This method uses a sharp knife!

Only adults or an older child assisted by an adult should use this method.

The traditional method is fast and easy and you can whip out several grinning Jack-O-Lanterns in no time.

Carving pumpkins can be messy. Cover your work surface with some old newspapers. Have a bowl or bucket on hand for the seeds and pulp. Examine each side of the pumpkin and choose where you want your face to be.

You can use a soft lead pencil or a ballpoint pen to inscribe and etch outlines for your eyes, nose and mouth on the pumpkin. Gel pens also work well as you can gently wipe off any stray lines when you are done. China markers (sometimes call grease pencils and found at most hardware stores) work well for larger pumpkins. You can wipe off stray markings with a soft damp cloth just like a gel pen. At the same time you draw your face, you should also draw the outline for the lid. The lid needs to be large enough for your hand to fit inside the pumpkin. A hexagon lid is easier to cut than a circle.

Using a boning or paring knife cut out your lid. Be sure to always cut away from your hand. A narrow bladed knife works best. It is easier to control and gives you more flexibility in cutting your design. You will need to use an up and down sawing motion. Be sure to cut a notch in the lid, so you can easily fit it back on the pumpkin. Also cut the lid at a 45° angle slanting inward, with the top of the lid larger than the bottom, so your lid will snugly fit back on without falling in.

Use a large table spoon or an ice cream scoop to clean out the seeds and stringy material. Our family affectionately refers to this as pumpkin "goop". Scrape the sides, bottom and lid firmly so they are clean. Be sure you have scraped at flat area on the bottom to hold your candle. Save the seeds to toast later.(click here for a recipe)

Carefully cut out the eyes, nose and mouth. You can pop the pieces out from the inside if needed.

Place a tea light or votive candle in a glass holder in the bottom of your pumpkin.

Enjoy!

Tips:

Instead of cutting out a lid, you can cut a hole from the base of your pumpkin. After your pumpkin is carved simply place it over a candle. Another alternative is to cut a trap door in the back of the pumpkin. Remember to slant the cuts inward and to make a notch so you can fit it back in easily.

Use a hole drill bit to cut a hole near the back top to let candle smoke and heat to escape. If you don't have a hole drill, an apple corer will do the trick.

If you accidentally cut too deep through a section, or break a protruding piece like a tooth, all is not lost.

Use a toothpick to hold the two sections together. You may need to break the toothpick in half. Press it into the area where the break occurred, and then press the broken piece onto the toothpick. Voilá!

It is fun to turn a pumpkin on its side and use the stem for a nose. Get creative and use small gourds or pinecones as eyes. Use wheat stems or corn husks for hair. Get really wild and use an ear of Indian Corn placed on its side for a mouth.

Choose a short squatty candle that can't easily tip over. Use a glass votive holder to place the candle in inside the pumpkin. This is safer than a plain votive as it can prevent burns and wax spills.

Use a wand butane lighter, or long fireplace matches to light your candle instead of standard matches, to prevent burns.

For small pumpkins use small tea light candles.

Instead of a candle use a small corded light like the ones used in porcelain Christmas villages. You can usually find these at Target, Walmart and most craft stores. Cut a channel in the base of the pumpkin for the cord to extend through. Be sure the rest of the cord is in an area where folks won't trip on it.

In lieu of a candle or electricity, you can use a battery powered light disc. These are getting to be more popular, are very safe, and can usually be found in the fall seasonal department of your favorite store. Some of them even make spooky sounds and have a strobe light effect.

You can put the base of a electric or battery light in a plastic baggie to keep it from getting slimy.

Your pumpkin doesn't have to be scary, and it doesn't even have to have a face. It is fun to use leaf cookie cutters. Press the cookie cutters partially into the flesh to inscribe the design. Then cut them with a knife.

This makes for a really nice autumn table centerpiece. It is fun to do this same idea with various shapes of daisy or star cookie cutters. If you don't have cookie cutters, just draw your own design, or gather fall leaves in your yard and trace them.

For a finishing touch cut the lid in a scalloped pattern.

Use a drill and a medium sized drill bit to make random holes all over your pumpkin. Place a string of twinkle lights inside and poke the individual bulbs through the holes. You can make a groove in the back to accommodate the cord. Be sure to count how many twinkle lights you have so you don't make to many holes. Don't be afraid to try colored lights. Red and green make really fun focal points.

If your pumpkin doesn't sit flat, prop it level with a shingle or a folded piece of cardboard. For safety if it doesn't feel stable, use duct tape to adhere the cardboard or shingle to the base of your pumpkin.

For a pleasing aroma sprinkle some cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice on the inside of the lid of your pumpkin. The heat from the candle will activate the smell and send it wafting through the air.

Above all, have fun and. . . be safe!