Siberian Husky Pumpkin Stencil

If you've never etched a pumpkin before, don't be intimidated! It's really quite a simple process. Just use a gouging tool or electric etcher to remove the pumpkin's top layer, revealing the light-color rind underneath. You may wish to remove all the skin in etched areas, or you could leave a few long strips to mimic fur lines. In some cases (like the circular areas that form this husky's pupils), we left the pumpkin skin intact for extra impact.

To carve:

1. Start by taping your printed pattern to the surface of a hollowed-out pumpkin, smoothing the paper as best you can as you tape it down.

2. Use a poking tool to prick closely spaced holes along the stencil lines, puncturing through the paper into the surface of the pumpkin. Remove the stencil pattern, and keep it nearby.

3. Locate areas on the pattern that are surrounded by dotted lines, and etch those areas by following our tips listed in the photo caption.

4. Locate areas on the pattern that are surrounded by solid lines, and carve those areas with a skinny, serrated linoleum knife. After you've carved the entire pattern, press gently from inside the pumpkin to pop carved sections outward, revealing the design. (Helpful hint: If pieces don't dislodge easily, gently go around the section edges with your knife to ensure they are cut completely free from the pumpkin.)

5. Light your pumpkin with a flameless candle.