Pumpkin faces for Halloween. Who is the Jack-O-Lantern? Unusual pumpkin for Halloween: choose yours

Halloween is getting closer and closer, and we have not yet talked about the most important Halloween decoration - the pumpkin. In fact, anyone can make an original Halloween pumpkin with their own hands. And here you don’t need any special creative inclinations - the main thing is your desire and good mood.

So, today we’ll look at two ways to make a Halloween pumpkin with your own hands.

First option: cut. And you can cut out anything - it all depends on your imagination. First, a little guidance - a diagram.

Actually, everything is clear in the photo: we remove the “insides” from the pumpkin, draw a “face” or something else with a marker, and cut out holes along the lines with a knife. Place a candle or fluorescent sticks inside. It turns out that you can say not just a pumpkin, but a spectacular lamp or even a candlestick for Halloween.

Another method is even simpler and faster than the first. But here you will need fluorescent paint (glow in the dark). And by the way, you don’t have to wield a knife. We just make a template out of paper, paste it over the pumpkin, and apply paint. Once the paint dries, remove the “template” and enjoy the result. Agree, it turned out quite original. At the same time, it’s dark, just in the spirit of Halloween.

True, this decor is intended for some late party. And for those who want to add a touch of Halloween to the interior of their home or room on this day. You can paint the pumpkin in an original way with regular paint, draw some kind of design, or even glue it on beautiful pattern as in the photo below (the pumpkin is painted in White color, tail in black and glue a black pattern). In my opinion this is great option make a pumpkin like this for Halloween).

And don’t forget about decoupage - pumpkin decoupage for Halloween is very beautiful.

In general, as you can see, it’s not difficult to make a pumpkin for Halloween with your own hands. Below are some more inspiring photos.

If you are new to the difficult task of carving, we recommend starting with the classics and making a regular Jack-o'-lantern. The “face” of such a pumpkin is familiar to everyone: its nose and eyes are in the form of triangles, and its mouth is ominously bared. For the lamp to be a success, the main thing is to choose a round and as symmetrical vegetable as possible. You need to wash the pumpkin, degrease the surface with alcohol, cut off the “cap” and scoop out the pulp and seeds with a spoon. Then apply the desired design and cut it out with a knife. To prevent the vegetable from drying out, it is good to coat the inside with Vaseline or thick cream. Finally, place a candle or electric garland inside.

Who said Halloween pumpkins have to be scary? Her “face” can be given absolutely any expression, or you can not limit yourself to just this, creating entire compositions! Fun pumpkins, evil and predatory pumpkins, pumpkins with teeth, Viking pumpkins and even a pumpkin Statue of Liberty will truly surprise your guests on Halloween.

In the West, pumpkins are mostly carved by children, so it is not surprising that Spidermen, Pokemon, members of the Addams family and other fictional characters look at passers-by from the threshold of every house. At the same time, it is not necessary to completely copy the image of the hero; some characteristic detail is enough. For example, for Bart and Ernie from Sesame Street it is round noses, furry eyebrows and forelocks. If this method of preparing a pumpkin seems too complicated for you, you can simply paint the desired face with acrylic paints.

The mummy is a popular image for Halloween, so why not give it a pumpkin twist? To do this, you don’t even have to do carving; you can simply wrap the vegetable in bandages and draw a mouth on top and glue on the eyes. If you want to end up with a lantern, you will still have to make several holes. Preparatory stage the same as for any Jack-o'-lantern: wash, degrease, clean out the cavity, cut out the face.

Zombies are another popular Halloween image, and a pumpkin looks great with it. The main thing for such a character is to make a leaking brain, which will require a fair amount of tinkering. As in standard version, the fruit needs to be washed, the cavity should be cleaned through the side hole, the nose, mouth and eyes should be cut out. Then cut off the skin at the top of the pumpkin, leaving enough thin layer pulp. Then it’s a matter of small things - using a pen, manicure stick or other thin object, depict the brain’s convolutions and folds.

A pumpkin in the shape of a witch’s house looks interesting, and if you have the strength and desire, you can create an entire witchcraft quarter. Making a hut is even easier than a regular Jack-o'-lantern. To do this, you need to apply a design to the surface of the vegetable, and then cut out windows, doors, the moon, stars and others to make your composition. Finally, don’t forget to place a candle inside the pumpkin. The mysterious light pouring from the windows of the house will remind you and your guests that you are not the only one who does not sleep on Halloween night.

