One of the Halloween traditions that many families enjoy is carving a pumpkin into a jack-o'-lantern to display on the front porch of their home for trick or treaters. Instead of buying a pumpkin from your closest grocery store, plan to visit a pumpkin patch with your family. Even if you have to drive a moderate distance to get there, this outing can be fun for everyone. Many pumpkin patches give visitors the ability to pick their own pumpkins, so it can be fun to head out into the patch with your family to look for the perfect one.
Here are some tips to keep in mind that will help you to choose the perfect pumpkin for carving.
Consider the Shape
It's advantageous to think about what type of face you'll carve into the pumpkin before you begin to look for it. A little advanced research at home can give you a variety of carving ideas that you may wish to attempt. When you've made your decision, note the overall shape of the image that you'll be attempting to carve. While some jack-o'-lantern faces are round, others are tall and narrow or short and wide. You'll want to ensure that the pumpkin you buy has a shape that will support your intended face shape.
Assess the Grooves
The skin of a pumpkin has many grooves that run vertically between the base of the pumpkin and the stem. As you look at different pumpkins, you'll notice that the grooves can be deep on some and shallow on others. In general, you'll find that a pumpkin that has shallower grooves will be easier to carve. Deeper grooves can sometimes cause your knife to slide off course, which may impact the quality of the face.
Check How It Sits
Some pumpkins will be laying on their sides when you approach them, but you shouldn't hesitate to carefully set a pumpkin on its base to assess how it looks. This is the position in which the pumpkin will sit when it's on your porch. Different shapes can impact how a pumpkin sits on its base. You typically want one that sits upright, rather than one that perhaps leans forward or backward, or to either side. By assessing each pumpkin that catches your eye using these criteria, as well as encouraging your children to do the same, you'll end up with a perfect pumpkin to carve for Halloween.
Share1 December 2020
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