for the most original pumpkin-lantern. That's it for those who are going to participate in something similar, our next ten extraordinary pumpkin ideas!

1. Pumpkin - standard face

To begin with, let's learn how to make the simplest face. And already “filling our hand” we will try to do something more difficult! Follow instructions!

1 step. Cut a hole in the pumpkin. In order to make a lantern with a face, you need to take a medium-sized pumpkin, almost even and symmetrical in shape. Cut off the tail cap.

2 step. Select internals. Then, with a special scraper that looks like a spatula for plaster, carefully select the pumpkin pulp and seeds. Rinse and dry the finished shell.

3 step. Apply a drawing. Initially - draw a full-scale face (such as you would like to see on a pumpkin) on a piece of paper. Then - attach the paper template to the pumpkin and use a sharp awl to transfer the pattern from the paper to the berry.

4 step. Cut out the drawing. Remove the template and use a jigsaw to cut out the mouth, nose, and eyes of the flashlight. You can also use a drill with a ½" or 3/4" bit to cut out hard to reach areas.

5 step. Light. To illuminate the faces, you can use both a standard candle and an electric garland. If you like the candle option more, be sure to follow the rules fire safety. And also, so that the pumpkin does not darken in particularly hot areas, grease it thoroughly from the inside. sunflower oil or vaseline. If you like the option with a garland, fix it inside the pumpkin so that the wires and bulbs do not touch each other ( perfect option- wind the garland on glass jar). For good lighting medium-sized pumpkins, a garland with 20 light bulbs will suffice.

If you don’t want to mess around with the “face”, you can make a simpler pumpkin lantern: first, carefully cut off the “lid” of the pumpkin, then pick out the pulp and seeds with a spoon, let it dry a little. Then - drill neat holes, giving their combination the shape of an intricate pattern.

And one more "pumpkin-technical" tip: you can cut holes in a pumpkin with a regular hammer and metal cookie cutters. Set the mold in the right place and carefully, gently tapping with a hammer, make a hole.

That's all! Be afraid of your health! These five steps are the algorithm for making a Jack-o-lantern pumpkin for Halloween. Based on them (adding advice with cookie cutters and openwork tenderloin electric drill) you can make a lot of interesting, mysterious, very creative and even glamorous lamps. Don't believe? Then read on!

2. Pumpkin emotions

With a little creative imagination, you can create a unique theater of emotions from pumpkins! Your pumpkins, thanks to you, will be formidable and harsh, or they will smile benevolently at your guests! All you have to do is change the angle of your smile and the shape of your eyes!

You can slightly enhance the effect of "pumpkin emotion" by initially painting each berry in white and black. Black pumpkins, of course, will act on the side of evil (and therefore they will show crooked teeth), and white pumpkins will be on the side of good (these, of course, will smile sweetly at passers-by).

Well, this family cannot but touch! They look like children's favorite ghosts from the Casper cartoon. Such a range of emotions on their orange faces is simply a masterpiece of the artist who worked on them with all his heart!

The highlight of your personal pumpkin at the festival of Darkness can be just the similarity of your appearance, with the appearance of the character in your hands. Hair from threads, a cap, beads - and you are already almost the same face!

Another interesting approach to decorating pumpkins is drawing faces. Emotions in such creatures are much brighter! True, there is one minus - their faces are visible only during the day, "night illumination" through the painted eyes will not be visible.

This kind pumpkin is also with painted eyes. But really, the main work of art here is not even she herself, but her intricate witch hat, decorated with leaves, berries, branches! Super! With such a pumpkin, you will definitely win the competition!

You need to draw faces for such pumpkins waterproof paints for technical purposes, or use the application by cutting out the “face details” from metallized cardboard or plain colored paper!

Another interesting element, which also works great to enhance emotions - fur eyebrows and mustaches glued to a pumpkin with rubber glue. How do you like these hot Caucasian men?

3. Pumpkins - fairy tale characters

In the United States, Halloween pumpkin lanterns are mostly made by children. Accordingly, many of the mysterious "coal" creatures resemble modern monsters and good superheroes. Among the favorite fairy-tale characters of children, superheroes from the Incredibles - Elastica, kids, Ice, etc., are most often embodied in a pumpkin.

Although, you can often see a pumpkin in the window - a special agent who is trying to merge with the environment in order to see and hear as much as possible ...

However, among the fabulous creatures - pumpkins, you can also meet a pumpkin in a magic cap, a theatrical mask and a benevolent smile on his fiery red face.

