- A small sharp knife
- A felt tip or gel ink pen
- Any other implements you think might help with scraping, shaping, etc., as long as they can be used safely.
- A pumpkin with personality.

Choosing a pumpkin:

This project requires you to look at pumpkins in a whole new way!

When selecting your future jack o'lantern, don't worry about dents or dirty spots. The only thing you should concern yourself with is the view of the top, i.e. the stem (nose) and the lines (face) of your pumpkin.

The natural lines in the skin and the stem will be the inspiration for the face you will carve, so look at your pumpkin from above or lay it on it's side and view straight on and from a ¾ angle as shown.

Also, turn your pumpkin to see the different "expressions" it takes on when the nose is pointed differently. In fact, when looking at pumpkins this way, don't be surprised if their faces seem to "appear" before your very eyes! This is what I mean when I say "pumpkin with personality."

Drawing a Face:

Once you have chosen the perfect pumpkin, it's time to draw a face. Look again at the lines in the pumpkin in relation to the stem. Use you imagination and a face will emerge! Is he angry, happy, scary or surprised? Here are some examples of the many faces I see in my pumpkin!

Our Face:

Here is the face I've drawn for this project. Your drawing should be a guide. You can always adjust your pumpkin's expression as you go along.

Stability:

Many times pumpkins have a naturally flat spot where they rested in the pumpkin patch, which serves wonderfully for stability so your jack o'lantern won't roll around.However if your pumpkin is round like mine, you can cut a slice off the side to create a flat surface.

Note: In this project we don't empty the inside of the pumpkin because they last longer this way. But if you wish to empty the pumpkin to insert a candle or other light, you can cut a hole on the side where the pumpkin sits and empty it from there. A candle inside a jack o' lantern carved this way will not give off as much light as the traditional method. Instead the effect will be a subtle glow in the places where the skin has been cut away or cut through.

Eyes:

Now it's time to begin cutting the eyes. For simple eyes, cut along the drawn lines at opposing angles. This will give the eyes depth and shadow.

For more detailed eyes, such as the eyes I drew on the "surprised" pumpkin, you'll need to use the score and scrape method.

To do this, score your pumpkin along all of the lines. Go down about ¼ of an inch, and make sure not to cut all the way through to the inside of the pumpkin. Now, gently and carefully cut or scrape the skin in the "whites" of the eyes with your knife. If done carefully, the line you scored will stop you from cutting too much.

Look at this example (third picture down) of the score and scrape method, which I use to create eyebrows.

To do eyes like the ones in the "surprised" pumpkin, do the score and scrape method only on the whites of the eyes, and leave the "eyeball" intact. The darker color of the skin on the eyeball will provide neat contrast against the part you scraped.

SAFETY NOTE: Be careful! Cut away from your body and hands to prevent cutting yourself whenever possible, and don't use too much pressure to prevent the knife from slipping.

The Mouth:

To create the mouth, use the same methods described above. On my jack o'lantern I decided later to add some teeth. I did this by cutting out the mouth only, leaving the drawing on the teeth intact. I cut the mouth all the way to the inside of the pumpkin because I like the "gross" look you get from the seeds and pulp inside, but of course you don't have to do this. Then I used the score and scrape method on the teeth.

Finishing Touches:

You can add other finishing touches for extra detail. Insert a black bean or other dried bean in the eye sockets for eyeballs. Put a cigar, noisemaker, or food item in the mouth for a comedic effect. You are only limited by your imagination!