There is very little time left before Halloween, which means that the preparation of costumes and makeup, the search for “horrible” Halloween recipes and horror stories for home decoration are in full swing. As you know, a pumpkin is considered a mandatory attribute for Halloween, because it is the main symbol of the holiday. Surely, it will be in every home of those who celebrate Halloween. Ever wondered why pumpkin? I’ll tell you a terrible secret, originally it was a turnip, and not even in America, as many people think, but in Ireland! In general, the story of the Halloween pumpkin, or more precisely Jack-O-Lantern, is creepy to match the holiday, so before you cut out another scary face, it’s worth getting to know Jack better.
Once upon a time in Ireland there lived a very cunning and stingy farmer named Jack. One day, while drinking ale in a tavern, he met the Devil himself, they drank together, and when Jack had no money left to pay for another glass of booze, the Devil agreed to pay in exchange for the farmer’s soul. To do this, the Devil had to turn into a coin, and the cunning Jack, instead of paying, simply put this coin in his pocket, where there was a silver cross, which did not allow the Devil to take his original appearance. The Devil, caught in a trap, agreed to any conditions, so Jack bargained for himself several years of a quiet life and a promise to never take his soul to hell.
Some time later, Jack died, and since he was a sinner on earth, the road to heaven was closed to him, and he had no choice but to visit his old friend the Devil. But the Devil, remembering his promise, refused to let the farmer into hell, but gave him smoldering coals from the fire of hell so that Jack could light his way. To make the Devil's gift burn longer, Jack carved a lantern from a turnip and put coals in it. Since then, Jack's lantern has been a symbol of a restless soul that wanders in the dark, illuminating its path with smoldering embers. When Halloween began to be celebrated in America, the turnip was replaced with a bright pumpkin, which quickly gained universal recognition and became the main symbol of the holiday.
Naturally, no one will just put a pumpkin on the table; a huge red vegetable is a dubious decoration. Therefore, from year to year, many people cut out a wide variety of faces from pumpkins, clean out the pulp and put candles inside, in general, they try in every possible way to create a semblance of a Jack-o-lantern. Since the Halloween pumpkin is the main symbol of the holiday, we will tell you how to make a Halloween pumpkin and share several cute Halloween pumpkin options. Sometimes, in order to create something of your own, original and unlike anything else, you need to see a few other people’s ideas for inspiration, so look at our selection and get inspired!
1. Pumpkin in a pumpkin
As a rule, a Halloween pumpkin is a very evil creature. Try creating a pumpkin monster that eats another horror monster. Halloween is, after all, a competition among pumpkins. You will need a huge pumpkin and a very small pumpkin if you can't find pumpkins suitable sizes, then you can take one of any size and one orange. Come up with a scarier facial expression and cut it out. When you cut out the mouth, it is better to start with a narrower part and do not try to immediately make a large hole for a small pumpkin or orange, it is better to make it narrower and then trim it, because if the mouth turns out to be too large, you will have to look for a larger “victim”.
2. Famous character.
Agree, anyone can cut out 2 triangular eyes, a nose and a terrible crooked mouth, but this happens from year to year and everyone is pretty tired of it. Therefore, we suggest that you review all the horror movies in your house and choose a couple of the most charming characters, for example, Frankenstein or Jack from the cartoon “The Nightmare Before Christmas.” At first glance it seems like a cut such a miracle maybe only a professional with ten years of experience, but this is not at all true. Arm yourself with a felt-tip pen, the better, which is water-based so it can be easily wiped off, take a pumpkin and draw your favorite face on it. Keep in mind that you will have to cut with a regular sharp knife, so try to avoid too small parts.
3. Bats
Bats can be considered another symbol of Halloween. Since ancient times, these wonderful fluffy lumps with thin leathery wings have inspired fear and horror in many people, which means that it is quite possible to frighten guests with these cute creatures. And to avoid theatrical fainting, carve mice into your pumpkin. Moreover, you can place bats in in no particular order, or you can try and cut out eyes, nose and mouth in the shape of mice. At the same time, depending on the position of the wings, you can change the facial expression, make it cheerful, sad or angry. To cut out small parts of mice, use a small, thin, sharp knife or a regular utility knife.
