October has finally arrived, the shops are full of sweets and ghoulish masks – it can all only mean one thing. Yes, Halloween is almost upon us. It’s time to don our spookiest costumes, watch scary films and carve lanterns out of vegetables. Year after year I like Halloween time more and more. It is not because the celebration itself, though.This is because of all those cute and funny decorations and costumes you can make with your own hands. Minions are currently all the rage with kids everywhere, which makes this pumpkin carving tutorial perfect for this Halloween. With the help of some common household tools and utensils — will help turn your pumpkin into something other than a collection of triangles.

You will need:

Large Pumpkin Washable Marker Large Knife Smaller Knife Large Spoon 2 cups (small and large)

Basic pumpkin preparation for carving

Choose a pumpkin that is an appropriate size and shape for the design you wish to carve. Tall pumpkins may lend themselves better to faces. For designs with lots of cutouts, look for large, round pumpkins with smooth surfaces. Look for a pumpkin with a flat bottom that will sit upright. Wipe the pumpkin clean with a soft damp cloth and dry. For a bottom: Draw an opening on the bottom of your pumpkin if you want to sit it over a candle. Be sure to draw the opening large enough so that it will be easy to reach inside and scoop out the contents when cut. Only adults should do the actual cutting. To do so, cut along the drawn lines for the lid or bottom opening with a sharp paring knife. If cutting a lid, angle the blade toward the center of the pumpkin to create a ledge that supports the lid. If cutting a bottom, cut straight into the pumpkin. Scoop out the seeds and strings from inside the pumpkin. Use a large spoon or ice-cream scoop or the plastic scraper scoop that is made for this purpose. Tip: Don’t waste the seeds, why not toast them and have them as a snack? Boil them in salted water for 10 minutes, then toast them in the oven with a bit of olive oil until they’re brown. Scrape the inner pulp away from the area of the pumpkin that you plan to carve. When you are done, your pumpkin should have a smooth inside all the way around. Nice and clean.

Use a marker pen to draw out your design before you start cutting. Or better yet, print off a template and tape it to the pumpkin so you know exactly where to cut. You can produce more detailed designs with the use of templates. Tip: If you do go wrong and cut off a bit you weren’t supposed to, don’t worry. Just pop it on a cocktail stick and reattach it. The next step is to hollow out the mouth area using the large knife and then finish the finer details (teeth, etc.) using the smaller knife.