High up in the northern tip of Texas, in the small town of Perryton, is a man who goes by the ghost name of The Pumpkin Gutter. Master pumpkin carver Scott Cummins has been cutting, sawing, chiseling and scraping away the rinds of pumpkins since childhood.
A middle school art teacher by day and three-dimensional pumpkin carver by night, Scott has cleverly crafted some of the most unique pumpkins you’ll ever see on any front porch step at Halloween. His creative gourds of art can be seen on pumpkingutter.com and never cease to amaze children of any age!
You’ll find works of art such as the Mona Lisa pumpkin:
And a few others that simply stun!
There are five fool-proof ways to make sure you have a memorable pumpkin carving experience every Halloween season:
Don’t Limit Yourself…
Scott says he was in a store this month and overheard a conversation between a parent and child. Essentially, the child’s request to buy a pumpkin was turned down because it wasn’t the 31st yet. If you want to have fun with pumpkin carving, get started a little early and buy more than one pumpkin. You’ll give yourself a better chance for success. Some people are still only buying one pumpkin a year.
Carve With Friends…
No brainer. Invite some people over. Chances are, your carving will turn out better than one of your guests’ pumpkins. Now there’s a confidence booster! But seriously, it’s more fun with friends.
Do Some Research…
Draw a sketch, look up some pictures, or brainstorm some creative ideas. Carvings don’t have to be elaborate to be clever and impressive.
The Right Tools…
Have an idea of which tools are best for which kind of carving. Kitchen knives can carve triangle shaped features, but complex stencil work requires tiny saws. If you want to try sculpting, get some ribbon tools like those made for clay work.
Take a Picture, It’ll Last Longer…
In the case of pumpkin carving, this is more true than ever. Get used to the idea that your masterpiece will not last. That doesn’t mean you can’t preserve the memory with a camera!
Good luck and happy carving!
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