4. A real lantern
Have you noticed how everyone cuts out faces all the time and calls them Jack O'Lanterns? Why exactly faces? A lantern must be a lantern. Ancient or modern, garden or camping, but a lantern. Do you share the same opinion? Then arm yourself with a thin knife and a black marker or black acrylic paint and a brush with synthetic bristles. Choose an image of any lantern you like, draw it on the pumpkin and cut out the part through which the light should be visible. Place a candle inside, just first you need to clean the pumpkin from the pulp, and your Halloween pumpkin will take on an original look.
5. Snowman Jack
Although Halloween is considered a time of rampant evil spirits, not everything about it has to be scary. As you know, there is a place for good and bright things always and everywhere. And there’s very little time left until winter, so let’s remember the snowmen. Snowman Jack, greeting invited friends right at the front door, will create a real sensation. Prepare a hat, a collar from an old shirt, several large buttons, glue, markers and a cork from wine bottle. Using glue, glue on the collar and buttons, cut out the eyes and mouth, and glue on as a nose wine cork. Draw pupils, eyebrows and ears with felt-tip pens. Such a fat good fellow will be a wonderful decoration for your home for Halloween.
6. Lacy pumpkin
Since we've moved away from the theme of jack-o'-lanterns, why not also move away from the theme of the ugly and try to make something beautiful. For example, master painting techniques. A painted pumpkin for Halloween is, of course, original and beautiful, and you can also say with one hundred percent certainty that you will not find a second pumpkin like this anywhere else. This is also a great gift for guests at the end of the celebration! In order to make such beauty, you don’t need to have a red diploma from the academy. artistic creativity, one brush is enough, acrylic paint, several contours on the glass and a pair of toothpicks. Cover the pumpkin with an even layer of acrylic paint, let it dry so that your handprints do not remain on the paint. After the paint has dried, there are several options for continuing the decoration: you can immediately pick up the outline and use it to draw leaves, mysterious patterns and dots, or you can first take a toothpick and use it to draw some unusual pattern on the pumpkin, and then decorate it using a contour. In general, do not limit your imagination and awaken the artist within you!
7. Functional pumpkin
As they say, why should good things go to waste, let's try to make a pumpkin not only beautiful, but also functional. You can come up with many examples, here are just a few of them. If you arrange a real holiday and invite guests, then a Halloween pumpkin can turn into an excellent refrigerator for you. Chilled drinks are always welcome, so cut the pumpkin in half, scoop out the core and stuff it crushed ice. Place bottles of beer, lemonade or juice in ice and serve. Such a spectacular dish will definitely be remembered by your guests and will be used throughout the holiday.
Let's not waste time on trifles, because we are talking about a holiday. On your festive table pumpkin can become completely indispensable if you use it instead of dishes, for example, for salad or punch. This hamburger pumpkin will look original. Cut the pumpkin in half, remove the core, instead of the usual cutlet, put a large chop, garnish with cheese, lettuce and tomato slices, and instead of sesame seeds, glue the seeds that you peeled from the core to the pumpkin. To make pumpkin punch you will need 1 liter apple juice, 350 ml pineapple juice, 2 tbsp. lemon juice, 1 cinnamon stick, 1 large apple, a few cloves and 1 large pumpkin. Using a small round scoop, make several balls out of the apple and stick a clove into each ball. Pour apple, lemon and pineapple juice into the pan, add cinnamon and cut out apple balls. Heat over medium heat for a few minutes, without boiling, then cool slightly. Cut off the top of the pumpkin and carefully clean the middle, removing all the seeds. Pour the slightly cooled punch into the pumpkin and serve.
A Halloween pumpkin in itself can be a great source of inspiration, and in combination with the tips and ideas presented here on how to make a Halloween pumpkin, it will surely lead your imagination to create something of your own, original and unforgettable!
Perhaps the most important symbol of Halloween is sinister pumpkin with a lantern inside. Dom.by will tell you how to carve a pumpkin for Halloween (make a Jack-o'-lantern), as well as how to preserve the result of your labor for a long time. For greater convenience, we suggest using templates for cutting out Halloween pumpkins.
