Have you ever seen some of the faces people carve into pumpkins for Halloween? Some of them are frightening and disturbing even to grownups! Image the horror some young children experience when they see the gruesome, glowing jack-o-lanterns of tradition. This year, do something a little different. Make cartoon character jack-o-lanterns that young kids will absolutely love. Theyre very easy to make, and once you try it, the project will likely become a Halloween tradition.
You dont have to be a master carver to create fabulous jack-o-lanterns that are fun and silly. You can draw images onto the pumpkin, then cut them out, or you can use patterns to make the perfect cartoon character pumpkin for your kids. Its helpful to have a picture of the character to use as reference when drawing it. It can be a little more difficult -and expensive - to find stencils which will give you the large cartoon character shapes.
Another way to easily transfer a cartoon design to the pumpkin is to simply use a coloring book page. If you have a piece of transfer paper that will help considerably. Tape the transfer paper, then the coloring book page, to the pumpkin. Trace over each and every line to transfer the image to the pumpkin. Remove the papers and you have your pattern for cutting. If the coloring book page is too small, or too large for the pumpkin, use your home computer print shop to adjust the design to the proper size needed. A partial list of the intriguing designs you can make for kids include Dora, Tinkerbell, Tigger, Eeyore, Casper, Spongebob and Scooby-Doo. Children will absolutely love the unique jack-o-lanterns which can be used indoors or out. Set the finished jack-o-lantern on porches, mantles, goodies tables and other areas of the home. To create the unique jack-o-lanterns simply transfer the pattern onto the pumpkin the carve with tools you normally use. Sharp knives, ice picks, hammered nails and similar techniques will make it easy for you to create the main design. Embellishments for the main design, like stars in the "sky" or grass nearby, can be carved to enhance the main image. As with any Halloween pumpkin, you can carve out the inside, create the design that you carve, then place a candle or light inside. With these unique childrens designs the glowing image will be that of a friendly cartoon rather than a menacing ghoul. Create something completely different, using the coloring book page, by using a hammer and nails to make the entire design. Tape the desired image onto the pumpkin then use a hammer to poke holes in the pumpkin with a nail. Space the nails so that they are evenly apart. Its helpful to draw dots on the outline of the paper image so that you will know where to position each and every nail. The finished nail hole images are beautiful when lit. Kids can make easy cartoon character pumpkins without even damaging the pumpkin at all. The images can be transferred, using transfer paper, or you can try a different technique. Use paints that dispense from a bottle, such as fabric paints, to make outline the image on the coloring book page. Work fast so the paint doesnt have time to dry. Immediately turn the page over and push it, gently, up against the pumpkin. The image will transfer onto the pumpkin with ease. If you need to, go back and touch up any missing sections of outline by dispensing the tube paints directly onto the pumpkin. Use paint markers to color in the center of the images or just leave the designs in outline form. There are many different embellishments you an use to make the pumpkin even more spectacular. Use paint markers to add clothing, hair color or other accents to the design. Glue on fake jewels, buttons, sequin, pom-poms or any number of other craft supplies. This is an easy way that kids can help create Halloween decorations without the use of knives. This year, dont be known for having the most frightening of jack-o-lanterns; have everyone talking about the unique cartoon character designs you and your family have created. Everyone will want t
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