Jack O Lantern – A Little Background
Jack O Lanterns are well known as emblems of Halloween. They originated during druid times when turnips and gourds were fashioned into faces and turned into lanterns to scare away evil spirits. They have since evolved into a tradition that helps make Halloween what it is today. Because Jack O Lanterns are so important for a successful Halloween, we include a variety of pumpkin great carving ideas.
Cool Pumpkin Carving Ideas
Once you have completed your Jack O Lantern, try adding some dry ice to give it this cool pumpkin effect.
Try painting your pumpkin white or black (or any other spooky color) before you begin carving. You can also try to play with the lighting coming from within the pumpkin as well as exterior lighting. The results can be very impressive.
Instead of carving a face, try carving the silhouette of a ghost, witch, a wolf, a zombie or any other spooky Halloween Ghoul. This definitely makes for a cool and more unique ghost pumpkin effect.
Scary Jack O Lanterns
To create a truly terrifying Jack O Lantern, you will need to include a few features. The devilish eyes are key. By slanting the eyes downward from the outside towards the nose, you give the appearance of anger or rage. A large mouth full of spiked teeth is always a good way to go. Also, by curving the mouth into a more twisted smile, the Jack O Lantern will appear devious. Note the way the Jack O Lanterns display these characteristics in the scary pumpkin carving ideas above.
Above you we see more examples of scary pumpkin carving ideas. Note the devious smile in the foreground, and how the downward slanted eyes make the Jack O Lantern appear wicked.
Funny Pumpkin Carving Ideas
To elicit a laugh or two, try exaggerating features of the pumpkins face, such as the big mouth pictured above. Try adding props such as hats, sunglasses, bottles, or other accessories to give it the shock factor.
This pumpkin was carved on its side so that the stem could be used as a nose. The impact is amazing, but remember, once the lights go out, the face won’t be as visible. But this is still a good funny pumpkin idea for the afternoon and early twilight hours.
Easy Pumpkin Carving Ideas
To create a simple Jack O Lantern, you can do something as basic as the image above. Create a simple cantaloupe slice shaped mouth, and circles, crescents, triangles or squares for the eyes.
One of the easiest ways to make a simple pumpkin is by carving out straight lines. Try cutting squares and triangles in a variety of combinations. The technique is straightforward, and the results still look great.
See Our Recommended Beginner Carving Set Below:
