| Halloween is nearly here once more, and if you're | | | | out the flesh, draw your design onto the surface |
| like many people, you'll be making a Halloween | | | | of the pumpkin, and cut around the outlines with a |
| pumpkin lantern. Carved vegetable lanterns, or | | | | sharp knife or other carving tool. You might find it |
| Jack O'Lanterns as they're often known, are part | | | | useful to pare the interior surface of the pumpkin |
| of an ancient tradition that originated with the | | | | back in the areas you will be cutting. Your |
| Celts. However the original lanterns made by the | | | | pumpkin is then ready to be lit up. |
| Celts in Europe were usually made from turnips, | | | | You can either design your own pumpkin carving |
| swedes or mangelwurzels. Halloween lanterns | | | | pattern, or you can use one of the many that |
| made from pumpkins only became popular | | | | are available (very often for for free) online. is |
| relatively recently, after the Halloween holiday | | | | one site that I recommend if you're looking for |
| started to be widely celebrated in the US, where | | | | more ideas and inspiration. |
| pumpkins are plentiful. They have since gained | | | | Painting Your Pumpkin |
| popularity elsewhere in the world too, thanks to | | | | Painted Halloween pumpkins are not as common |
| the relative ease with which they can be carved, | | | | as the carved variety, but they are becoming |
| and the brilliant orange glow they produce when lit | | | | very popular. Painting your pumpkin gives you |
| up. | | | | more flexibility than carving it, and you can create |
| Pumpkins are very versatile and can be carved | | | | stunning painted Halloween designs that are |
| and decorated carved in any number of ways | | | | guaranteed to get a reaction. Don't worry if you |
| and it's very easy to produce a lantern that will | | | | think you can't paint - you don't need to be an |
| make a beautiful addition to your Halloween | | | | artist to create beautiful painted Halloween |
| decorations. | | | | pumpkins! See my site (link in the resource box |
| There are two basic approaches you can take to | | | | below) for details of an excellent guide to pumpkin |
| decorating your pumpkin. The first is to carve a | | | | painting, called Pumpkin Painting, Anyone Can Do |
| face or other design into the flesh, and the | | | | It. Really! With this handy guide, you'll be producing |
| second is to paint the pumpkin's surface. You | | | | brightly painted pumpkin masterpieces in no time! |
| might then like to embellish it further. Of course, | | | | Painted pumpkins are also very popular with |
| you can always combine these approaches, and | | | | children, as - unlike with carved pumpkins - they |
| produce a more ornate and unusual pumpkin! | | | | can create their own pumpkin designs very safely |
| Carving Your Pumpkin | | | | and with minimal assistance. |
| Halloween pumpkins are usually carved, so they | | | | Embellishing Your Pumpkin Further |
| can be used as lanterns. Carving a pumpkin can | | | | If you really want to go to town, you can jazz up |
| be as simple as creating a couple of triangular | | | | your carved or painted pumpkin even more. Try |
| eyes and a mouth, or, if you are feeling | | | | sticking on some glitter or sequins, or draping it |
| adventurous, you can make a more complex | | | | with strings of sparkly beads. Just be sure not to |
| pumpkin lantern intricate features or other | | | | use flammable materials. |
| patterns, such as cats, spiders, ghosts, etc, or | | | | Employ any or all of these pumpkin decorating |
| even non-Halloween motifs. To carve your | | | | ideas, and you'll soon have a beautifully scary |
| pumpkin, cut off the top (if you're going to | | | | Halloween pumpkin that will make a fantastic |
| illuminate it with a candle) or the bottom (to | | | | centrepiece for your home! |
| provide access for an electric light cord), scrape | | | | |