If all the options above do not impress you, then we suggest making a smoking pumpkin. To do this you will need glycerin, which is easy to buy at a pharmacy or craft supply store, and can. The pumpkin needs to be cleaned from the inside and the face cut out, then a lighted candle should be placed in the vegetable. Cut the tin in half, leaving the “legs”: you should get something like an aroma lamp. Cover the candle with this structure and pour glycerin into the recess on top. When exposed to heat, it will smoke, creating a truly demonic effect.

This lantern is suitable for those who have already gained enough experience over the previous holidays. Cut out a pattern or some kind of picture (especially with an abundance of small parts) is much more difficult than the usual Jack face. The best option for beginners is to use paper stencil, which needs to be attached with tape to the pumpkin. Walk along the contours of the design with an awl and only then take up the knife. Important nuance: the more complex the pattern, the thinner the walls of the pumpkin should be.

Such a pumpkin cannot become a full-fledged Jack-o'-lantern, but it's a cute detail festive interior- quite. In this case, there is no need to cut off the stalk, extract the pulp with seeds and think about how best to put a candle. But you will have to take care of something else - a decent set of tools for carving. Wood cutters are ideal, but you can try using a peeling knife. To make it easier, you should cut out the design using a stencil.

Pumpkin - main symbol Halloween (or All Saints' Day). Why exactly a pumpkin and why do they carve beastly faces on it?

The tradition of carving vegetable lanterns comes from Ireland and Great Britain and dates back to the times of the Celtic Druid monks, who used these sinister-looking lanterns to drive out demons and evil spirits.

Lanterns were usually carved from turnips, beets and rutabaga, and until the 19th century had nothing to do with All Saints' Day.

The custom of carving pumpkins for Halloween came from North America, where pumpkin was associated with the harvest season. The American jack-o-lantern was named the Jack-O-Lantern and became the official symbol of Halloween in 1866.

Who is the Jack-O-Lantern?

A pumpkin light flickering in the darkness symbolizes the souls of the dead wandering between heaven and hell.

Legend has it that once upon a time there lived a careless farmer, a drunkard and a thief, Jack. One day Jack was running away from angry peasants whom he had robbed. And then on the way he met the devil, who announced to Jack that the hour of his death had come. Sly Jack persuaded the devil to delay death in exchange for the opportunity to bewitch the righteous peasants who were chasing the thief. He suggested that the devil turn into a coin, with which Jack would pay for the stolen things, and when the devil/coin disappeared, the peasants would fight with each other, finding out who stole it. The devil agreed and, turning into a silver coin, jumped into Jack's pocket. But he was immediately deprived of his witchcraft power, as he found himself next to the cross that Jack had stolen in the village. Jack promised to let the devil go if he promised not to take his soul to hell.

When the time of death came, Jack could not go to heaven because of his sinful life, but he was not allowed into hell either, because they promised. It was dark around and Jack had nowhere to go. He asked for a lantern, and the devil mockingly threw him embers from hell. Jack carved a lantern out of a pumpkin, put coals in it and began to wander the earth in search of peace.

How to carve a Halloween pumpkin (Jack-O-Lantern)?

You will need:

A knife with a sharp and short blade. It is most convenient to make cuts with a small saw or a short knife with a serrated sharpening, a penknife, or a file knife. If possible, it is best to immediately purchase a special carving kit that includes all the necessary tools. Using regular knives is more difficult to work with pumpkins. A carving knife costs around 50 UAH, and the set shown in the picture below costs 300 UAH.

Template with a face

Awl (thick needle, ballpoint pen)

Scraper (spatula)

Cutting board

Candle. Do not use a candle that is too tall, otherwise the top wall of the pumpkin may burn. If there are small children in the house and you are afraid of experimenting with fire, a regular flashlight will do.

Halloween Pumpkin Carving Instructions

1. Pumpkin selection. Choose the most beautiful, most proportional, round and orange pumpkin. Choose only ripe fruits with a smooth and dense surface without damage or stains. It is desirable that the pumpkin be symmetrical. Pay attention to the tail (stem) of the pumpkin. It should be hard, dry and at least 5 cm long. Pumpkins that have begun to spoil discard the tail. If you plan to place a candle inside later, it is recommended to select a fruit more than 20 cm in height. Remember, we don’t care what pumpkin tastes like, we’re only interested in it appearance after cutting. Reminder: pumpkin, especially if it is not dried fresh air, begins to rot in 5-7 days, so it is best to prepare it 3-4 days before the holiday.

2. Wash, dry, apply a design. Wash and dry the selected pumpkin. If this is your first time carving a pumpkin, put the knife aside and grab a marker first. You will use it to draw lines along which you will then make cuts. Make sure that the marker is easily erased from the surface and does not leave marks.

