Pumpkin carving party

What it is

A relaxed autumn get-together where everyone carves or decorates a pumpkin. It suits all ages: little ones paint or use stickers, older kids and adults carve. When it gets dark, all the pumpkins are lit for a glowing display and a vote.

Plan ahead

• One week before: buy or pick pumpkins - one per guest and a few spares. Choose ones with a flat base and firm stalk.
• A few days before: buy carving kits (they have safer, serrated tools), stencils, LED tea lights and paint.
• The day before: make the soup and roast the seeds from a test pumpkin.

Set the scene

Cover outdoor tables with newspaper or plastic. Put hay bales or blankets for seating, and string orange lights. Set out bowls for the pumpkin innards and a bin bag at each table.

How to carve

1. Cut the lid: cut a circle around the stalk at an angle, so the lid doesn’t fall in.
2. Scoop: scrape out the seeds and stringy bits with a big spoon until the walls are about 2-3cm thick.
3. Draw: draw the design with a washable marker, or tape a stencil on and prick through the lines with a pin.
4. Carve: use a small serrated saw in a gentle up-and-down motion. Push out the pieces from inside.
5. Light: use an LED tea light (safer than candles, and won’t cook the pumpkin).

For small children: paint faces with acrylic paint, or push in cloves, buttons and stickers.

Food and drink

• Pumpkin soup in bread rolls hollowed out as bowls
• Roasted pumpkin seeds: rinse, dry, toss with oil and salt, bake at 180°C for 15-20 minutes
• Toffee apples or caramel apple slices
• Hot chocolate and mulled apple juice

Tips

• Knives are adults-only. Give kids scoops and safety saws.
• Rub petroleum jelly on the cut edges to stop the pumpkin drying out.