Trading tips for gutting, transferring, and carving the real thing.
By midimob
#80526
Hi Guys

Just thought I'd share this with you. I have been printing off Zombie Pumpkin patterns for quite a few years now and only today have I actually looked at the instructions. All this time I have been printing the stencil out, cutting out the shaded areas, sticking this to the pumpkin, drawing around it and then cutting it out. I never thought of doing the pin prick method.

Hopefully after a good summer the UK pumpkins should be bigger than last years offering.

:kiss:

Midimob
#80529
Welcome to the forum, midimob. Hang out here a while, and you're bound to pick up even more time saving tricks.

So are you saying that you cut out the pieces that are shaded grey on the pattern, and stick those to the pumpkin? Seems like it would be tough to line things up and space them out properly! Especially for complicated designs. You must be a patient soul. But with more practical methods, think about how many carvings you can do now!
#80553
Ah, ok. Well that makes more sense. Still probably not the most practical method, but I'm sure it works! I've heard of people carving it that way... or the strange "putting together a puzzle" method I mentioned in my previous post... or cutting right through paper. None of these ways seem too practical, but who am I to argue with a happy carver who has a nice finished product? There are many means to an end.
User avatar
By Raven
#80592
If you think the pin prick method sounds cool, wait till you discover Saral paper, or better yet, the new Stick 'n Carve paper. There is a lot of great information on applying the patterns to pumpkins on the forum. I urge you to look around. And welcome to the forum!
#80653
midimob wrote:
I cut the shaded pieces out, discard them and then stick what's left to the pumpkin. I'm weird, what can I say :D
I guess I'm weird too but that is my preferred method :lol: But experimenting is good.
#83237
I really couldn't get along with saral, the lines that transferred seemed very thick and rubbed off the pumpkin far too easily for my liking, I've ordered some stick n carve though and Ryan's video makes it seem like an excellent solution.. Can't wait to try it out :) in the mean time I use sticker paper and carve directly through. Pin pricking just takes forever..
#88558
I print mine out on carbon paper cut around the pattern to make it easier to tape to the pumpkin then use a ball point pen to trace. It carbon copies onto the pumpkin with little to no rub off.
#90735
I have started printing on light weight paper and gluing to the pumpkin with white school glue. Let it dry for several hours and cut right through the paper. Soak in water and wipe the rest of the paper off.
#92638
BigScience wrote:I have started printing on light weight paper and gluing to the pumpkin with white school glue. Let it dry for several hours and cut right through the paper. Soak in water and wipe the rest of the paper off.
This and the sticker paper sound like pretty awesome methods!
#92647
I save old, light-coloured t-shirts and transfer the patterns on to the material by hand, I end up with a stencil I can re-use and keep for years! Only disadvantage is I had to buy an expanding file to keep all my patterns hehe
#96921
SuperSonic wrote:
BigScience wrote:I have started printing on light weight paper and gluing to the pumpkin with white school glue. Let it dry for several hours and cut right through the paper. Soak in water and wipe the rest of the paper off.
This and the sticker paper sound like pretty awesome methods!
Yup. Both save TONS of time compared to the Poke method. Haven't done that in about 5 years. Allows me to carve 2-3 times the pumpkins.

BTW, I use the same method on Foamies too.
#96973
Can anyone tell me where to get the Saral Paper. I live in Canada but I live in a border town so the USA is just across the bridge. I currently use the poke hole method but as you all know, it isn't exactly time friendly? Any help would be appreciated.
#96975
Scotty wrote:Can anyone tell me where to get the Saral Paper. I live in Canada but I live in a border town so the USA is just across the bridge. I currently use the poke hole method but as you all know, it isn't exactly time friendly? Any help would be appreciated.
Have you tried Amazon?

I used that last time I ordered a few rolls.