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Free Pumpkin Carving Stencils
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Published: November 3, 2006
Pumpkin carving is a tradition that has been around for centuries. It is a fun and creative way to celebrate Halloween. The practice of carving pumpkins is said to have originated long long ago from an Irish myth about a man named Stringy Jack. As the story goes, Stringy Jack asked the Devil to have a drink with him, but as his name implies, Stringy Jack didn't want to pay for his drink.
Instead he convinced the Devil to turn himself into a coin, which Stringy Jack kept in his pocket next to a cross, instead of paying for the drink. As the legend goes, when Stringy Jack died, he couldn't get into heaven and nor did the devil want him in hell because of his tricky ways, so Stingy Jack was left to walk the earth forever. He was said to have carried a turnip he'd carved out that held a candle. He was referred to as Jack of the Lantern, and then it became Jack O Lantern. The town’s people started carving scary faces into turnips and potatoes to scare away Stringy Jack and other evil spirits. This tradition was brought over to America where the settlers found pumpkins; an indigenous fruit of America made the perfect jack o lanterns.
Carving a pumpkin can be challenge, but planning your design before hand with pumpkin stencils can give you great results. Pumpkin stencils are a great way to get the perfect design. Pumpkin stencils can be found at the store around Halloween, they can be downloaded from the Internet, or you can design your own pumpkin stencils.
They key to pumpkin carving is to remember that the design is what will be lit from behind. It is as if you are drawing in reverse, taking away rather than filling in.
When choosing a pumpkin stencil, look for one based on skill level. The stencils should say something like easy, moderate, advanced, or challenging. What makes a pumpkin stencil easy, is the amount of detail. If the design is simple, like a face with minimum detail it is easy to carve. If the design is a highly detailed scene, like a witch standing in a grave yard it is going to be challenging. To ensure that the pumpkin carving goes well, it is important to have the right tools. Always keep watch over little ones when using the tools, even the tools for children, the knives are still sharp. There are great kits available that have different sized knives. Serrated, smaller knives work best.
Free pumpkin carving stencils can be downloaded from the Internet and printed out. There are still things in life that are free. When the pumpkin stencil is printed out, if the size is too big or too small for the pumpkin you have, you can reduce or enlarge the pumpkin stencils at home with a scanner or on a photo copier.
An important tip for using pumpkin stencils is to first secure the stencil to the pumpkin. Follow the directions of the pumpkin stencils if any are given. You want to score the design on the pumpkin by punching through the paper or along the stencil into the pumpkin with a sharp object like a nail, pin, or pencil. When done, save the pumpkin stencil so that you can refer to it while carving. In general it is best to start carving in the center and then move out. It is also a good idea to carve the small details first. If large chunks of the pumpkin are carved out already, the small details will be harder to get because the surface tension is not as strong.
As in the myth of Stringy Jack, scary pumpkin carvings are very popular. There are many scary pumpkin stencil designs to choose from ranging from easy to challenging. To get you thinking of scary pumpkin stencils, think of what scared you as a kid. Some design ideas are of an image such as a ghost, black cat, witch, skull, devil, bat, or spider. More advanced scary pumpkin stencils are detailed in design like a haunted house, cob web, grave yard, werewolf, grim reaper, Dracula, Freddy, or Jason. Even more challenging would be a scene, for example a pirate ship under a full moon or a zombie walking through a graveyard. There is no limit to what can be done if you think of the pumpkin as if it were a canvass. Scary pumpkin stencils can help to get you the design you want and the right outcome too.
On a lighter note, cartoon characters make for great pumpkin carvings. These are easy designs appropriate for all age groups. Cartoon character designs can still have a Halloween theme, but they are made to be cute like Casper the Ghost, a kitten with a witch hat, a smiling skull, or bubble letters saying Boo or Happy Halloween! Cartoon characters can also be animals, like a puppy, rabbit, frog, or tiger. A child would love to carve their favorite animal on their pumpkin.
Disney has many cartoon characters that would make for great pumpkin stencils kids will enjoy. With almost every movie there is a pumpkin design you could make. On their website, Disney offers free pumpkin carving stencils of the magical kingdom and Mickey Mouse. Both of these Disney free pumpkin carving stencils are simple enough for any skill level to carve or help to carve.
Pumpkin stencils can help to create the perfect jack o lantern or other clever, more personal design. Halloween is a time to be fun and creative and what better way than creating a jack o lantern to display on the porch or in the window. Hopefully, Stingy Jack will be scared away. Boo!
"Carving Tips." Swan's Pumkpin Farm. 2 Nov. 2006 .
