I may have mentioned before that I am a nerd. In addition to Halloween, I love sci-fi, and fantasy. As I was developing ideas for my Halloween decor this year, I decided that I am going to do my jack-o-lantern display in a theme.
Actually, a couple of different themes… the first one will be a temporary jack-o-lantern installations in honor of the my neighbor kids, who are all going as Hogwarts kids for their pre-Halloween party. 
While they are in their Harry Potter costumes, I figured I’d try be supportive and get them in the mood with a pumpkin display of Harry Potter and Hogwarts characters. ( I’ll be showing up in my Professor Trelawney getup.) 
“So you may have chosen to study Divination, the most difficult of all magical arts. I must warn you at the outset that if you do not have the Sight, there is very little I will be able to teach you. Books can take you only so far in this field…”
~Professor Trelawney, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.
The stencils available for this are pretty amazing… they range from the truly artistic to the simple and little kid friendly. Just because I “solemly swear that I am up to no good” and I’m going with a Harry Potter theme, doesn’t mean you have to stick with the same.
What’s your favorite movie, or book character, or Halloween villain? I figure there are plenty of theme ideas out there: vampires, Jack the Pumpkin King, witches, dragons, robots, werewolves, and superheroes.
Oh, who wouldn’t enjoy the opportunity to “skewer” a pumpkin-esque presidential candidate this campaign season?
Happy Carving, Halloween Fans!
A Few Pumpkin Carving Tips From Emma Rae
Using the proper tools helps you carve that perfect jack-o-lantern.
- Prior to carving, after cleaning soak the pumpkin in a staying power solution. (1 gallon water+1teaspoon bleach)
- Use larger pumpkins. They’re easier to work with, and it’ll be easier to get intricate details onto a larger surface.
- Make sure the pumpkin is ripe, but not too old, moldy or otherwise damaged.
- Rather than cutting a single hole in the top, cut a hole in the top as well as a square section in the back for easier cleaning, carving and candle lighting.
- If you plan to go for one of the hardcore pumpkin designs, pumpkin carving kits really are worth the money. Even the simple knives and scrapers make the job much simpler.
- If you accidentally get overzealous with your cutting job and the pumpkin loses a crucial piece, don’t start over! Just use a toothpick to reattach it!
- Be advised: there are pumpkin carving power tools out there. Booyah, baby! Watch for drills, like the Dremel, linoleum cutters, melon ballers, hole cutters and miniature saws. Use these are your own peril, be careful, but by all means, use them. You’re serious about pumpkin carving, aren’t you?
For the easiest carving, always use a template. You can find lots of templates online, and there are free Harry Potter templates, too.
- Once your masterpiece jack-o-lantern is finished, coat the carved, exposed edges with cooking oil or cooking spray to keep it moist and fresh longer.
- Sprinkle some fall spices like cinnamon or cloves into the pumpkin to add a nice fragrance as the candles warm the pumpkin.
- When it’s time, light them up and as that lovely amber glow infuses the evening, take a deep breath and step back to enjoy all of your hard work.
- Here’s a link to a printable of some super simple carving tips to print out for a pumpkin carving party.
Halloween Pumpkin Carving Patterns, Tips and Ideas
Emma Rae Curtis is a costume, dressing-up, makeup and accessories expert. She mainly writes about fun Halloween party, craft, and costume ideas, but she especially loves writing about all things costume and dress-up related.
