Halloween Pumpkin Carving Tips

For most of us, the dollar store carving tools  do the trick and even though they may bend, break or misplaced year after year, there is never a short supply at the store. But sometimes, you might be in a particularly extravagant, creative Halloween mood and want to step up your game. 

This is when you head to the craft store and find yourself some pottery tools. Use those standard scooper and scraper tools to remove the pulp. Make sure to save those seeds for toasting. Then pump that vampire blood through your zombie brain and think up some spooky ideas for elaborate carving!

1. Etching Tool: This will help remove the skin and flesh to begin carving your bas relief masterpiece. Consider that the thinner the flesh, the more light will shine through to illuminate your design. 
2. Locate Sculpting ribbon tools (various sizes). These tools will help you refine your curves. The larger one will remove skin and large chunks of gory flesh *witch cackle*  Use the double-ended detail ribbon tool to refine your shapes and watch your design come to life!
3. Double-ended needle tools are used to pierce holes, handle small pumpkin pieces you may want to add back in later and defining those finishing touches to your masterpiece. 
4. Hole cutting tools are the final “cheat” to better pumpkin carving. Create perfect holes in deep pumpkin flesh with the hole cutter. Make piercing eyes, elaborate dot patterns or air holes in the backside of your pumpkin to keep your candle burning bright. 

Make sure to start with an idea prior to cutting into your pumpkin face to make sure your idea comes to life the way you expect it to. You may just end up with Frankenstein if you’re not careful! Consider using negative space to maximize your design space in consideration of light and darkness that will be provided with your lighting source. Don’t forget to test the lighting before putting away your tools. 

Lastly, please take a picture and share it with us. We would love to see your ideas. We just might melt if we see Brown Dog too. Use #BrownDogCoffee to show us your skills on Instagram and Facebook. Happy Halloween!