Well, the most beloved hero of last year, embodied in a pumpkin, was Mike Wazowski, a green one-eyed good-natured monster from Monsters, Inc. Making such a pumpkin is not difficult. True, it is important to be able to draw well, since the monster's face is not cut out, but applied with resistant paint in several stages. First - the green base color, then (when it dries out) - the white of a huge eye, and only then - the pupil, horns and mouth.

Well, one more undisputed leader, which deservedly can be given the audience award - pumpkin - Spiderman. Very organic image for Halloween, isn't it?

4. Pumpkins are mummies

The mummy is also one of the leaders of the "October masquerade of evil spirits." Among the scriptwriters of Hollywood horror films, this image does not lose its popularity, respectively, it is the first thing that comes to mind before making a pumpkin for fans of such films. If you also love films about resurrected mummies - dress up a pumpkin, preparing for the feast of All Saints, in bandages!

Bright tennis balls (instead of eyes) and black spiders can be interesting expressive details for such an image of a mummy pumpkin!

5. Pumpkins - black cats, bats, owls

When preparing a pumpkin for Halloween, it is not necessary to limit your imagination to the image of a restless Jack - a drunkard, and his lantern. You can look deeper into the philosophy of the holiday, for example, remember the constant companions and helpers of all evil forces: night owls, scarecrows, bats, and, of course, witchy black cats!

6. Pumpkin - vampire

Another pumpkin variation is the orange vampire! Its fundamental difference from the other pumpkins we described earlier is a “false jaw” with real, huge fangs!

To make such a pumpkin bloodsucker, you will need: a jigsaw (to carefully cut out all required holes), two tailor's pins with large red "heads" and a plastic jaw (which can be bought at any theater props store).

7. Prefabricated compositions with pumpkins

And sometimes an artist, in order to satisfy the flight of his imagination, is not enough to choose one canvas. If you are seriously separated, preparing for Halloween, and one pumpkin is not enough for you to embody the image of the hero that you would like to see at the door of your house on a Terrible Night, it does not matter! You can connect several pumpkins together and create a three-dimensional composition! Put on her a bathrobe, for example, and get the most original pumpkin.

For example, to make such a giant orange spider,

or - create a pumpkin snowman (after all, winter is just around the corner!).

8 Pumpkins Are Intricate Works Of Art

And since we are talking about complex and voluminous pumpkin compositions, we will offer you a few more options with which (if you like them) you will have to tinker hard! But believe me, the game is worth the candle (both in the direct and figurative meaning of this statement)! We guarantee that no one will have a repeat at your personal exhibition! Now let's explain why.

For example, to make such a ferocious Viking with a baby in his mouth, you need to have not only manual dexterity and skill in using a tool, but also great artistic talent, skills in creating theatrical masks, taste, and good light perception.

Well, the witch is worthy of all praise! By the way, great idea make a hole for the candle opposite side(leaving the lid with the tail intact). The old woman’s nose didn’t even have to be modeled! Nature has taken care of everything!

9. Glamor pumpkins

As you can see, we gradually moved from scary to beautiful (after all, art is wonderful!), You can talk a little about pumpkin shining glamour. After all, it is not necessary that all Halloween faces be evil, scary! On this night, there is certainly a place for goodness (it has always been like this, because remember that white always defeats black!). And in general, sometimes you can convey the emotion of the holiday without even modeling the faces themselves! Here are some creative, kind examples of very glamorous holiday pumpkins - color, sequins, lace - it's all there!

You can also master the technique of decorative painting by Halloween. A painted pumpkin is creative, original and beautiful, and you can also say with absolute certainty that you will not find another such pumpkin anywhere and no one. And also it is a great gift for guests to complete the celebration! In order to recreate such beauty, you need simple brushes, acrylic paint, several contours on glass and a pair of toothpicks.

10. Pumpkin - a carriage for Cinderella

And, of course, finishing our short pumpkin educational program, we cannot forget about the wonderful fairy tale, on which more than one generation of our Russian girls has grown up! Do you remember how the beautiful Fairy Godmother turned a pumpkin into a carriage for Cinderella? If you want to show off originality, make something similar for the pumpkin holiday - fabulous, magical and insanely beautiful!

I hope you enjoyed our pumpkin tutorial! And our top ten world pumpkin ideas inspired you to create something extraordinary, fabulous, your own! Try, experiment, embody fantasies in pumpkin images! I am sure that very soon it will be your works for this year's Halloween that we will offer our readers as an example! Good luck and inspiration!

Pumpkin for Halloween is the same symbol of the holiday as numerous costumes, specific dishes and horror stories. With the appearance of a pumpkin with a candle inside, the magic that is peculiar only to this holiday penetrates into our house, and everything takes on some special, mystical meaning.

It is simply impossible to forget about the pumpkin on the eve of Halloween. There are many articles, photos and recommendations on the Internet about the ways and techniques of carving a pumpkin for Halloween. Almost everywhere it is said that there is nothing difficult in carving a funny or scary face out of a pumpkin. However, if you have ever tried to make a Jack lantern yourself, then you have probably encountered a number of problems.

Firstly, the skin of a pumpkin can be quite dense and tough, which creates significant difficulties when cutting, in addition to the fact that significant physical force is required, the chance of cutting itself increases sharply. Secondly, even if you managed to cut off the top of the pumpkin and take out the insides, then when cutting the pumpkin it easily breaks, cracks, and in general everything turns out not at all as beautiful and neat as in numerous pictures on the Internet. And, thirdly, the pumpkin needs to be cut exactly on October 30-31, otherwise it will begin to dry out, wither, or even worse - become moldy.

Faced with all these problems, you might think that there is a special profession in the world of a pumpkin carver, very in demand on Halloween eve. Of course, in fact, such a profession does not exist, but with the knowledge of technology and a little practice, you can carve the most creepy and impressive Halloween pumpkin. To begin with, it would be nice to prepare and stock up on all necessary tools and materials. You should start by choosing a pumpkin. The classic Halloween pumpkin should be orange, the brighter and richer the color, the better. But in fact, it is not at all necessary to look for exactly orange pumpkin. There are many varieties of pumpkin different colors, and you can take any, because in the twilight of the night, when an uneven candle flame sparkles inside this pumpkin, it will be difficult to make out the color of the pumpkin itself.

Color is not the most important thing in a pumpkin. Carefully inspect it, the more fresh it is, the better. You should also pay attention to the shape, try to choose a pumpkin with the most rounded shapes. Oval, flattened, or any other shape may be interesting in general for decoration, but carving on them will be much more difficult. Once you've chosen your Halloween pumpkin, prepare the basic tools that will come in handy while carving. You will need dishwashing detergent, a sponge, a marker, some very sharp knives with blades different lengths, board, plate, tablespoon, alcohol, cotton wool, awl and candle. Do not be afraid of such a long list, each of these tools will definitely come in handy.

You need to start by thoroughly washing the pumpkin. Use a sponge and dish soap to not only clean but also degrease the peel. This is necessary so that the marker fits better on the surface. Now it's time to use the marker. With it, draw a circle around the stem, the diameter can be any, the main thing is that your hand can freely pass into the future hole. Take a sharp knife with a strong, rigid blade and cut out the “lid” along the drawn circle. At the same time, the knife should be held at an angle so that a cone-shaped cut is obtained, then the future cap will not fall into the pumpkin. Now you need strength and accuracy. Grasp the stalk and begin to turn the cap while pulling it out, if necessary, use the knife again. Trim excess pulp and fibers from the lid. Now use an awl to make a few holes in it. They are necessary in order to hot air from the candle came out of the pumpkin better, and it did not begin to roast from the inside. Half done, your Halloween pumpkin is almost done.

Now you need to clean the pumpkin from the inside. First, remove the seeds and fibers with your hands, put them on a plate and do not throw them away. The seeds can then be dried and added to soups and many other dishes. Next comes the spoon. Surely, the walls of the pumpkin remained quite wide, and you can’t remove all the fibers with your hands, so you can’t do without a strong tablespoon. Carefully scrape off the remaining fibers and seeds, as well as excess pulp. The optimal wall thickness of the pumpkin is about 2 centimeters. In this case, it will be easier for you to cut it, and at the same time it will not break.

And now the most difficult - cutting out faces. To get the most original and impressive Halloween pumpkin, you need to be patient. Think about what exactly you want to carve out of the pumpkin. Will it be a classic face or something else, if it’s still a face, then which one is it - funny, angry or surprised. You can find a template, cut it out and use a marker to transfer it to your prepared pumpkin, or you can show your imagination and draw something yourself. Before you start carving, take another look at the pumpkin, make sure that the drawing meets all your requirements, if something is not to your liking, use cotton wool and alcohol, carefully erase the marker and redo the drawing. Paint over the places you need to cut, this will avoid annoying mistakes. Now you can start cutting. Place the tip of the knife on the contour and gently press, now the main thing is not to rush and adhere to the template as accurately as possible. If you need to cut a corner, do not try to turn the knife, it is better to pull it out and stick it in at a different angle. When the face is cut out, remove the remaining marker.

