By: Katie Grandin (ArtSci ’14)
Contributor

Halloween is just around the corner, and though most of you are probably recovering from a weekend of dressing up and celebrating, you may also be thinking back to the foundations of Halloween and memories from your childhood. Maybe it’s parading around your neighbourhood trick-or –treating then counting out and dividing up your candy, watching classic Halloween specials like Charlie Brown and the Great Pumpkin, or maybe it’s carving Jack-o’-lanterns with your family. Take a break from your midterms and indulge in your Halloween nostalgia by carving a pumpkin —there’s nothing like the smell of roasting pumpkin seeds!

What you’ll need:
• A pumpkin: You can find them around Kingston at Loblaws, Metro or the Farmer’s Market for a reasonable price.
• Newspaper: Scooping out pumpkin seeds creates an inevitable mess. Choose a space outside, in your kitchen or on a dining room table and lay out newspaper to cover your work space.
• A knife or pumpkin carving knife: Special Pumpkin carving knives are available at Loblaws for only $2, but a regular knife will work as well.
• A spoon to scoop out the seeds and empty your pumpkin.
• A garbage or compost bag: It’s good to have a place to directly place your pumpkin’s innards.
• A pumpkin stencil if you plan on using one.
• A tea candle to light up your finished Jack-o’-lantern.

Tips and Tricks

• When you’re cutting out the pumpkin lid, make sure to cut on a 45° angle to create a ledge so that the lid won’t fall in.
• If you’re unsure of your creative abilities, use a stencil when carving your pumpkin. Check out the links below for some great printable free stencils:
• pumpkinmasters.com
• halloweenpumpkins.be
• celebrate-pumpkins.com
• Save your pumpkin seeds – you can toast them for a great snack!

Toasted Pumpkin Seeds
1. Preheat your oven to 250 F.
2. Rinse and dry the pumpkin seeds.
3. Lay the seeds out on a greased baking sheet.
4. Drizzle olive oil over the seeds and sprinkle with salt or seasonings to your taste.
5. Bake for an hour. Let cool, and enjoy!

Ideas to get you started

The carnivorous pumpkin

Pumpkin Pi

The stem-nosed pumpkin

The monogrammed pumpkin

The superhero pumpkin

The etched pumpkin: How to etch a pumpkin

The character pumpkin

Are you up for the challenge? Take a photo of your masterpiece and email us at journal_blogs@ams.queensu.ca. The winner’s picture will be posted on our Facebook page and get a shout out on Twitter.