People of all ages have fun at pumpkin-carving party

By Susan M. Wicker Guerrero

A pumpkin carving party is an event both friends and family members of all ages will enjoy.

There are entire carving kits available for very little money at large retail stores. It’s important to have the right tools with which to carve, so these are good to have on hand.

Next, look for both big and small pumpkins. Farm stands throughout the county have these for sale at this time of year.

A variety of different-sized pumpkins can also be found at discount supermarkets.

At the party venue, cover a table with a large, disposable table cloth to make clean-up easy. (When all the pumpkins are carved, scraps and all leftovers can be piled in the middle of the cloth, folded up and thrown away.)

Have adults do the initial carving to keep little hands safe. First, cut off the tops of each pumpkin.

Clean out the insides

Using a large spoon, or a hand, scoop out all the insides of the pumpkins.  This is the messy part of pumpkin carving. (The pumpkin seeds can be picked out, washed, laid-out on a cookie sheet, sprinkled with oil and salt, and roasted in an oven. They make a tasty treat.)

Once the pumpkins are nice and clean inside, features, such as eyes, noses and mouths can be carved. Most carving kits have patterns that can be used on the pumpkins.

There will be lots of laughter, talking and having fun as participants create their unique pumpkins. Using some of the tools in the kit, the orange “skin” of the pumpkins can be scraped off in places for a different look, too.

Light ‘em up

Have tea and votive candles ready to illuminate the finished beauties.

Then, bring all the pumpkins outside, line them on a table and light them up.

Don’t forget to take lots of photos of all the final specimens and their creators. These will make wonderful memories in years to come.

Serve pizza or just snacks, such as chips and dip or salsa, as well as soft drinks.

Your pumpkin carving “par-tay” is sure to delight everyone who attends.  The resulting pumpkin beauties will add to the Halloween ambiance around your house.

In addition, everyone will be amazed at the pumpkins guests create and design.

Happy pumpkin carving!

Posted by Susan M. Wicker Guerrero on October 25, 2012. Filed under Community Events. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry