If you want, you can use a stencil to create a wicked jack-o-lantern and be the envy of all your neighbors. There are a lot of free ones online you can download and print out, or you can create your own outline and print it out. If you're only cutting halfway through the pumpkin shell, you don't have to worry about islands in your stencil.
After you've cut out the lid of the pumpkin and removed all of the insides, you're ready to apply your design. Make sure to wash off the outside of the pumpkin. Instead of using acetate and cardboard, you can simply tape your outline paper to the smoothest side of the pumpkin. You might need to cut some slits so it will lay flat. Using a pushpin, poke holes along the lines until you've poked the entire design into the pumpkin. Another option is to use transfer paper or carbon copy paper under your outline and trace it with a pen or pencil.
Using a carving saw, cut along the lines on the pumpkin. If you can't see your poke holes, make sure you're working under bright enough light, or try rubbing flour on the outside of the pumpkin. Just like cutting a stencil, you should start by carving the smallest pieces first and save the
largest areas for last. Removing large areas will make your surface
unstable. Since we are working with a pumpkin, you should leave the pieces you've cut out in place until you are complete.
If you accidentally break off a part of the design you can't tape it like a stencil, but you can try using a toothpick
or glue to attach it. When you're all done, rinse the pumpkin in the sink or hose it off. This thing needs to stay moist if it's going to last. Another thing to do is to apply vaseline to the edges that you cut. This will seal in moisture so your design doesn't shrivel up in a day or two. You can also keep it in the fridge if you have room, or cover it with a towel or plastic wrap to keep it moist. If it dries out, you can soak it in a bucket and it will come back to it's original shape. Eventually, your pumpkin is going to get moldy and need to be thrown away. Spraying the inside with a 50/50 mix of water and bleach will help keep mold from forming.
