Pumpkin Carving with a Disability
Hey everyone! I can't believe it’s already October! Did September fly by for anyone else?! It sure did for me! The exciting part about that means that the holidays and the end of the year are right around the corner! First up, Halloween! I’m ready for some cooler weather, fall colors and pumpkin everything! One of my favorite things about this busy time of year is that there is usually a decent amount of what I like to call a “good busy” mixed in with the chaos-you’re busy because you’re off doing all of the fun seasonal activities, like going to a pumpkin patch, apple orchard, football games etc. This good busy season also brings about the time of year for traditions!
One of my absolute favorite Halloween traditions that I have done with my family for as long as I can remember is carving pumpkins! I absolutely love it, and it’s one of my favorite ways to celebrate Halloween. I love it, but it’s no secret that carving a pumpkin with fine motor challenges is no easy feat! That’s why today’s blog post is all about pumpkin carving hacks! Little things you can do to make pumpkin carving easier so that you can partake in the fun, even if you struggle with fine motor challenges.
Hack #1: Use a Hand Mixer
Use a hand mixer to get the pumpkin guts out of the inside quickly and easily with minimal mess!
If you’ve been keeping up with my blog posts, you know by now that I love to bake! My hand mixer is one of my favorite kitchen tools, and you can use one to easily clean out the insides of a pumpkin! First, you’re going to want to use a kitchen Knife to cut the top off. A medium to longer length blade will be your best bet for this, it’s going to be much more difficult if the blade is too short. I have also heard of going through the bottom of the pumpkin instead of by the stem. I’ve never tried it myself, but I’ve seen it floating around social media that this allows your carved pumpkins to last longer.
Once you get to the inside of the pumpkin, make sure you have it steady on a flat surface. I usually cover my countertop in parchment paper for easy clean up before I start cleaning out the pumpkin. Using the hand mixer go around the insides of the entire pumpkin to loosen up all the “guts”- seeds, strings, and all. This will free them from the sides of the pumpkin, so that all you have to do to clean it out is dump the pumpkin upside down on your parchment paper! No scraping necessary!
Hack #2: Cookie Cutters
Use cookie cutters and a rubber mallet to make the process of carving a breeze!
This second hack makes the carving process a breeze, and has lots of potential for creativity! All you will need are a mallet hammer and metal cookie cutters. Instead of having to carve out a design by hand, you line the cookie cutter up to the pumpkin and lightly tap the hammer against the cookie cutter until it sinks into the pumpkin. Push the inside of the cutter through, and get the pieces out from inside the pumpkin! There you have it! A perfectly carved design in no time! Perfect for people with limited dexterity!
When you use this hack, make sure you are using a metal cookie cutter and a rubber mallet! This ensures that the cookie cutter will hold its shape and not break. You can trace the shape of the cookie cutter around the pumpkin using a marker or a pencil first, or you can free hand it!
Hack #3: Stencil and Pushpins
My final pumpkin carving hack is one that I have done ever since I’ve been able to carve my own pumpkins! This one requires a little bit more control over fine motor skills, but makes it easy to do more intricate pumpkin designs with little to no artistic talent. You will need internet access, a printer, paper, tape, a push pin, and a normal carving knife (this can be the same one you used to cut the top off the pumpkin). Find a printable image online of whatever design you want on your pumpkin. You can search for specific pumpkin carving stencils, or get a little more creative and do sports team logos or cartoon characters. Print your design out, and tape it onto the pumpkin. Now, following the lines of the stencil, use a pushpin to poke little holes in the pumpkin. This part can be time consuming, but it’s worth it for an intricate design! Once you have poked holes in your pumpkin, take the paper stencil off and use the knife to carve along the pushpin holes. The holes allow for the pieces of the pumpkin to come apart way easier!
The end result of a pumpkin carved using the stencil and pushpins hack!
I hope that all of my pumpkin carving hacks make your Halloween a little bit easier this year! Hopefully, you will be able to carve pumpkins with a little less stress and more joy this Halloween! I’ll be back with another blog post soon. Happy Halloween!
