Follow these tricks for a pumpkin that is a real treat.

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Getting the Pumpkin Ready

What You Need:

• Fresh pumpkins or *Fun-Kins artificial carvable pumpkins
• *Pumpkin Masters carving saws: Starter Saw, Lid-Cutter Saw, and Medium Saw, or *X-Acto wood carving set (for Fun-Kins artificial carvable pumpkins)
• *Pumpkin Masters Poker
• Grapefruit spoon or the *Pumpkin Masters Scraper Scoop
• Tracing paper
• Tape or straight pins

Instructions:

1. Download the free pattern for this project. (Downloading requires Adobe Acrobat software.)

Note: Fun-Kins pumpkins are made with a patented foam poured into molds of live pumpkins and then painted. Never use a candle inside a Fun-Kins pumpkin; use an electric light. Fun-Kins pumpkins come with an opening in the base, and are hollow and ready to carve.

2. Prepare fresh pumpkins. If you plan to carve a fresh pumpkin, draw the outline of a six-sided lid on top of the pumpkin. Then draw a notch at the back to use as a guide for replacing the lid. Make the lid large enough for easily cleaning out the pumpkin. Instead of cutting a lid, you may wish to draw an oval opening on the bottom of the pumpkin. With the bottom removed, the pumpkin can sit over a candle or a light.

3. Cut out the lid or bottom opening with the Lid-Cutter Saw or a knife. To cut out a lid, carve at an angle toward the pumpkin's center. This creates a ledge to support the lid. To cut out a bottom opening, cut straight into the base.

4. Clean out the seeds and pulp with the Scraper Scoop or a flat-edge ice-cream scoop. Scrape the pulp from the area you plan to carve until the wall is 1" thick.

*Note: BHG.com is not endorsing this product. Rather, it is a suggestion for a specific product that is necessary to properly complete the project.