How to make a pumpkin lantern (Jack-O-Lantern) for Halloween

Written by Administrator

Friday, 16 October 2009 09:12

Pumpkin lanterns or Jack-O-Lanterns are traditional decorations for Halloween. To hollow out and carve a traditional pumpkin lantern is actually quite simple.
This is how you carve your pumpkin lantern yourself:

1.Find a fresh pumpkin in the desired shape. Some like low, round pumpkins as lanterns, while others prefer tall and oval-shaped pumpkins.
2.Highlight a circle or a hexagon around the stem of the pumpkin, which you then cut to hollow out the pumpkin. The opening must be large enough so that your hand can fit through.
3.With a sharp knife, you cut through the thick skin along your marked section.
4.Remove the stalk, which you just cut out, so that an opening is created for hollowing.
5.With a large spoon you can now scrape the pumpkin flesh and seeds out.
6.Mark with a pen the pattern for the face on the front of the pumpkin. Make sure that eyes, nose and mouth are large enough, because the pumpkin skin is hard to cut. The larger the openings, the easier they are to be cut out.
7.Cut out along your markings, the eyes, nose and mouth with a large, sharp knife.
8.Then press your cut pieces from the inside out and throw away.
9.Put a votive candle in the middle of the pumpkin for the spooky light effect.