How to carve a halloween jack-o-lantern pumpkin

So you are all geared up for halloween? I guarantee it will be fun. It took me 4 hours to carve out my jack-o-lantern pumpkin, make sure you are relaxed with the kids, have some time and lots of cups of tea.

1. Get yourself a pumpkin from a patch or your garden or from your local store. The firmer and fresher, the better. The stem is slightly prickly so be careful. Clean it with a dry cloth and get it ready for working on.

2. Mark out and cut out the top part, preferable in a way that can lock itself when you put the lid back on. In my case I cut a star shape out of it.

3. With a spoon or ice-cream scoop (or any tool you are comfortable with) gently remove all the stuff inside it.

4. People put candies and all sorts of things in the jack-o-lantern so the cleaner and spacious it is, the better. Try not to take off all the flesh from the side you intend to use for the carving, as it can make the pumpkin break during the carving.

5. Get yourself a sketch of what you want to carve. It's always a great idea to have a plan, and not to do it randomly. For younger people trying this, try using a simpler design, and oh... be careful with that knife! As you carve it, continue cleaning with a dry cloth.

6. Ta-daa... all done and dusted. These days there are candles that use batteries, that you can buy and put in your jack-o-lantern. You can also use a real candle, but BE CAREFUL you keep an eye on it and keep it safe. Keep the cover off or slightly opened if you use real fire as it can cook it with time. Your spooky pumpkin is ready to trick or treat!