The Easiest Way To Carve A Pumpkin, Explained On TikTok
Carving pumpkins is one of the hardest, messiest projects, but not anymore! TikToker Barbara Costello (@brunchwithbabs) shares her grandmother wisdom with carving hacks to save you time and energy.
Posted just in time for Halloween weekend, the self-proclaimed “everyone’s grandmother” skillfully and smartly shared knowledge to ensure “no mess and no fuss” to make your pumpkin last through the season.
Titling the viral video the “Do’s and Don’ts of Pumpkin Carving,” Babs kicks off the video with a hand mixer in tow as it does all the hard work of loosening up all of the pumpkin strings. Next, she tells us to sit and carve the bottom of the pumpkin, which keeps it fresher for longer when the stem is intact.
When it comes to designing your pumpkin, she recommends using a red dry-erase marker so that it is easy to wipe off when you’re done. If you don’t want to struggle using a carving knife, Babs recommends using cookie cutters to cut the shapes out with the help of a soft-headed mallet to push through the tough pumpkin. To further preserve the pumpkin’s freshness, she puts Vaseline over the cut surfaces so it lasts 1-2 weeks. Finally, to have your jack-o-lantern smelling wonderful, she sprinkles cinnamon right on the top of the pumpkin.
Her caption reads: “It is a treasured tradition in our family to carve jack-o-lanterns for Halloween. But with all the yuck and mess, sometimes my kids would quit the project before we even started. Babs’ Do’s and Don’ts for Pumpkin Carving saves the mess and speeds up carving so you can have the perfect jack-o-lantern with no mess and no fuss.”
@brunchwithbabs 🎃Do’s and Don’ts of Pumpkin Carving 🎃It is a treasured tradition in our family to carve jack-o-lanterns for Halloween. But with all the yuck and mess, sometimes my kids would quit the project before we even started. Babs’ Do’s and Don’ts for Pumpkin Carving, saves the mess and speeds up carving so you can have the perfect jack-o-lantern with no mess and no fuss. Happy Halloween 🎃XO Babs 1. Carve from bottom. That way you have the stem to hold onto and you can easily slip the pumpkin right over a candle or flashlight. 2. Hold pumpkin in your lap to carve. You will have a much steadier pumpkin to cut. 3. Use a red dry erase marker to sketch your design. It erases easily and if you miss a spot, it blends in. 4. Use a hand mixer to clean out your pumpkin. 5. Use cookie cutters and a rubber mallet to carve your design. 6. Cover all cut surfaces with Vaseline to keep the pumpkin moist after carving. Pumpkins should last 1-2 weeks carved! 7. Sprinkle some cinnamon on the inside top of your pumpkin for festive pumpkin spice smell when a candle is lit inside the pumpkin. 🎃 #pumpkincarving
♬ original sound - Babs
The TikTok video has received over 24 million views and nearly 4 million likes since it was posted less than a week ago. “My God, Babs, you NEVER fail to impress and teach me something new, and inspiring,” wrote one user in the comments section. Another wrote, “The end shocked me. I have never seen the pumpkin cut from the bottom. Genius.” One TikToker said, “You are the mom I always wanted and never had.”
Happy carving!
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