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A few weeks ago, I wrote a post for my friend Kat over at the 3 Bedroom Bunglow re-telling the story of last year's Pumpkin Carving Adventure.
I didn't know how we were going to top using the drill to put holes in our pumpkins, but Hubby figured out a way.
Now, Hubby doesn't consider himself much of an artist except it comes to carving Halloween pumpkins. He goes all out with the tools and this year was no exception.
Hubby's check list prior to starting included:
- Pumpkins
- Carving Template
- Tracing Paper (For the template. Poking little guide holes isn't good enough for Hubby anymore. This has become a science.)
- Big, Huge Knife
- Dremel
- Drill
- Pumpkin Gutter
- Shop Vac
Yes, you read those last two correctly. A Shop Vac and a Pumpkin Gutter.
Hopefully, you know what a Shop Vac is.
I suppose a Pumpkin Gutter needs a little explanation.
You see, Hubby doesn't like to carve all the way through the pumpkin because the design eventually sinks into the pumpkin. By just removing the hard orange rind, you get the design, but no sinking. But one problem he's always had is getting the walls of the pumpkin thin enough to make a light show through the "skin".
This year, he got a "Pumpkin Gutter". This tool goes on to the end of your drill and helps thin out the walls of your pumpkin significantly. More so than using that orange scraper do-dad that comes with the pumpkin carving kits.
Since we used a drill last year, just using the new Pumpkin Gutter with the drill was not enough of an improvement over last year.
There had to be another tool we could use to make this experience easier than ever.
Hence, the Shop Vac!
This would suck up all the yick inside the pumpkin. I liked this idea because I didn't have to play the role of yick-scooper-outer.
You know the kids had to get in on all this action.
They're too young to handle the knife or the drill. And heaven forbid they mess up the tracing of the design.
So they were designated the official yick suckers.
Silver Lining:
- We had the most awesome pumpkins!
- I was yick free this year!
11 People Laughed Along With Me, Won't You?:
Those are definitely awesome pumpkins, but the yick sucker is even more awesome! Whoever would have thought that such a tool existed!
The shop vac is sheer brilliance.
Amazing! I loved the photo of plugging the ears and the girls jumping for joy over their pumpkins.
Polly,
those were by far, the coolest pumpkins I ever saw, tell hubby he did better than me, I guess that reciprocating saw wasn't as good an idea as that dremel he used,
BIG HUGS for those LITTLE BALLERINAS too.
They look great! And I did that same thing, making all the little holes with a drill last year (or the year before, can't remember!)
We have never had pumpkins that looked that good. Of course, we have never had a list of pumpkin prepardness items either. I guess we need to read up so we can be ready next year!
The girls are so cute.
Sue
Very nice pumpkins! We went with the classic Two-Triangle-Eyes-And-A-Mouth design ourselves.
It was my daughter's first experience with pumpkin guts. She got one feel in, wrinkled her nose, and pointed at me to do the rest.
Maybe I'll try Shop Vac next year. :)
omg a shop vac? awesomeness.
So now that I've introduced the Shop Vac and the Pumpkin Gutter (plus the whole carving kit of Dremel bits that she forgot to mention), I'm at a bit of a loss on how to continue to take it up a notch next year. This will seriously bother me - anyone have any ideas on how to continue the insanity?
Those pumpkins rock! This year, I used the ice cream scooper to gut the pumpkin and it was so much easier than years past.
Those ballerinas ARE adorable, great action shot too!
I lead a sheltered life... I didn't know they had pumpkin carving kits.
Your jack-o-lanterns are awesome! So are the ballerinas!
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