by Matt Bird

Created on: October 13, 2010

Typically, pumpkin carving is a skill that's passed down from one generation to the next. It's a very family-oriented activity, and thus families harbor the secrets of doing so - which makes pumpkin carving for those without a Halloween-oriented family a bit difficult. Where do you get started on carving a pumpkin?

Don't worry, it's actually quite easy. All you need is a bit of money, some special carving tools, a willingness to get really sticky and some imagination. Here are the steps needed to carve your everyday Halloween pumpkin.

- The first step is to buy a pumpkin. Most grocery stores sell pumpkins as Halloween is rolling in, though you may want to head out into the country and look for fresher, better-grown specimens to create a really stunning jack-o-lantern. Try to get a pumpkin that's rounded on all sides and consistently firm. Sort outer walls may cause your pumpkin to collapse during the carving or on the night, which is never a good thing. You also want one with a good, solid stem on the top that won't break off.

- If you don't already have one, you should also invest in a pumpkin cutting knife. These serrated blades make sawing through the pumpkin's flesh easier. They're quite easy to find in most grocery stores, and often have plastic pumpkins on their handles.

- Next, take your pumpkin home and wash it. Get a damp cloth and remove any dirt marring the surface of the pumpkin. Let it dry or do so yourself with a soft cloth.

- Now you need to empty the pumpkin. Start by cutting a star pattern (or any pattern, so long as it has a series of jagged edges) in the top, around the edges of the stem. Angle your knife so you're cutting into the pumpkin and making a ridge the lid can sit on.

- Now the fun part. Get a garbage bag and start yanking all of the goop and pumpkin seeds out of the pumpkin, tossing them in the bag each time. The inside of the pumpkin needs to be clean of pumpkin guts - they'll burn if you put a candle in the pumpkin - and light orange in color. This will take a while, regardless of the size of the pumpkin, so be ready to do this for a while. Make sure you have your table covered by plastic, as the pumpkin's stringy insides quickly make a mess of everything.

- Once your pumpkin is emptied, clean off the outside again, get a thick, felt marker and start drawing a face onto the front of the pumpkin. If this is your first time, go simple: a crooked mouth and some triangle-shaped eyes will do nicely. Whatever face you draw, make sure you can actually carve out the shapes in the next step, and that the resulting holes are large enough to allow light through.

- Time to carve. Take your knife and plunge it into one of the lines you've drawn. Now start sawing upward or downward, depending on the direction of the knife's teeth, and slowly etch out the face of the pumpkin. Do this slowly, as you usually can't repair major mistakes. Make sure the holes aren't so excessively big that your pumpkin will collapse under the weight of its stem.

- If your pumpkin is reasonably flat on the bottom you can now place a candle inside and your pumpkin is complete. If not, or if you want a more stable surface, cut a hole in the bottom of the pumpkin and let the candle rest on your porch. These days it's safer to use Christmas lights rather than candles, in which case cutting a hole in the bottom is also necessary.

Voila! You now have your very own jack-o-lantern. Store it in a cool place, such as your garage, and leave it until Halloween comes to town. Then display it proudly on your front porch and enjoy the accolades of the neighborhood.

Learn more about this author, Matt Bird.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.