It’s a week before Halloween, and you’ve picked out the perfect pumpkin. You’ve scoured Pinterest and chosen the perfect design. Now what? Just as important as a good pumpkin are the tools you carve it with. Whether you choose a pre-made kit or build a tool set from scratch, I’ve rounded up some of my favorite picks.
All-in-One Kits
Pumpkin Masters Pumpkin Carving Kit – $8
This all-purpose kit is a good choice for those on a budget or those unsure of their pumpkin carving prowess. It comes with two saws, a drill, a scoop, and a special rotating wheel that creates a punched outline for carving your jack ‘o lantern. Bonus: It includes patterns to use if you’re scrapped for ideas.
Messermeister Professional Pumpkin Carving Set – $20
For experienced pumpkin carvers, this set offers fewer tools in a better quality. Instead of plastic, these tools are crafted from stainless steel. These are built to last, so they offer a good base for a custom pumpkin carving kit.
Creating a Kit from Scratch
If you’ve carved a couple pumpkins in the past and want to step up your game, try building a custom kit from the ground up. Along with traditional tools like saws and scoops, you can collect some not-so-obvious utensils for results worthy of the pros.
Linoleum Cutter
This tool allows you to carve intricate details into the skin of the pumpkin, revealing the creamy white below. If you want to try an alternative design instead of the traditional grinning face, you could try using the cutter to carve a flower or abstract design. I like to use Speedball’s linoleum cutter because it’s affordable and comes with several different sized blades.
Power Drill
Like the linoleum cutter, a power drill allows you to try something different and achieve a truly unique pumpkin different from the others. These pumpkins truly shine when lit from within. Black & Decker has a great, inexpensive hand-held drill that let’s you bend the handle into three different positions.
Cookie Cutters
For something really fun, you can use cookie cutters to make fun shapes in your pumpkin. Quality cutters are important; if they’re too dull or flimsy, they won’t cut through the pumpkin’s wall. It helps if you scrape the wall a little thinner in the areas you want to use a cookie cutter to make the job even easier. Then use a mallet to gently pound the cutter through the side of the pumpkin. Halloween-shaped cutters are especially cute.
Have Fun!
These tools are just the beginning. Remember to have fun and experiment!