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We’re not really big holiday celebrating people, but we do enjoy decorating for the holidays, particularly since the girl came along. Putting up the Christmas tree is a big event for our little family of three, and pumpkin carving has turned into a holiday tradition we like to share with the grandparents. With that in mind we headed up to grammie’s house over the weekend to carve a pumpkin with the help of a kit from Pumpkin Masters.
These kits are great because they have everything you need to make a cool looking pumpkin even if you don’t have a bit of artistic skill. With the help of templates you mark out a pattern and then carve it, completely taking the guesswork out of designing your pumpkin. They’re reasonably priced and available everywhere from drug stores and craft stores to Walmart and Target.
Of course the first part of our holiday ritual is going to the “pumpkin patch” (actually a church near our house that sells pumpkins each year) and finding the perfect specimens to bring home.
The girl is still a bit young to be trusted with even these carving tools, but she did get to help supervise and enjoyed the sensory experience of playing with the pumpkin guts. 
Husband got to do most of the hard work. The Pumpkin Masters kits suggest you cut the bottom of the pumpkin to scoop out the guts. The little saw was somewhat difficult to use on a thick-walled pumpkin like ours, and it actually bent in the process, but it got the job done. It was also a little awkward to scoop out the guts with the pumpkin on its side, but the scraper that came with the kit got the job done more effectively than a spoon. 
Tear out the template that you want — we chose a one-eyed alien — and tape it to the pumpkin. The girl got to help with that part, too. Score the outline of the shapes with an included tool, then remove the paper and you’re ready to carve.
The scoring tool was actually more effective than we expected, though it would have been nice if the handle had been a little longer. 
Then it’s just a matter of using the little saw to carve out the pieces. This is sort of slow work — and I was really bad at doing it accurately! — but it’s easier than the more traditional way given that all your shapes are clearly marked for you.
Add an LED light (or, OK, a candle) and you’re ready to make your front porch spooky. We left this one with grammie and hopefully will be carving more with our fun kits in the future.
Are you a talented pumpkin carver? Enter the Pumpkin Masters Carving Contest between now and Oct. 31 for a chance to win one of six prizes including $5,000 cash. Just share a picture of your masterpiece with the hashtag #PumpkinMasters2013 on Instagram, submit via their Facebook app or send a photo via email to social @ pumpkinmasters.com for your chance to win.
I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.