"Free Patterns." Pumpkin Masters. 2006. LLC dba Pumpkin Masters, Inc. 2 Nov. 2006 .
"Onlie Pumpkin Carving Patterns." Spook Master. Truck Bucks LLC. 2 Nov. 2006 .
"Pumpkin Carving Time." Disney Land. 2006. 2 Nov. 2006 .
Miller, Bradly M. "Halloween Patterns: Free Patterns." The Pumpkin Wizard. 2006. 2 Nov. 2006 .
"The History of Halloween." The History Channel. 2006. A&E Television Networks. 2 Nov. 2006 .
Carving a pumpkin can be challenge, but planning your design before hand with pumpkin stencils can give you great results. Pumpkin stencils are a great way to get the perfect design. Pumpkin stencils can be found at the store around Halloween, they can be downloaded from the Internet, or you can design your own pumpkin stencils.
They key to pumpkin carving is to remember that the design is what will be lit from behind. It is as if you are drawing in reverse, taking away rather than filling in.
When choosing a pumpkin stencil, look for one based on skill level. The stencils should say something like easy, moderate, advanced, or challenging. What makes a pumpkin stencil easy, is the amount of detail. If the design is simple, like a face with minimum detail it is easy to carve. If the design is a highly detailed scene, like a witch standing in a grave yard it is going to be challenging. To ensure that the pumpkin carving goes well, it is important to have the right tools. Always keep watch over little ones when using the tools, even the tools for children, the knives are still sharp. There are great kits available that have different sized knives. Serrated, smaller knives work best.
Free pumpkin carving stencils can be downloaded from the Internet and printed out. There are still things in life that are free. When the pumpkin stencil is printed out, if the size is too big or too small for the pumpkin you have, you can reduce or enlarge the pumpkin stencils at home with a scanner or on a photo copier.
An important tip for using pumpkin stencils is to first secure the stencil to the pumpkin. Follow the directions of the pumpkin stencils if any are given. You want to score the design on the pumpkin by punching through the paper or along the stencil into the pumpkin with a sharp object like a nail, pin, or pencil. When done, save the pumpkin stencil so that you can refer to it while carving. In general it is best to start carving in the center and then move out. It is also a good idea to carve the small details first. If large chunks of the pumpkin are carved out already, the small details will be harder to get because the surface tension is not as strong.
As in the myth of Stringy Jack, scary pumpkin carvings are very popular. There are many scary pumpkin stencil designs to choose from ranging from easy to challenging. To get you thinking of scary pumpkin stencils, think of what scared you as a kid. Some design ideas are of an image such as a ghost, black cat, witch, skull, devil, bat, or spider. More advanced scary pumpkin stencils are detailed in design like a haunted house, cob web, grave yard, werewolf, grim reaper, Dracula, Freddy, or Jason. Even more challenging would be a scene, for example a pirate ship under a full moon or a zombie walking through a graveyard. There is no limit to what can be done if you think of the pumpkin as if it were a canvass. Scary pumpkin stencils can help to get you the design you want and the right outcome too.
On a lighter note, cartoon characters make for great pumpkin carvings. These are easy designs appropriate for all age groups. Cartoon character designs can still have a Halloween theme, but they are made to be cute like Casper the Ghost, a kitten with a witch hat, a smiling skull, or bubble letters saying Boo or Happy Halloween! Cartoon characters can also be animals, like a puppy, rabbit, frog, or tiger. A child would love to carve their favorite animal on their pumpkin.
Disney has many cartoon characters that would make for great pumpkin stencils kids will enjoy. With almost every movie there is a pumpkin design you could make. On their website, Disney offers free pumpkin carving stencils of the magical kingdom and Mickey Mouse. Both of these Disney free pumpkin carving stencils are simple enough for any skill level to carve or help to carve.
Pumpkin stencils can help to create the perfect jack o lantern or other clever, more personal design. Halloween is a time to be fun and creative and what better way than creating a jack o lantern to display on the porch or in the window. Hopefully, Stingy Jack will be scared away. Boo!
"Carving Tips." Swan's Pumkpin Farm. 2 Nov. 2006 .
"Free Patterns." Pumpkin Masters. 2006. LLC dba Pumpkin Masters, Inc. 2 Nov. 2006 .
"Onlie Pumpkin Carving Patterns." Spook Master. Truck Bucks LLC. 2 Nov. 2006 .
"Pumpkin Carving Time." Disney Land. 2006. 2 Nov. 2006 .
Miller, Bradly M. "Halloween Patterns: Free Patterns." The Pumpkin Wizard. 2006. 2 Nov. 2006 .
"The History of Halloween." The History Channel. 2006. A&E Television Networks. 2 Nov. 2006 .
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