Why pumpkin? - history of Halloween
Before carving a pumpkin for Halloween, let's figure out why we should decorate this particular fruit on the eve of the holiday. The ominous lamp, which is also called a Jack-o'-lantern, symbolizes a cursed soul that cannot find refuge. The whole point, as you might guess, is Jack, a drunkard from Ireland. On the eve of All Saints' Day, he wandered along the street, wanting to drink, without a single penny. Then the devil appeared and offered his help, of course, in exchange for Jack's soul. He was not taken aback, and when the devil turned into a coin, he quickly put it in his pocket - along with a silver cross. Then it was the turn of the lord of darkness himself to ask, and in exchange for freedom, he promised not to touch the drunkard for another 10 years. But even a decade later, Jack managed to wring out a confession that his soul would not go to hell.
It cannot be said that the Irishman lived good life, therefore, after death he was destined to go to the underworld, but the devil kept his promise and did not accept it. So that the soul would not have to walk in absolute darkness, the devil shared a coal from his fire with Jack, and he put it in a turnip so that it would not go out. Since then, Jack has been wandering around, waiting for a better life. And we are getting ready to carve a jack-o'-lantern for Halloween.
Stage 1
We choose a pumpkin: the larger its size, the more difficult it will be to work, although the appearance, of course, will be very impressive. But for the first time it is better to choose a medium pumpkin. Required condition: it should be proportional, and the peel should be without defects, especially in those places that the knife will not touch.
Stage 2
It’s time to choose a lamp; it is he who determines the progress of the work. If there is a light bulb, garland or flashlight inside the pumpkin, then cut a hole from the bottom - this way it will be less noticeable. If you don’t like all these electrical things and you want to “revive” the structure with a candle, then make the cut from the top. This is the advantage of making your own Halloween pumpkin; you can adjust the size of the cuts to suit your lighting.
Stage 3
You need to remove the insides from the pumpkin. Get rid of everything: pulp, seeds, fibers. The less of this remains, the longer the Jack-o'-lantern will last. It is more convenient and faster to remove the insides with your own hands.
DIY Halloween pumpkin: stage 4
Mark the locations of future cuts. To do this, use a marker to draw the outline of a face: a nose, eyes, a smile or a toothy mouth (define the character of your lamp yourself).
No artistic talent? No problem! You can use templates for carving pumpkins - photo below.
Stage 5
Cut out the design along the contour. The knife should have a short, narrow blade. It all depends on your accuracy and the quality of the template for carving a Halloween pumpkin. We hope that everything turned out very accurately.
Stage 6
When the fetus has a “face”, you can give it light. If you choose a candle, then place it in a transparent glass - this will make it more stable. For ventilation, be sure to leave the top opening of the pumpkin open. Brighter light will be provided by electrical objects, for example, a garland. Wrap it around a small jar and place it in the structure. Since in this case the hole will be at the bottom, you can even hide the cord that will lead to the outlet. However, it is better, of course, to look for a battery-powered glow element.
And be sure to remember that this is not easy. beautiful thing, but also a fire hazard. Do not leave lit candles or electrical appliances unattended.
Important!
How to save a pumpkin for Halloween?
Before you carve your Halloween jack-o'-lantern, make a solution to sanitize it. Its composition: a liter of water and a tablespoon of bleach. Using a spray bottle, spray the mixture onto the fruit: inside, outside, at the cut sites. Wait about half an hour: let the solution absorb and dry. Or you can put the pumpkin in bleach for a couple of hours, let it dry and then periodically irrigate it with a chlorine solution, which will moisturize the plant and at the same time destroy microorganisms that contribute to rotting. Ordinary Vaseline will also do an excellent job of moisturizing: lubricate the inside of the lantern and the cut lines with it. This method will prevent bacteria and mold from encroaching on the pumpkin.
It's not enough to carve a Halloween pumpkin correctly - you need to store it properly. This lamp does not like direct sunlight and excessive humidity. The optimal temperature is 10-15 °C; at cooler temperatures the plant will soften faster.
We showed you how to carve a jack-o'-lantern for Halloween. The rest is up to you!
Halloween is getting closer and closer, and we have not yet talked about the most important Halloween decoration - the pumpkin. In fact, anyone can make an original Halloween pumpkin with their own hands. And here you don’t need any special creative inclinations - the main thing is your desire and good mood.
So, today we’ll look at two ways to make a Halloween pumpkin with your own hands.
First option: cut. And you can cut out anything - it all depends on your imagination. First, a little guidance - a diagram.
