Carving Pumpkins
Now that my girls are older (ages 15 & 17), we don’t carve pumpkins anymore for Halloween. They’re too busy doing other things, and they just aren’t interested, so it’s been a few years since we’ve gone to a pumpkin patch and they picked out their own pumpkins to carve. But that doesn’t stop me from admiring other people’s Jack-O-Laterns while I’m driving through the neighborhood at night. I’m truly amazed at just how talented so many people are when it comes to designing (and carving!) pumpkin faces! Ours were always the traditional triangle eyes and nose, and jagged mouths, but when the girls were younger and did the carving themselves, they loved it. 
Recently I came across a few pictures of some awesome Jack-O-Lanterns and thought I’d share them here since Halloween is coming up next week (already!?!). Some of them are simple and cute, while others are really intricate and couldn’t have been easy to carve!
Okay, that last picture wasn’t carved from a pumpkin. Just checking to see if you all are paying attention! 
So, how about you? Are you a simple pumpkin carver, or do you like to carve elaborate designs? Or are you more like me and have one of those plastic light up pumpkins you can sit in the window every year — no mess, no fuss? 
Wowza! I want the “pumpkin” in that last picture - that is my idea of art
I’ve seen this before - some of these are just wonderfully creative. It’s amazing what some people will come up with.
Comment by Stacy ~ — October 25, 2007 @ 6:56 am
Wow, those are some great pumpkins! Especially the last one.
We used to carve out a pumpkin but it seems we always have rain or snow on Halloween and everything freezes, the candle goes out…so we just use the plug in now.
Hope everyone has a great day,
Cher
Comment by Cher — October 25, 2007 @ 7:58 am
Oh I could definitely deal with the last pumpkin! That would be so worth the effort…to do!
We always have good intentions but we usually stick with the basic carvings. Which reminds me, I have 3 or 4 pumpkins out on the vine I need to go cut!
OFF TOPIC: It’s raining!
I wish I could send some your way, Janelle, but we need it here too. The paper said Raleigh needs 2′ of rain to not have a water shortage in the next 90 days. I don’t know about that happening, but the 2″ we’ve gotten so far over night is wonderful!!! Hope things are getting better your way.
Comment by Jodie — October 25, 2007 @ 8:06 am
I’ll take the last pumpkin!
We always carved pumpkins growing up, but now I have the plug in pumpkin. I love all the major designs that you can carve into pumpkins now. I was babysitting several years ago and had to use the different patterns to carve 3 pumpkins in one night. Since we always just did the triangle eyes and nose and funny mouth, it was way more detail than I would have planned. 
Comment by Liza — October 25, 2007 @ 8:43 am
Great collection of jack’o lanterns. My kids and I are carving our pumpkins today.
Comment by Brenda ND — October 25, 2007 @ 9:24 am
On a random note, my 2 1/2 year old (he’ll be three in January), they gutted a pumpkin on Tuesday and, of course, he didn’t like touching the pumpkin guts, but LOVED the toasted pumpkin seeds. Who would have thunk it.?
Comment by katie — October 25, 2007 @ 9:38 am
I am a very simple pumpkin carver..lopsided grins and uneven eyes.
Comment by Phyllis Lamken — October 25, 2007 @ 9:52 am
I think it is fabulous how creative people have gotten with their pumpkin carving. Personally, I think it’s messy and gunky to do. I like mine on the meaner side. The big one eating the other ones is fabulous! My 3-year-old and I paint them. Much easier option with a toddler.
The last pic gave me a good giggle this morning.
Comment by ThatBrunette — October 25, 2007 @ 10:13 am
Wow Janelle, these are SO cool! We’ve always gone pretty basic…my youngest did a throwing-up pumpkin last year and totally amused herself.
Comment by Leslie — October 25, 2007 @ 10:16 am
I love to carve pumpkins and I usually get carried away. But I wouldn’t mind trying my hand at that last pecture, uh, I mean picture.
Comment by Carol R — October 25, 2007 @ 10:33 am
Wow, love those
pictures (ALL OF THEM)!!!
My hubby used to carve a pumpkin (very simple) when our son was young. He’s 18 now and we haven’t done one in a few years. We do have the plastic light up pumpkin in the front window.
Besides the last picture I love the pirate pumpkin
- too cute!
Comment by Carolyn A. — October 25, 2007 @ 10:40 am
I’m so glad I’m not someone who quits in the middle of a story - always read to the end - gotta love those surprise endings! Though I wouldn’t mind molding my hands around those abs for awhile!! I’m a ceramic light up pumpking kind of gal. No muss no fuss.
