How-to: geek up your pumpkin
By Richard Lai 
posted Oct 31st 2009 11:03AM
posted Oct 31st 2009 11:03AM
- Always mark where you're carving first instead of freestyling, especially for the lid. Once the knife's in there's nothing you can do about it.
- Want an accurate carving? Draw or print your pattern on paper first and then stick it on the pumpkin, so that you can use a pin to punch an outline.
- Use a scalpel. Seriously, it's so much better than kitchen knives.
- Be creative: consider using a variety of carving depths instead of just cutting out holes. It's best to start off with the darkest areas so that you know where the threshold is. If it's too shallow you can always scrape the trench.
- Don't use candles -- they don't last and aren't safe for the kids and animals; many LED candles have a convincing flickering glow, so try those. Alternatively, why not convert a cheap solar garden light into a lid for your jack-o'-lantern? Or go Ben-Heck and try the Cylon mod?
- Keep the seeds for roasting -- they make a good snack.
Rotozip pwns scalpel
Apple pumpkin ftw!
and wood carving tools pwn cutting the edges and digging them out with a knife.
Exacto knives are cheap and effective
ShopBot pwns Rotozip.
I know that Phillips sells LED candles with a docking base. I think they're called the LumiLEDs. But good to see Halloween finally going high tech.
I couldn't disagree more. The kids these days aren't going to get to experience the smell of candle and warm pumpkin insides when they walk up to a door. That smell has lingered in my memory for as long as I can remember, it is one of the strongest smells I can identify a certain day with, much like the smell of turkey is synonomous with thanksgiving, and the smell of pine and cinimmon is with Christmas.
By incorporating technology into our pumpkins we are deprieving these children of sensory memories, and I will not take part in it.
I will gladly modernize my life in every way possible, but to deny children of the sights and smells that are holidays, count me out.
Seriously, how else will kids get the joy of burning themselves as they lower a candle into a narrow opening.
What if we use LED candles and synthesize the smell into an aerosol that gets spritzed on the kids when they trip a sensor? Surely that will satisfy your silly human emotions.
I'd use a candle just for authenticity. The whole concept of carving pumpkins is rooted in hundreds of years of tradition, so I'll stick with my decidedly low-tech candle because to me it's more about tradition than pragmatism.
But no, not for the smell.
you forgot the headphones engadget
Scary Looking Pumpkin
Did he not cut all the way through the pumpkin?
Nope, he didn't. Otherwise that "e" wouldn't have worked. It's a great technique for stuff like that and you can also use it to create shades in your designs since light comes through, but not as much as if you've cut all the way in.
It's a very common technique nowadays. I actually did it with my pumpkin last night. However, I wish I had thought of using my exacto knife. Instead, I peeled up the pumpkin skin using a kit you can by at the store and then used this multi-hole poker to scrape layers of pumpkin off. It was a real pain.
You can see my Batman themed pumpkin here: http://jaj43123.deviantart.com/art/I-Am-The-Batman-142035341
Use a dremel with an engraving bit, works wonders, fast and easy, and looks great
That's a VERY cool pumpkin!
Looks great on the pumpkin, but looks even better carved into the center of my forehead ala Charles Manson circa 1970
I have been using dry erase markers to draw a pattern on first, before doing any cutting. Any marks that are left wipe right off. I Also use a dremel and a sort of mini-sawzal like device that I bought at the hardware store for 10 bucks. Nice tohave acombinationof full cuts andvarious depths. I bet the rotozip works nice.
You need a new spacebar
You need a new period key.
I could tell where his sentence ended without seeing a period.
I turned my pumpkin into a remote control iphOne dock. Sick dude!
Oh... I was just thinking someone would come up with an iPhone dock pumpkin...
Love the vampire teeth. Nice touch. :-)
I like that they did that, too. I'm glad others are noticing, lol.
That pumpkin is AWESOME! :D
Good job!
@ Richard Lai
How long have you been with engadget. I remember when you were down here with the common folk or has it always been like this.
Yes, I've always been down here with everyone, and will continue to do so.
I wasn't going to carve pumpkins until I saw this, I'm inspired to make something nerdy out of a pumpkin!
A great way to avoid burning yourself is to cut the bottom of the pumpkin out, then put five or six small holes in the top. This way, the candle sits on the ground, and the heat escapes through the top.
Happy Halloween Engadget! May ghosts haunt the engadget servers....
...but not crash them. I don't have any plans this Halloween.
Happy Halloween everyone.
rotozip is overboard for pumpkin carving, a real man can use the tiny ass carver included with the kits even after it breaks.
Nice job, guys ... like the teeth.
Just wondering why you didn't carve a Gadgie mascot pumpkin as well.
Happy Halloween --- }:^E
Loving the fangs, nice touch!
just don't make it an iJackOLantern. very pricey and doesn't play well with other brands of jackolantern
And doesn't bother playing with girls at all.
so you mean you're not supposed to light the pumpkin on fire?
Is this unibody? Cuz I heard that they're the best!
Mark where you're carving and be creative? Shucks, I never thought of that.
Don't use candles? Nice spirit of Halloween you've got there. I guess Engadget editors are the assholes who give out healthy alternatives to candy.
Speaking of Geeky Halloween pumpkins… http://halloween.cloudapp.net/
use a dremel
Better a ShopBot.
Probably 2 people on this site will get this, but when I read "geek up", this isn't usually what comes to mind..
Usually when I read "geek up", this isn't what I'm thinkin of...
Great lookin pumpkin... great for halloween... with the IT flavor
Like it :) I made a VIA logo pumpkin :P
If you really want to geek out your pumpkins, I've posted an article on carving pumpkins with a laser cutter. http://seattlefoodgeek.com/2009/10/how-to-carve-pumpkins-with-a-laser/
Like the little chub chub arms - nice touch.
I was thinking the same thing! The chunky mitts are what made this article special for me.
How did that baby get hold of a knife?
What I wouldnt give to be that pumpkin... *wink*