Chipper Pumpkin Stencil

This happy pumpkin's huge, gap-toothed grin can light up a whole room -- or at least his corner of the porch! To make his face really shine, add a bright LED candle to his interior. We prefer battery-operated candles to traditional ones for two reasons: 1. They glow and flicker just as convincingly as the real deal. 2. They're no-smoke, and therefore, no-fuss.

To carve:

1. Clean your pumpkin by cutting a circle in its bottom (not its top) and pulling out the yucky fibrous innards. Flatten the pulpy surface of the circle by cutting it level with a knife; this will become a candle platform later.

2. Print out the free chipper pumpkin stencil and secure it to the pumpkin's exterior with tape. Score the stencil lines by using a push pin to pierce through the paper into the pumpkin skin underneath; keep pin holes within 1/8" of each other for best results.

3. Take the pattern off the pumpkin, and etch the teeth and pupils by using a sharp crafts knife to shave off slivers of pumpkin skin from those areas. Carve the rest of the pattern by sawing along the pin holes with a sharp, serrated woodcutting knife. (Hint: To prevent breakage, saw slowly and carefully around the etched areas. Take your time!)

4. Remove the cutout sections by pushing them out gently with your fingers from inside the pumpkin. Add a battery-operated candle to the top of your prepared candle platform, and place your chipper carved pumpkin over it.