Comment by Barbara-Jo — October 25, 2007 @ 11:16 am
Last year was the first time I ever craved a pumpkin. It was messy but I had so much fun. I can’t wait to do it again this year. Since it’s warm in Florida I have to wait until just a couple of days prior to Halloween.
Comment by Vicki — October 25, 2007 @ 11:27 am
I found that last picture quite yummy!
I’m like you when it comes to pumpkins anymore. 
Comment by Susan — October 25, 2007 @ 11:46 am
Those are amazing! (Especially that last picture…
)
We’re mostly uncarved pumpkin folks… too lazy, I guess
Comment by Fedora — October 25, 2007 @ 12:34 pm
I want the pirate one!!!
Comment by Julie Leto — October 25, 2007 @ 1:17 pm
Now that our daughter is in college (3rd year) leaving our son, who’s 14 now, we’re still into carving pumpkins - we still got four to represent each of us and are still deciding what parts of our personality we want them to exhibit . My son could still pass for 12, so he’s going trick or treating again this year with some other friends of his that are his age and can pass for 12 as well. His one friend that’s a year older will not be going because he says he’s outgrown that phase although he just went trick-or-treating with my son last year - my how just one year makes all the difference in the world! haha I’d really like to duplicate the abs of that last pumpkin onto my own ab-stractedly designed pumpkin, but I don’t think others will know that’s what the pumpkin represents…LOL
Comment by Joni — October 25, 2007 @ 1:34 pm
My husband LOVES to carve pumpkins and he and our now 16 year old son have been carving together forever.
My job is to scrape out the insides and roast the pumpkin seeds. I used to save the pulp and steam it and puree it for Pumpkin Breads but that just got exhausting .For the past 10 years or so we have been using patterns from Pumpkin Masters kits. We have 9 books at this point!!!
So in the past we have done jack-o-lanterns for home, school and for the past few years my husband does one for his office.(hence the exhaustion!!!) We have done ghosts, witches, werewolves, vampires,a bat trio, and a fantastic haunted house one that was very difficult( the book calls it challenging- in our house that means lots of creative cussin’.
On another note tomorrow is my 45th birthday!!!
they are going out tonight. Take Care everyone!
Comment by Sue Mont — October 25, 2007 @ 2:59 pm
That last “pumpkin” is adorable!!!
Since I am the only one here I don’t carve a pumpkin, to messy & I’m very good at it. When my girls were little their Dad always helped them with the pumpkin carving. I do have two pumpkins sitting on my front steps for decoration and some more mini’s in the house along with a few other Fall accents! I’ve been gone most of the month dog/cat/house sitting so haven’t been here to do much of anything!
Comment by Donna M — October 25, 2007 @ 3:08 pm
Whoops! That is suppose to be I’m NOT very good at it! Pumpkin carving, that is!
Comment by Donna M — October 25, 2007 @ 3:09 pm
Hi all,
We are back from vacation and absolutely exhausted.
Had a wonderful time will get Digger’s pictures developed soon.
Think they will give you a chuckle.
My favorite is but of course the last one.
Comment by Zoey and Jeannie — October 25, 2007 @ 5:36 pm
I have a plastic light up pumpkin, but I also decorate the porch with uncarved pumpkins.
Comment by Estella — October 25, 2007 @ 5:40 pm
Mine’s ceramic. I made it years ago.
I grew up on a farm. Our big cash produce- pumpkins.
I haven’t carved one in years, but the one I remember most was the one I had in 1966. It weighed 150lbs and had my name carved into it while it was growing. This was before all the rage of the huge things they pass off as pumpkins nowadays.
BTW, Sue Brockmann’s All Through the Night is great!!!
Heather wanted me to do this
Comment by ev — October 25, 2007 @ 6:09 pm
cool, yes hot man.
Comment by kim h — October 25, 2007 @ 6:49 pm
Those are great pumkins. Especially the last one!
We usually do a simple pumkin, but haven’t this year.
Comment by Stacy S — October 25, 2007 @ 7:49 pm
We carve pumpkins every year and different family members attend but my nephew and I started it when my kids were small - yesterday we had my youngest (20) and her boyfriend, my sister and her son and wife, me and my 85 year old mom (she won’t carve but critiques lol). This year we had a spooky tree, skeleton face, bat, alien, pirate and funny face.
Comment by catslady — October 25, 2007 @ 11:05 pm
We (I) don’t have the patience for the fancy pumpkins anymore (ever?). My kids helped their half-brother (who was 3) carve one last year, but the 17 year old had more fun than the 13 year old. He was bored after about 5 minutes.
I could really enjoy the artistry behind that last one though! oo la la
Comment by Lynn Matherly — October 25, 2007 @ 11:37 pm