Carving Tips
Pattern Transfer:
Once the pumpkin itself is ready, make sure the outside is dry and place the pattern where you want it. You’ll have to cut and wrap the paper to make it fit to the round surface of the pumpkin. Hold it down with some clear tape as you go. Be careful not to disrupt the pattern too much while you get it to fit onto the pumpkin. You may need to make slits into the paper to get it on but you need to be selective where you make your cuts. Avoid areas with too much detail. Places like the forehead and chin would be better suited for these kinds of slits than areas around the eyes.
Once you have the pattern properly affixed to the pumpkin it’s time to start copying it over. The best way to do this is to use something sharp and thin in diameter to poke holes through the paper and into the skin of the pumpkin. You don’t want the holes to be too thick and noticeable or else they may show up along the edges when you’re done carving. Poke along the lines of the pattern until you’ve copied a dotted representation of every line on the pattern through to the pumpkin. Once you’ve copied every line go back and check again to make sure you didn’t miss any. Then check again because it can really suck if you miss something.
Remove the paper that had the pattern and take a look at the dotted lines that are now on your pumpkin. They may be a little hard to see but there’s a trick to help with that. Get some talcum powder or flour and sprinkle it on the surface of the pumpkin and then rub it in a bit. It’ll find its way into the holes you just poked in and help them stand out more.
