Keep jack-o’-lanterns smiling longer with simple tips
From Home & Garden Television, here are some tips for carving pumpkins.
* Before carving a face on a pumpkin, draw your design on a sheet of paper and tape it to the pumpkin. Follow along the template design with a nail or pin and punch holes in the pumpkin, scoring the design into the pumpkin.
* When cutting the hole for the top of a pumpkin, leave one square notch in the back so it can be easily placed back on the pumpkin.
* Prevent your pumpkin from becoming soggy and burnt by drilling a vent hole in the jack-o’-lantern’s lid to allow heat from the candle to escape.
* After carving, coat the cut edges with petroleum jelly. This will slow the pumpkin’s dehydration process and keep the jack-o’-lantern smiling longer.