Do not hope that this is the end of the Halloween pumpkin carving procedure. There is still a long 12 hours ahead, which will be required in order to dry the pumpkin. And only then it will be possible to put a candle inside and cover the pumpkin with a carved lid. The carving procedure cannot be called easy; preparing a pumpkin takes time, patience and accuracy. However, it will be difficult only the first time, and each next pumpkin will turn out neater than the previous one. While you fantasize and come up with your own ways to decorate a pumpkin for Halloween, we offer several original ways decoration of the main symbol of this holiday.

A Halloween pumpkin is also called a Jack-O-Lantern, so you don't have to carve a scary face. Patterns of circles or rhombuses carved on a pumpkin will look original. This method is suitable for beginner "pumpkin carvers", and will also be useful if you decide to carve not one, but several pumpkins at once for Halloween. Prepare the pumpkin in the above way, remove the pulp and cut out small circles or diamonds in any order or by folding them into any pattern. Put candles inside and arrange several pumpkins together, you will get a bright, unusual composition that will surely be remembered by all your guests.

What if you can't find the perfect pumpkin? Do not despair and turn on the fantasy. Even if you decide that you will cut a face, you can dream up and do something unusual and unusual, and a pumpkin irregular shape it will only help you. Prepare the pumpkin, remove the seeds and carefully scrape out the flesh. Draw the future eyes and mouth of the face. Now use a vegetable peeler and just peel the peel from these places. Now you can use a sharp knife with a short blade and carefully cut out the eyes and turn the pumpkin into a charming monster with an equally charming fanged smile. Once the pumpkin has been peeled off, it will be much easier to carve, so you won't have any trouble creating voluminous, sharp teeth. And now you can use wire and a Christmas tree toy painted in the form of a Halloween pumpkin. Attach the wire to the stem and hang the toy. You will get an original flashlight that is sure to impress all the guests.

Halloween pumpkins don't have to be scary! It should be just a pumpkin with a candle inside, and what character and facial expression it will have is up to you. So, a pumpkin may well turn out to be cute, and it's not just a smile. Try making an "old" pumpkin for Halloween! Prepare a pumpkin, cut out a kind, toothless smile and put it in a preheated oven. Roasting time depends on the size of the pumpkin, make sure that it does not start to burn and remove it from the oven as soon as it becomes soft and wrinkled. When the pumpkin has cooled down, put a candle in it and surprise your guests!

During the preparation for Halloween, you will surely come across many vivid examples of the design of the main symbol of the holiday, inspired by which you will come up with and make your most original and amazing pumpkin.

Alena Karamzina

Halloween is coming soon (October 31st). So far, this holiday is not very popular in Russia and the CIS countries, but everyone probably knows about its symbol - a pumpkin lantern. It can be made with your own hands, and even a child under the supervision of adults can do it.

How to make a pumpkin lantern

To begin with, we need - of course - a pumpkin, but not any, but ripe, without spots, scratches and other damage. Do not lift the pumpkin by the stalk - this way you can drop and mash the vegetable. To make it easier to clean the pumpkin, lay newspapers under it.

Carefully cut off the top of the pumpkin with the stalk to form a round cut. For this purpose, special plastic gourd carving knives can be used, which are safer.

Then, using a long-handled ladle, scoop out all the seeds and insides of the pumpkin. So that the vegetable does not fall on its side, and it is easier to rake out the seeds, also cut out the middle. By the way: the larger the pumpkin, the more convenient it is to clean it.

Now find a place on the pumpkin where you will cut out the face. Draw the facial features (eye sockets and grin) on a piece of paper. No need to make complex drawings, then it will be difficult to cut. Attach the outline of the "face" to the pumpkin and translate the lines with a sharp pin or nail.

Now it remains only to carefully walk the knife along the "dashed lines" of the pumpkin and remove the cut out areas. The lantern is ready!

Put it in a conspicuous place, do not forget to put a few burning candles inside, turn off the lights and admire your work. Such a pumpkin can greatly surprise, or even scare the guests, the main thing is not to be scared yourself. That's all!

And so that you can make a variety of “facial expressions” for your lanterns, we suggest you look at the photo for a wide variety of pumpkin lantern ideas for Halloween.