Creative Pumpkin Carving 101 #Halloween #pumpkincarving

BOO! Did I scare you? If not, maybe our pumpkins will do the trick. Halloween is my family's favorite holiday by far. This Halloween we finally broke down and spent the extra monies for a fog machine. I also bought a creepy talking doll from Party City to complement my living doll Halloween costume. The baby doll is totally creepy-awesome. But....before the Halloween festivities can begin we must carve our 800 pumpkins a strewn in our yard. 800 pumpkins is a bit of an exaggeration, but I did go overboard with the pumpkin buying this year. Now, it is time to get down to slimy pumpkin-pulp scooping business! Roll up those sleeves and let's do this!

Step 1.) Cut off the top and scoop out the innards. I always rinse and save some pumpkin seeds to bake in the oven for the kiddos.

Step 2.) Use a few drops of lavender or tea tree essential oil to wash out the pumpkin to keep it looking fresh for up to 2 weeks. Turn up side down and let dry.

Step 3.) Decide on a theme. Zombie, classic, scary, painted, etc...and try to go overboard! I heard on TV from a master pumpkin carver that you should work with the pumpkin not against it. Meaning...use the shape or form the pumpkin has. Sometimes you can see the pumpkin face before you carve it. I never use pencil. You are never gonna get it perfect....this is pumpkin art. Every pumpkin is beautiful!

Step 4.) Use props. I heavily believe in adding fake blood, limbs, organs, floral, candy, or whatever else is necessary to achieve your desired look.

To achieve this look, chisel many gashes or scars on the pumpkin face. Use a plastic brain instead of the traditional stem top. Paint red paint around the jagged mouth. Wa-lah! You have yourself a zombie pumpkin! This guy looks really cool in our front window.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles(TMNT)! This is the coolest pumpkin EVA! However, I cannot take full creative credit. Here is the pin on Pinterest that sparked the creative eb and flow. This TMNT pumpkin is very easy. You paint the pumpkin green. Cut two almond shape eye holes. Cut a light mouth shape that does not go the whole way through the pumpkin. After you have your outline, take the edge of your knife and scrape the orange part off. Then, use your knife to create gaps for the teeth. Finally, paint a face mask going over the eyes and around the head. BOOM! Coolest pumpkin EVA.

The most bizarre pumpkin came from my own brain(of course)! Cut oval-esque shaped eyes and a sizable hole for the mouth. Buy a zombie hand from party city and shove it inside the mouth. I also included roses and placed a wet paper towel over the edge of the stems before shoving them inside. It kinda looks like the dismembered zombie hand is handing you flowers. Sorta sweet right?

 Happy Halloween!