Carved Pumpkin Lantern with a Clean-Cut Face
by Makeit_official
A classic carved pumpkin done properly: lid cut at an angle so it cannot drop through, the carving wall thinned to an even 25 mm so the light actually comes through, and a face cut in an order that stops the thin bits snapping off. An evening's work for one adult and one child, with the cutting and the scooping split between them.
The pumpkin and the light
Carving pumpkin, 3-5 kg, firm with an unbroken skin (the lantern itself)
1
6
Battery LED tealight or a small battery puck light (the light source)
2
4
Spare cells for the light
1 pack
3
Making it last the week
Petroleum jelly or a neutral cooking oil (sealing the cut edges)
small pot
2
Household bleach for a dilute soak
one capful to 4 litres of cold water
2
Kitchen roll and a bin bag for the innards
1 roll
1
Step 1 of 8
Choose a pumpkin that will carve well
Instructions
• Look for a flat-ish base so it sits without rocking, and a stalk still firmly attached. A pumpkin sold with the stalk snapped off has an open wound and rots from the top. • Press the skin with a thumbnail. It should resist. If your nail sinks in easily the flesh is soft and the face will sag by the weekend. • Turn it over and press the base hard. Soft or damp there means it has been sitting in a wet crate and is already going. • Pick the side with the fewest scars and the gentlest curve for the face. A face carved across a deep rib comes out crooked.
Tip
Buy it no more than two or three days before you carve. An uncarved pumpkin keeps for weeks; a carved one has about five good days.
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