Get Crafty: Pumpkin Edition

The local stores may have you thinking it's time to put up the Christmas tree, however we still have a few days left to show off our Halloween spirit!  I always have grand aspirations of constructing elegant carved pumpkin topiaries, and one of these years it will happen.  This year I tried three new designs showing off both my passion for nature, and well... another passion of mine. 

But first, a quick look back at the origin of pumpkin carving.  The practice of carving jack o' lanterns (based on a folktale about a man named Stingy Jack) originated in Ireland. Large turnips or potatoes were originally used for carving.  Irish immigrants brought the tradition with them to North America where pumpkins have been grown for 5000 years.  Pumpkins, jack o' lanterns and Halloween have gone hand in hand ever since.

For my own pumpkin carving, I tend to steer away from the typical pumpkin face.  Last year I carved a labyrinth design into a pumpkin, to represent the labyrinth carved into the lawn in my backyard, and my handmade soap business Labyrinth Herbals.  This year I saw three designs while surfing the internet that I had to try.  The first was a lotus flower design carved into the top surface of a pumpkin.  I didn't use a template for this one.  The design was simple enough that I could draw the petals on with a pencil and carve away.  The second pumpkin utilized a ginkgo leaf template.  Templates are taped to the pumpkin, and pierced with a sharp object such as a pin to indicate where the design should be carved.  Remove the template and then connect the dots with your carving tool.  Speaking of carving tools, you can find kits in many stores around town.  I've recently discovered a great carving tool in a box of art supplies in my basement - a Speedball Linoleum Cutter set used in printmaking.  Works great on pumpkins, and watermelons for that matter.  The linoleum cutter lets you carve a very precise line with a lot of control.  It's also great for carving just the surface of the pumpkin, when you don't want to carve all the way through to the inside, as I did this year in all three of my pumpkins.

The inspiration for my third pumpkin began this summer when I came across this picture on the internet.  My good friend (and fellow Star Wars fan) Ellen and I carved a watermelon Death Star while on a camping trip this past August.  It was so much fun and turned out so cool that I knew a Death Star pumpkin was in my future. Instructions for carving your own can be found in this R2 unit...er, I mean here. It took several hours to carve, and it's not fully operational, but I love how it turned out.   Happy Halloween and craft on!