Where can I find some Pumpkin carving patterns?

Pumpkin Carving Patterns Well, I love letting the girls design their perfect triangular eyed and one-tooth mouthed pumpkins but as they get older they're starting to want fancier designs on their Halloween masterpieces. While you can muddle through some of the simpler designs with serrated knives, tablespoons and a small nail, you'll be well served investing in some pumpkin carving tools if you plan on attempting some of the more detailed designs. Pumpkin carving sets are quite easy to find at the right time of year at your local Walmart-type store, home and garden store or even on-line. Materials: * Pumpkin * Printer and paper * Spoon or pumpkin scoop * Small nail or pumpkin poker * Serrated knife or pumpkin saw (the more complicated the pattern, the more you’re going to want a pumpkin saw) Instructions: * Prepare your pumpkin by: o Cut a hole in the top for the lid. Make sure you angle the saw inwards so your lid sits on top of the pumpkin and doesn’t just fall through o Scoop out the seeds and strings with a spoon o Scrape some of the flesh from the inside so your pumpkin is about an inch thick all the way around (or at least wherever you’ll be carving). You can poke a straight pin through it to estimate the thickness * Print out the pattern. There are two types of patterns. Some require you to cut the character out of the pumpkin. Other patterns, like Blue's Clues, use the leftover pumpkin to represent the pattern and you cut out the background to make the character look back lit. Generally speaking, the patterns like Blue's Clues are easier to make because there is less fine cutting. Trim off excess paper *Tape or use pins to affix the pattern to the pumpkin. *If your pumpkin is quite lumpy, dip the paper in water or vegetable oil (the oil will make printer ink run less, but makes the project quite slippery). Smooth the pattern onto the pumpkin, affix with pins or masking tape and let the paper dry. You can also make small cuts in the paper where it bunches so it lies flat on the pumpkin. Add pins or tape to hold * Poke holes through the pattern with a nail, push pin or pumpkin poker. Make the holes about 1/8th inch apart (or even closer for more complicated patterns). This step can take quite awhile so be patient. Just place the pumpkin in your lap and work away at it. * Remove the paper from the pumpkin. Other sources; -------------- This collection of pumpkin carving patterns will help you to design and carve the perfect pumpkin in time for Halloween in New England. Most of these templates for carving a fun or scary pumpkin are free! Kim's Free Pumpkin Carving Patterns Here is a collection of pumpkin carving patterns designed by your Guide. Print these free pumpkin carving patterns and use them to carve or paint a pumpkin this Halloween. Jessa's Jack-o-Lantern Patterns: A Creative Pumpkin Carving Design Collection Hudson Valley artist Jessa Fortin provides Halloween pumpkin carving inspiration with this collection of free Jack-o-Lantern patterns. http://gonewengland.about.com/od/pumpkincarving/Pumpkin_Carving_Patterns.htm Source: http://www.dltk-holidays.com/halloween/mpatterns.htm