Pumpkin Pomp

Only 4 more days!! Are you carving your pumpkins this weekend? Today, I have a jack o' lantern inspiration board full of some interesting pumpkin carving alternatives to the classic triangle eyes and zig-zag mouth. While searching for images, I learned something new at Zombie Pumpkins;

"A quick rinse in the sink will give your finished pumpkin a hydration head start. To keep the design from shriveling, you can  coat the cut edges with petroleum jelly (like Vaseline) to seal in the pumpkin's moisture. When not on display, store your pumpkin in a cool place. You can also cover the pumpkin with plastic wrap, to keep it from drying out. If your design does start to shrivel, a soak in water for a few hours can bring it back to life." 

Another tip I found was to sprinkle the inside of your pumpkin lid with ground cinnamon, nutmeg or cloves for a festive scent.

There are hundreds of free pumpkin carving templates around the web, but I've included a few here anyway. Happy carving!

http://www.thebestkidsbooksite.com/halloweenpumpkins.cfm

http://www.ehow.com/halloween/templates.html

http://www.marthastewart.com/halloween-pumpkin-templates

http://www.bhg.com/halloween/pumpkin-carving/printable-pumpkin-stencils/ 

http://www.cyberhaunt.com/site/fun/carving/index.html