This year instead of carving a ordinary pumpkin I wanted to try something a little different. A couple months back I saw a idea on Pinterest that looked really cool. You take metal cookie cutters and hammer them into a pumpkin to make a Cookie Cutter Jack-O-Lantern. A pretty clever idea if you ask me.
So, when Walmart asked me to share some of my family's pumpkin carving idea's, I knew just what I wanted to do. The kids and I headed to our local Walmart and purchased everything we needed.
When the kids and I were choosing a pumpkins, I was glad to see that Walmart carried locally grown pumpkins. The kids picked out two pretty good sized pumpkins priced at $3.88 each. This is so much cheaper than if we bought them at a Pumpkin Patch.
We grabbed a Pumpkin Carving Kit priced at $5.97 which came with all the tools needed as well as a variety of pumpkin patterns. This project requires metal cookie cutters, so I picked up a Wilton 3 pack of Halloween Cookie Cutters for under $4. I found the cookie cutters in the holiday isle where the party supplies are found. As soon as we got home the kids and I got started.
When the kids and I were choosing a pumpkins, I was glad to see that Walmart carried locally grown pumpkins. The kids picked out two pretty good sized pumpkins priced at $3.88 each. This is so much cheaper than if we bought them at a Pumpkin Patch.
We grabbed a Pumpkin Carving Kit priced at $5.97 which came with all the tools needed as well as a variety of pumpkin patterns. This project requires metal cookie cutters, so I picked up a Wilton 3 pack of Halloween Cookie Cutters for under $4. I found the cookie cutters in the holiday isle where the party supplies are found. As soon as we got home the kids and I got started.
First carefully cut out a circle at the bottom of the pumpkin. Lift out the bottom and using the scraping tool remove all the seeds from the inside. (Save the seeds for roasting or planting). Place a cookie cutter on any part of the pumpkin and tap firmly with a rubber mallet. Keep tapping all around the cookie cutter until half of it has pierced the pumpkin's shell.
Using needle nose pliers remove the cookie cutter. It will take a couple times of pulling and wiggling to get the cookie cutter removed. Using the serrated saw from the pumpkin carving kit, follow the pattern made from the cookie cutter to cut out the image, making sure to cut all the way through. I poked mine up and down all the way around the shape.
From the outside of the pumpkin, push in the pumpkin piece and discard. If the shell is really thick you may need to use a regular hammer to gently hammer the shape through. We chose a pumpkin, cat, skull and cross bones and a fall leaf.
Continue hammering the cookie cutter shapes through the pumpkin until you have the desired amount of shapes.
Place a light inside of the pumpkin and display at dark. If you have some metal cookie cutters collecting dust, it's time to break them out for this fun project.
Yield: 1
Cookie Cutter Jack-O-Lantern
Easy Pumpkin carving with metal cookie cutters! The fun safe way to carve pumpkins when little ones want to help.
Prep time: 30 MinTotal time: 30 Min
Ingredients
- 1 Large Pumpkin
- Assorted Metal Cookie Cutters
- Rubber Mallet
- Needle-nose pliers
- Serrated saw tool & scraper from pumpkin carving kit
- light or candle
Instructions
- To start carefully cut out a circle at the bottom of your pumpkin. Lift out the bottom and using the scraping tool remove the seeds from the inside the pumpkin (Save the seeds for roasting or planting).
- Place a cookie cutter on the pumpkin and tap firmly with a rubber mallet until half of the cookie cutter has pierced the pumpkin's shell.
- Using needle nose pliers remove the cookie cutter. It will take a couple times of pulling to get the cutter out.
- Using the serrated saw from a pumpkin carving kit, follow the pattern made from the cookie cutter to cut out the image, make sure to cut all the way through. I poked mine up and down around the shape.
- From the outside of the pumpkin, push in the pumpkin piece and discard. If the shell is thick you may need to use a regular hammer to gently hammer the piece through.
- Place a light inside your pumpkin and display at dark.
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6 comments
ciao da Ely