Actually, everything is clear in the photo: we remove the “insides” from the pumpkin, draw a “face” or something else with a marker, and cut out holes along the lines with a knife. Place a candle or fluorescent sticks inside. It turns out that you can say not just a pumpkin, but a spectacular lamp or even a candlestick for Halloween.
Another method is even simpler and faster than the first. But here you will need fluorescent paint (glow in the dark). And by the way, you don't have to wield a knife. We just make a template out of paper, paste it over the pumpkin, and apply paint. Once the paint dries, remove the “template” and enjoy the result. Agree, it turned out quite original. At the same time, it’s dark, just in the spirit of Halloween.
True, this decor is intended for some late party. And for those who want to add a touch of Halloween to the interior of their home or room on this day. You can paint the pumpkin in an original way with regular paint, draw some kind of design, or even glue it on beautiful pattern as in the photo below (the pumpkin is painted in White color, tail in black and glue a black pattern). In my opinion, this is a great option to make a pumpkin like this for Halloween).
And don’t forget about decoupage - decoupaging pumpkins for Halloween is very beautiful.
In general, as you can see, it’s not difficult to make a pumpkin for Halloween with your own hands. Below are some more inspiring photos.
Halloween pumpkin is as much a symbol of the holiday as numerous costumes, specific dishes and horror stories. With the appearance of a pumpkin with a candle inside, the magic unique to this holiday penetrates into our home, and everything takes on some special, mystical meaning.
It's simply impossible to forget about pumpkins on the eve of Halloween. There are many articles, photographs and recommendations on the Internet about ways and techniques of carving pumpkins for Halloween. Almost everywhere they say that there is nothing difficult about carving a funny or scary face out of a pumpkin. However, if you have ever tried to make a Jack-o'-lantern yourself, you have probably encountered a number of problems.
Firstly, the pumpkin skin can be quite dense and tough, which creates significant difficulties when cutting, in addition to the fact that considerable effort is required. physical strength, the chance of cutting yourself increases dramatically. Secondly, even if you managed to cut off the top of the pumpkin and take out the insides, when cutting the pumpkin easily breaks, cracks, and in general everything turns out not as beautiful and neat as in numerous pictures on the Internet. And thirdly, the pumpkin must be cut out exactly on October 30-31, otherwise it will begin to dry out, wither, or even worse, become moldy.
Faced with all these problems, you might think that there is a special profession in the world called pumpkin carving, which is in great demand on the eve of Halloween. Of course, in reality such a profession does not exist, but knowing the technology and with a little practice, you can carve the most creepy and impressive pumpkin for Halloween. To begin with, it would be a good idea to prepare and stock up on everything necessary tools and materials. You should start by choosing a pumpkin. A classic Halloween pumpkin should be orange; the brighter and more saturated the color, the better. But in fact, it is not at all necessary to look for an orange pumpkin. There are many varieties of pumpkins of different colors, and you can take any, because in the twilight of the night, when the uneven flame of a candle sparkles inside this pumpkin, it will be difficult to make out the color of the pumpkin itself.
Color is not the most important thing about a pumpkin. Examine it carefully; the fresher it is, the better. It is also worth paying attention to the shape; try to choose a pumpkin with the most rounded shapes. Oval, flattened or any other shapes may be generally interesting for decoration, but they will be much more difficult to carve into. Once your Halloween pumpkin has been chosen, prepare the basic tools that will definitely come in handy during carving. You will need dishwashing liquid, a sponge, a marker, several very sharp knives with blades different lengths, board, plate, tablespoon, alcohol, cotton wool, awl and candle. Don’t be intimidated by such a long list; each of these tools will definitely come in handy.
You need to start by thoroughly washing the pumpkin. Use a sponge and dish soap to not only clean, but also degrease the peel. This is necessary so that the marker fits better on the surface. Now it's time to use the marker. Using it, draw a circle around the stalk; the diameter can be any, the main thing is that your hand can fit freely into the future hole. Take a sharp knife with a strong, rigid blade and cut out the “lid” along the drawn circle. In this case, the knife should be held at an angle to form a cone-shaped cut, then the future lid will not fall into the pumpkin. Now you will need strength and accuracy. Grab the stem and begin to turn the cap while pulling it out, using the knife again if necessary. Trim off excess pulp and fibers from the lid. Now use an awl to make several holes in it. They are necessary so that the hot air from the candle comes out of the pumpkin better, and it does not start to fry from the inside. Half the job is done, your Halloween pumpkin is almost ready.
