How To Get More Realistic Pumpkin Carvings

It’s almost time to start picking out your perfect pumpkin, getting the tools and creating your 2019 pumpkin carving.

Over the years, pumpkin carving has gone from two eyes, a nose and a mouth to much, much more with many carvings depicting celebrities, animals with photographic detail.

So how do people make these works of art? Well, here are a few tips for you to get started to making the perfect pumpkin carving for this year and be the talk of your neighborhood.

Of course, we can't help you learn to draw, but if you're a good artist, here are some tips to bring that talent to pumpkin carving, courtesy of  Good Housekeeping:

1. Start with the right pumpkin. Choose one that's fresh, with a sturdy stem, no bruises, and a flat bottom so it won't roll while you carve.

2. Cut from the bottom, not the top. Cutting your "lid" from the bottom of the pumpkin helps prevent the sides from caving in later.

3. If you do carve from the top, cut out the lid on an angle. This way it won't drop inside the pumpkin when you replace it, as it would with a straight up-and-down cut. A boning knife should work well for this.

4. Scoop out all the pulp You can buy a special "claw" for pumpkin gutting, but an ice cream scoop will do just fine. Thin the inner wall of the "face" area to 1¼-inch thick, so it will be easier to pierce the shell.

5. Sketch out your design on paper first. If you draw your jack o' lantern face to size, just tape it to the front of your pumpkin and use a fork or pencil to poke holes along the lines you want to carve.

Instructables heregoes into a lot more detail about how to get more details in your pumpkin face. Check out their tips .