Jumbled Face Pumpkin Stencil
Carved faces are a great way to get kids involved in pumpkin carving because they're simple (no etched designs needed) and fast to create. This cross-eyed, crooked-grinned pumpkin face is a silly greeting at any Halloween house.
To carve:
1. Cut a hole from the bottom (not the stem) of the pumpkin to clean out the guts. By cutting from the bottom, you'll create a flat surface for the candle to sit on.
2. Clean out the pumpkin, scraping the flesh thin in the region where you'll carve the design.
3. Use a photocopier to enlarge or reduce the pattern to fit the pumpkin.
4. Attach the printed pattern to the pumpkin with tape.
5. Use a pin to make closely spaced pin pricks along the stencil lines, piercing the paper through to the pumpkin. Remove the pattern from the pumpkin.
6. Use thin crafts, linoleum, or wood-cutting knives to carve the pattern.