DIY Life

I love everything artist Nikki McClure creates, and her latest pumpkin carving for Sunset Magazine is no exception. She's kindly provided the stencil for those of you who weren't born with Nikki's mad illustrative skills (which is basically everyone, right?). I can't wait to tackle my own Nikki'o'Lantern! Sure beats the usual Martha Stewart pattern...

Here's how to do it!:

1. After downloading, tape the template to a clean, dry, and hollowed-out pumpkin.

2. Using a pushpin, prick closely spaced holes along the outline of the design, making them deep enough to be seen when you remove the template.

3. Remove the template. Following the pinpricks and taking care not to cut all the way through, use a small carving chisel or linoleum cutter to outline the design. With a larger linoleum cutter, remove the rind within the outlines and scrape out some pumpkin flesh (the deeper you go, the more light will shine through). Add texture and dimension by varying the direction and depth of your carving.

4. Light your pumpkin. A votive candle is traditional, but for more illumination, use a battery-powered or outdoor-rated electric light; carve out a hole for the cord if necessary.

That's it --- happy carving, and thanks, Nikki!

It's difficult these days to come up with unique Halloween jack-o-lantern decoration ideas. I mean, there are only so many ways to carve a pumpkin, right? After all, they've been carving pumpkins since before Ichabod Crane had his run-in with the headless horseman on that covered bridge, and that was at least a couple Halloweens ago.

My challenge was to come up with a jack-o-lantern idea that no one had tried yet. While I'm not sure that I accomplished that goal, I have come up with something which is at least...unusual. The amazing puking pumpkin that you are about to witness was actually quite easy to accomplish. In truth, it's more of a rabid pumpkin than it is a puking one, but I still like the way the whole thing worked out.



Continue reading to see how it's done.

Let's say that Halloween crept up on you. You never saw it coming, and suddenly, there it is, staring you right in the face. You haven't purchased any candy, you haven't bought a costume, and worst of all, you haven't carved your pumpkin yet.

DIY Life has the solution for you. It's called speed pumpkin carving and it'll get you out of a Halloween bind every time. Just grab your reciprocating saw from the tool box, strap down that pumpkin, and you can quickly create the next sequel to the latest Hollywood slasher movie series. Watch the video below to see how it's done!

We've already had a few articles about Halloween pumpkins this year, and we'll continue to showcase some enlightening ideas for the coolest Jack O'Lanterns on the block. However, if you plan to carve up a pumpkin or three this October, there's something you need to know.

I live in Ohio, the US's primary producer of the autumnal pumpkin crop. Over the last week or so, the local news has been buzzing: due to a hot, dry summer, this year's pumpkin yield is smaller than it should be, and among those pumpkins making it to the shelves, there are fewer prime specimens than usual. The same news has been common across all the Midwestern US's pumpkin-producing areas. The last year this bad for pumpkins was almost twenty years ago.

What does this mean to you? A relative scarcity! Pumpkin prices are a little bit higher this year, it will be more difficult to find a large pumpkin that isn't obviously misshapen, and sellers expect those to go relatively quickly. The bottom line is that anyone with plans to dress their Halloween manor to impress should try to get their hands on their little orange victims in the very near future.

Ah the Dremel tool, pervasive hobbyist element that does so much. My first college roommate used his Dremel to decorate his dorm room by drilling holes in cinder block and sawing dowel rods. Not really recommended, but it shows you what a Dremel can do! Now's your chance to win one in our 30-day giveaway, Toolstravaganza.

This Dremel rotary tool goes from 5,000 to 25,000 rpm and can be used with all Dremel accessories. Plus, it has a lithium-ion battery for long life and regular use. Set includes a base station and several accessories including: cutters, bristles, cones, polishers, sanders and more. A little bit of everything in a convenient, powerful package.

Leave a comment on this post to enter, and don't forget to validate. Check out our Toolstravaganza page for previous prizes and full rules. Entry period for this prize is from 5AM-11:59PM on July 24. Good luck!