Now you need to clean the inside of the pumpkin. First, remove the seeds and fibers with your hands, place them on a plate and do not throw them away. The seeds can then be dried and added to soups and many other dishes. Next, a spoon will come in handy. Surely, the walls of the pumpkin are still quite wide, and you can’t remove all the fibers with your hands, so you can’t do without a strong tablespoon. Carefully scrape out any remaining fibers, seeds, and excess pulp. The optimal thickness of the pumpkin walls is about 2 centimeters. In this case, it will be easier for you to cut it, and at the same time it will not break.
And now the most difficult part - cutting out the face. To get the most original and impressive Halloween pumpkin, you need to be patient. Think about what exactly you want to carve out of your pumpkin. Whether it will be a classic face or something else, if it is still a face, then what kind of face it will be - cheerful, angry or surprised. You can find a template, cut it out and use a marker to transfer it to your prepared pumpkin, or you can show your imagination and draw something yourself. Before you start carving, look at the pumpkin again, make sure that the design meets all your requirements, if you don’t like something, use cotton wool and alcohol, carefully erase the marker and redo the design. Paint over the places that you need to cut, this will avoid annoying mistakes. Now you can start cutting. Place the tip of the knife on the outline and press gently, now the main thing is not to rush and follow the pattern as closely as possible. If you need to cut a corner, do not try to turn the knife, it is better to pull it out and stick it in at a different angle. Once the face is cut out, remove any remaining marker.
Don't expect that this is the end of the Halloween pumpkin carving process. There is still a long 12 hours ahead, which will be required to dry the pumpkin. And only then can you put a candle inside and cover the pumpkin with the cut-out lid. The carving procedure is not easy; preparing a pumpkin requires time, patience and accuracy. However, only the first time will be difficult, and each subsequent pumpkin will turn out more accurately than the previous one. While you are imagining and coming up with your own ways to decorate a pumpkin for Halloween, we offer several original ways design of the main symbol of this holiday.
A Halloween pumpkin is also called a Jack-O-Lantern, so you don't have to cut out a scary face. Patterns made from circles or diamonds carved on a pumpkin will look original. This method is suitable for beginner pumpkin carvers, and will also be useful if you decide to carve not one, but several Halloween pumpkins. Prepare the pumpkin in the same way as above, remove the flesh and cut out small circles or diamonds in any order or by folding them into a pattern. Place candles inside and put several pumpkins together, you will get a bright, unusual composition that will surely be remembered by all your guests.
What to do if a pumpkin perfect shape can't find it? Don't despair and use your imagination. Even if you decide that you will cut out a face, you can get creative and do something unusual and unusual, and the pumpkin irregular shape It will only help you with this. Prepare the pumpkin by removing the seeds and carefully scooping out the flesh. Draw the future eyes and mouth of the face. Now use a vegetable peeler and simply peel off the peel from these places. Now you can use a sharp knife with a short blade and carefully cut out the eyes and turn the pumpkin into a charming monster with an equally charming fanged smile. Once the skin of the pumpkin is cut, carving will become much easier, so you won't have any problems creating 3D, sharp teeth. Now you can use the wire and Christmas tree toy, painted in the shape of a Halloween pumpkin. Attach the wire to the stem and hang the toy. You will get an original flashlight that will definitely impress all those invited.
A Halloween pumpkin doesn't have to be scary! It should be just a pumpkin with a candle inside, and what character and “face” it will have is up to you to decide. So, the pumpkin may well turn out to be cute, and it’s not just a matter of smiling. Try making an "elderly" pumpkin for Halloween! Prepare the pumpkin, cut out a kind face smiling with a toothless smile and place it in a preheated oven. The baking time depends on the size of the pumpkin, make sure that it does not start to burn and remove it from the oven as soon as it becomes soft and wrinkled. When the pumpkin has cooled, place a candle in it and surprise your guests!
While preparing for Halloween, you will probably come across many bright examples design of the main symbol of the holiday, inspired by which you will come up with and make your most original and amazing pumpkin.
Alena Karamzina