3. Cleaning the pumpkin. The Jack O'Lantern job begins by cutting out the top of the pumpkin. You can also cut top part pumpkin, and the bottom one. This option is appropriate for those who do not plan to place a candle inside, but want to insert a jar with a candle or a flashlight.

We cut the lid along the contour using a knife, which must be held at an angle to form a cone-shaped cut: this way your lid (eventually) will not fall inside the “head”. To remove the lid, pull the stem and twist the lid if necessary. Trim any excess pulp and fiber from the lid if you use it.
Next we need to clean the inside of the pumpkin. It is very convenient to clean out the seeds and pulp directly with your hands. To do this, use a special spoon for pulp. In the absence of such a tool, you will have to work with an ordinary tablespoon. Remove all the insides from the pumpkin and scrape down the sides. If the pumpkin is large, then the top hole should be no smaller than your fist so that your hand can easily penetrate inside.

For optimal results, the thickness of the walls on the side of the pumpkin where you will cut the face should be 2-3 centimeters. There is no need to thoroughly scrape the sides, otherwise the thin peel will remain unsupported and fall through. The teeth on the knife leave small nicks. The edges of the cut need to be trimmed a little.

4. Applying a pattern to the pumpkin. Now you can move on to applying patterns to the sides of the pumpkin.

Draw a sketch on paper first, make sure this is exactly what you want. Keep in mind that straight lines are much easier to cut later than rounded ones. We attach the design to the smooth and beautiful side of the pumpkin with electrical tape and an awl ( ballpoint pen) outline the outline that is imprinted on the peel. Paint over the areas of the pumpkin that will be cut out to make them easier to see. This will make it easier for you to cut.

Pumpkin stencils
If you have no artistic skills, you're great suitable option using a stencil (template). Several examples are presented below. By printing such templates on paper, you can make your work much easier and you don’t have to worry about the result.

5. Cut out the design. Place the tip of the knife on the outline and gently press it. Use a back and forth motion to cut the pumpkin. Take your time, try to follow the contour as closely as possible. If you need to do sharp corner, then pull out the knife and insert it at a new angle.

6. Making lighting. After finishing the work, leave the pumpkin to dry.

If you lightly sprinkle the inside of the pumpkin with cinnamon, the aroma from such a special candle will fill the whole house with holiday in minutes.

Then the lighting can be installed. This could be a small candle, a garland or a lantern. You can place a candle (or several candles) inside the pumpkin. Place the candle in a glass cup and leave the top of the pumpkin open for ventilation. Another alternative could be a small flashlight.

Video tutorial "How to carve a pumpkin for Halloween"

Halloween pumpkin is as much a symbol of the holiday as numerous costumes, specific dishes and horror stories. With the appearance of a pumpkin with a candle inside, the magic unique to this holiday penetrates into our home, and everything takes on some special, mystical meaning.

It's simply impossible to forget about pumpkins on the eve of Halloween. There are many articles, photographs and recommendations on the Internet about ways and techniques of carving pumpkins for Halloween. Almost everywhere they say that there is nothing difficult about carving a funny or scary face out of a pumpkin. However, if you have ever tried to make a Jack-o'-lantern yourself, you have probably encountered a number of problems.

Firstly, the pumpkin skin can be quite dense and tough, which creates significant difficulties when cutting, in addition to the fact that considerable effort is required. physical strength, the chance of cutting yourself increases dramatically. Secondly, even if you managed to cut off the top of the pumpkin and take out the insides, when cutting the pumpkin easily breaks, cracks, and in general everything turns out not as beautiful and neat as in numerous pictures on the Internet. And thirdly, the pumpkin must be cut out exactly on October 30-31, otherwise it will begin to dry out, wither, or even worse, become moldy.

Faced with all these problems, you might think that there is a special profession in the world called pumpkin carving, which is in great demand on the eve of Halloween. Of course, in reality such a profession does not exist, but knowing the technology and with a little practice, you can carve the most creepy and impressive pumpkin for Halloween. To begin with, it would be a good idea to prepare and stock up on everything necessary tools and materials. You should start by choosing a pumpkin. A classic Halloween pumpkin should be orange; the brighter and more saturated the color, the better. But in fact, it is not at all necessary to look for an orange pumpkin. There are many varieties of pumpkin different colors, and you can take any one, because in the twilight of the night, when the uneven flame of a candle sparkles inside this pumpkin, it will be difficult to make out the color of the pumpkin itself.

