Gearing up for Goblins

Wed. Oct. 17, 2018

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show:  Gearing up for Goblins

GBTK 10-17-18

Pumpkin PICKING for carving is an art itself!   For the best results using stencils, you want the smoothest pumpkins.  Choose a nice even color and the stem should be at least long enough to use as a handle for the lid.  If you happen to break off the stem, don’t worry, just cut out the bottom instead. You’ll also want a flat bottomed pumpkin.

perfect carving pumpkin
stencil

Here’s a little video I made in 2010 for a show called “Game On”… there are some good ideas mixed in there!

The craggy ones, like I talked about yesterday, mixed with gourds look great piled up for a display…

Garden Bite photo

…or use the oddities to advantage with paint.  Acrylics work best. Thoughtco.com for how-to and ideas.  (I try not to link you to sites with a ton of pop-ups and ads, but some sneak in!)  People’s creativity astounds me!!  I’d love to see YOURS!  Share on GardenBite facebook page.  

Drip painted by DIYS.com

Some people carve just the top layer but I like to cut through and light ‘em up!

Garden Bite 2008

No more candles either, now it’s LED lights (our local fire chiefs are pleased with that innovation) and some of them flicker like flames.  You could also use a glow stick. If you don’t want to buy a carving kit, there are plenty of free stencils on the internet.