Last-minute pumpkin carving and decorating help
Eva Voinigescu | CBC Life | Posted: October 27, 2023 7:48 PM | Last Updated: October 27, 2023
These TikTokkers and Instagrammers share easy tips and lots of inspiration
Whether you're six or 60, there's nothing more wholesome or festive than carving a Halloween jack-o-lantern. If you've left it to the last minute, don't worry. We've rounded up pumpkin carving hacks and inspiration from TikTok and Instagram, ranging from beginner-friendly to pro-sculptor level.
Carving Hacks
Try cutting open your pumpkin from the bottom, using a serrated knife or even a drywall saw. A handheld electric mixer can make scraping out the insides a lot faster and pottery tools can help you get that precise line.
If you aren't up for carving a design, try using cookie cutters and a mallet. Did you know that adding cinnamon to the inside of your pumpkin can help keep rodents away and create a scrumptious smell?
Try an LED light instead of a candle to make for cool and creepy colours.
Design Inspiration
Use a large and small pumpkin to make a giant pumpkin cyclops.
Forgo carving altogether and try your hand at painting some blue and white pumpkins.
Turn your pumpkin into a centrepiece with no carving required.
If you've got the carving skills, take inspiration from your favourite movies.
Download a stencil from the internet, filtering by pattern and difficulty, and use it as a guide. Tape the stencil to your pumpkin and use a toothpick to poke small holes, creating guide lines for carving.
Adam is a professional pumpkin carver so he's got a ton of ideas, like leaving in the guts to mimic the inside of a mouth and carving additional details out of potatoes, carrots, or other vegetables.
Or maybe a pumpkin train is your preferred mode of transportation.
A very quick and clean option is to turn your pumpkin into a make-shift vase by drilling some holes and putting in some floral stems.