Halloween is one of my favorite times of year and I love pretty much anything to do with pumpkins! But I have to admit I am not a huge fan of carving them. I dont know why, maybe because I just never feel creative enough, or it is simply too hard to cut through the skin, or probably a little bit of both.
With the pumpkin carving kits from Pumpkin Masters, that is all about to change in my house! They have everything from actual carving tools to templates for everyone from families to kids, to even a party kit.
So finally this weekend we made it to the pumpkin patch and picked out a few beauties to take home and carve!
To use the carving kit you start by choosing which design you want to use. My husband then carved a hole in the bottom of each pumpkin- yes the bottom. It actually makes a lot of sense and creates a seamless finish on your final product. Then you tape your chosen design onto the pumpkin and use the small wheel device to punch tiny holes in the skin, tracing the design on.
Next, simply take the small carving saw and cut away! It is still tedious work and requires a lot of patience, but it is infinitely easier (and safer) than attempting to carve a pumpkin with a kitchen knife. And to see how cool (in my opinion) my pumpkin looked when I was done with it, made it all worthwhile.
In addition to the traditional designs of ghosts and cats and ghouls, there is a punch design kit that allows you to use various sized and shaped tools to punch patterns into the pumpkins. Again, this kit comes with templates to allow you to create that perfect symmetry that will be sure to make your neighbors envious when they come by trick-or-treating. There are really infinite possibilities. All kits come with a pumpkin scooper (that really does work better than a spoon), and carving tools. There are also white and colored strob lights available for inside your masterpiece that create the illusion of a candle only way better--no wax, no mess, no blowing out when its too windy, and of course: safer.
This is a must have item for halloween in my opinion. My kids are too young to actually use the kits, but in a couple of years they are going to have a blast creating halloween masterpieces. Kits are available at Target, Walgreens, Walmart, CVSonline.