5 Creative Ways to Carve a Pumpkin
Halloween is almost here, and you may have already picked your pumpkin from your local pumpkin patch, but if you're not sure how you're going to carve it yet we have some brilliantly spooky ideas to help you.
From cute cats to beautiful polka dot designs and a twist on a classic Jack-O-Lantern, we've put together our top 5 creative ways to carve a pumpkin this half term.
1) Owl Pumpkin
To make these super cute owl pumpkins, cut a hole in the bottom of three pumpkins, and scoop out pulp and seeds. Download, print, and cut out the mama owl, baby owl, and papa owl templates. Tape each template onto your pumpkins then use a skewer to trace the designs, ready for carving. Use almonds or brazil nuts for the ears and feet, attaching them with hot glue.
2) Polka Dot Pumpkin
This beautiful polka-dot pumpkin is really eyecatching and relatively easy to achieve. Draw your pattern onto the pumpkin, leaving enough space between the dots so that the holes won't overlap. Punch out the holes with a power drill and various bits. Pop some battery operated string lights inside for a really lovely glow.
3) Cat Pumpkin
We love this cute cat pumpkin idea from BBC Good Food. Draw your cat design onto your pumpkin and carve (making sure that your cat has chunky whiskers and big expressive eyes), then cut out triangular orange peel ears, scrape the flesh from the underside of the peel, and use halved cocktail sticks to secure onto the top of your pumpkin.
4) Celestial Pumpkin
This adorable celestial pumpkin is a really fun twist on a traditional jack-o-lantern, that little ones can help to create. Simply cut off your lid, scoop out the seeds and pulp, then draw your mouth and nose onto the pumpkin. For the eyes, take moon and star shaped cookie cutters and help your little ones press them into the pumpkin, creating a guide for you to carve with your pumpkin knife. This is a really simple and cute design that little ones will love.