Color is not the most important thing about a pumpkin. Examine it carefully; the fresher it is, the better. It is also worth paying attention to the shape; try to choose a pumpkin with the most rounded shapes. Oval, flattened or any other shapes may be generally interesting for decoration, but they will be much more difficult to carve into. Once your Halloween pumpkin has been chosen, prepare the basic tools that will definitely come in handy during carving. You will need dishwashing liquid, a sponge, a marker, several very sharp knives with blades different lengths, board, plate, tablespoon, alcohol, cotton wool, awl and candle. Don’t be intimidated by such a long list; each of these tools will definitely come in handy.

You need to start by thoroughly washing the pumpkin. Use a sponge and dish soap to not only clean, but also degrease the peel. This is necessary so that the marker fits better on the surface. Now it's time to use the marker. Using it, draw a circle around the stalk; the diameter can be any, the main thing is that your hand can fit freely into the future hole. Take a sharp knife with a strong, rigid blade and cut out the “lid” along the drawn circle. In this case, the knife should be held at an angle to form a cone-shaped cut, then the future lid will not fall into the pumpkin. Now you will need strength and accuracy. Grab the stem and begin to turn the cap while pulling it out, using the knife again if necessary. Trim off excess pulp and fibers from the lid. Now use an awl to make several holes in it. They are necessary so that the hot air from the candle comes out of the pumpkin better, and it does not start to fry from the inside. Half the job is done, your Halloween pumpkin is almost ready.

Now you need to clean the inside of the pumpkin. First, remove the seeds and fibers with your hands, place them on a plate and do not throw them away. The seeds can then be dried and added to soups and many other dishes. Next, a spoon will come in handy. Surely, the walls of the pumpkin are still quite wide, and you can’t remove all the fibers with your hands, so you can’t do without a strong tablespoon. Carefully scrape out any remaining fibers, seeds, and excess pulp. The optimal thickness of the pumpkin walls is about 2 centimeters. In this case, it will be easier for you to cut it, and at the same time it will not break.

And now the most difficult part - cutting out the face. To get the most original and impressive Halloween pumpkin, you need to be patient. Think about what exactly you want to carve out of your pumpkin. Whether it will be a classic face or something else, if it is still a face, then what kind of face it will be - cheerful, angry or surprised. You can find a template, cut it out and use a marker to transfer it to your prepared pumpkin, or you can show your imagination and draw something yourself. Before you start carving, look at the pumpkin again, make sure that the design meets all your requirements, if you don’t like something, use cotton wool and alcohol, carefully erase the marker and redo the design. Paint over the places that you need to cut, this will avoid annoying mistakes. Now you can start cutting. Place the tip of the knife on the outline and press gently, now the main thing is not to rush and follow the pattern as closely as possible. If you need to cut a corner, do not try to turn the knife, it is better to pull it out and stick it in at a different angle. Once the face is cut out, remove any remaining marker.

Don't expect that this is the end of the Halloween pumpkin carving process. There are still 12 long hours ahead, which will be required to dry the pumpkin. And only then can you put a candle inside and cover the pumpkin with the cut-out lid. The carving procedure is not easy; preparing a pumpkin requires time, patience and accuracy. However, only the first time will be difficult, and each subsequent pumpkin will turn out more accurately than the previous one. While you are imagining and coming up with your own ways to decorate a pumpkin for Halloween, we offer several original ways design of the main symbol of this holiday.

A Halloween pumpkin is also called a Jack-O-Lantern, so you don't have to cut out a scary face. Patterns made from circles or diamonds carved on a pumpkin will look original. This method is suitable for novice pumpkin carvers, and will also be useful if you decide to carve not one, but several pumpkins at once for Halloween. Prepare the pumpkin in the same way as above, remove the flesh and cut out small circles or diamonds in any order or by folding them into a pattern. Place candles inside and put several pumpkins together to create a bright, unusual composition, which will surely be remembered by all your guests.

What to do if a pumpkin perfect shape can't find it? Don't despair and use your imagination. Even if you decide that you will cut out a face, you can get creative and do something unusual and unusual, and the pumpkin irregular shape It will only help you with this. Prepare the pumpkin by removing the seeds and carefully scooping out the flesh. Draw the future eyes and mouth of the face. Now use a vegetable peeler and simply peel off the peel from these places. Now you can use a sharp knife with a short blade and carefully cut out the eyes and turn the pumpkin into a charming monster with an equally charming fanged smile. Once the skin of the pumpkin is cut, carving will become much easier, so you won't have any problems creating 3D, sharp teeth. Now you can use the wire and Christmas tree toy, painted in the shape of a Halloween pumpkin. Attach the wire to the stem and hang the toy. You will get an original flashlight that will definitely impress all those invited.

A Halloween pumpkin doesn't have to be scary! It should be just a pumpkin with a candle inside, and what character and “face” it will have is up to you to decide. So, the pumpkin may well turn out to be cute, and it’s not just a matter of smiling. Try making an "elderly" pumpkin for Halloween! Prepare the pumpkin, cut out a kind face smiling with a toothless smile and place it in a preheated oven. The baking time depends on the size of the pumpkin, make sure that it does not start to burn and remove it from the oven as soon as it becomes soft and wrinkled. When the pumpkin has cooled, place a candle in it and surprise your guests!

While preparing for Halloween, you will probably come across many striking examples of the design of the main symbol of the holiday, inspired by which you will come up with and make your most original and amazing pumpkin.

Alena Karamzina

The main attribute of Halloween is a pumpkin head. In fact, few people know why a pumpkin with carved eyes, a mouth and a candle inside is considered a symbol of the holiday. It turns out that there is a legend about Jack, who managed to deceive the devil. The cunning drunkard Jack cannot go to either hell or heaven, so he wanders the earth, lighting his path with a jack-o'-lantern. This is where the name of the pumpkin came from - Jack-O-Lantern. Now let’s figure out how to cut out the Halloween flnarik correctly.

Let's see how this is done in the presented video in Russian, since Halloween is now celebrated in Russia, and not just in the USA, Ireland and other countries that love this holiday.

Today, there are a lot of ways and recommendations for carving pumpkins for Halloween. You can see what the result is in the photo:

A master class will help you understand how to carve a Jack-o'-lantern from a pumpkin.

How to carve a Halloween pumpkin: a master class for beginners

Materials:

pumpkin;
sharp knife;
scraper or regular spoon;
awl or thick needle;
paper;
marker;
scissors.

1) When choosing a suitable pumpkin, you need to ensure that the fruit has a dense and smooth surface without spots or defects. It is desirable that the vegetable has a height of more than 20 cm, is ripe, symmetrical, with a hard, dry stalk of at least 5 cm in length.

2) Using a felt-tip pen, draw a round, square or other shaped lid. The hole for the candle is made on top of the pumpkin, and for the jar with lanterns - on the bottom. Cut out the drawn lid using a sharp knife and carefully remove it, taking it by the tail.

3) Clean the inside of the vegetable from pulp, fibers and seeds with a special scraper or spoon until the walls become 2-3 cm thick.

4) To give the pumpkin a facial expression, you need to come up with a face and draw it on paper. Color over the areas that will be cut out with a marker. Attach the image to the pumpkin with tape and pierce the outlines with an awl.

5) Use a sharp knife to cut out the picture, carefully adhering to the boundaries that you drew.

6) All that remains is to do the lighting. You can use an ordinary candle by placing it in a glass. To prevent the vegetable from burning, the lid must be removed. A lamp in the form of a cord with light bulbs, which should be wrapped around, is also suitable. glass jar. Place the lamp inside the pumpkin, take the wire out through the hole at the bottom and plug it into the outlet.

It is believed that on the eve of the holiday such a talisman should be placed near your home so that no evil spirits could come close. That's why pumpkins are carved at Halloween. Unfortunately, the Jack-O-Lantern made from pumpkin will sooner or later have to be thrown away, as the vegetable may begin to spoil. A great alternative to this craft is a paper pumpkin.

Let's look at some ways to make it.

Making a pumpkin out of paper

You can cut a paper pumpkin in the same way. paper snowflakes. You will need a piece of paper orange color, scissors and pencil. Suitable paper is matte colored or decorative with a corrugated texture. Fold a sheet of paper in half front side inward and from the fold line, draw half a pumpkin with any face. Next, cut out the design along the contour. Lay out the sheet and align the fold line. The result is a pumpkin that can be attached to the wall or used to decorate a fancy dress costume.

Paper pumpkin with surprise

To make the craft, prepare strips cut from double-sided orange paper 2-3 cm wide.

Fold them in half to determine the middle. Glue each pair of strips together in the form of a cross. Then glue the resulting parts together to make a snowflake. You can use a stapler instead of glue.

Place a surprise in the form of a candy, toy or chocolate in the center of the craft and connect the opposite strips, giving rounded shape pumpkins.

You can make a tail for a vegetable from green paper by cutting out a strip and twisting it onto a pencil in the form of a spiral. Make leaves from corrugated paper.