Jack-o-lanterns

[Aidensmom]

Do you have one? How do you light it?

I use a candle, but I know that is dangerous (especially because DH just reminded me it has been burning for 4 hours and I had forgotten about it.).

I have noticed, however, I am the only one on the block that even has one.

 

[Briarmom]

Dh and ds just carved 4. We light ours with a candle as well, but right now we put them in the backyard. We can look at them through the window, and if a teenager smashed one of ds' pumpkins he would be sad. We put them in the front on Halloween, though!

 

[ItsonlyExperiment626]

Kids are craving theirs right now with some friends. We open our pumpkins at the bottom so it's easier to light the candle. All you do is cut open the bottom as you would the top. Cut across the inside part of the bottom part you have just cut out so the candle will rest evenly on it. Put the candle on the bottom, light the candle and put the pumpkin right over the candle.

 

[Pam]

My teens haven't carved theirs yet - will probably do that tomorrow.

We've always used the tea lights in ours. But I'm like you -- I won't leave them unattended when they are burning. (I mean leaving the house, etc.)

 

[#1hockeymom]

We carve 2-4 every year and light them with a candle. I refuse to get one of those plug in pumpkins!

on another note and mentioned all over this board today. I let my kids eat as much as they want that night reminding them they will/can get sick. We do not THROW out candy. They eat sparingly the rest of the week (s). Any unwanted goes into my candy jar at school. If my kids didn't say thankyou when I used to take them around I made them say it *mean mommy* On the same note, I say "you're welcome" to each and every thank you I receive when passing out candy. We get between 300-450 a year so that is a lot of thank yous!

 

[ChrisnSteph]

We use tealight candles. We've always used candles, we just take the tops of the pumpkins off so they don't burn and smoke.

 

[ItsonlyExperiment626]

We must be in the same club. I'm a mean mommy too when it comes to encouraging my kids to have manners and say thank you. I can't count how many times I come across kids with absolutely no manners whatsoever and the parents will just stand there and say nothing. We even get kids here who doesn't even say trick or treat. They just open their bags and expect you to drop candy into it. In those cases, I kindly ask the kids...what do we say??????

 

[CinderellaIam]

When we were kids it was candles. As a parent I have always used a pumkin light. Bought one about 15 years ago in a variety store, it was battery operated and it flickered like a candle. Last year it finally died. This year I found battery operated tea lights (made specifically for pumpins) at JoAnns.

 

[Tasha+Scott]

This is the first year I have ever celebrated Halloween in any way since I was not allowed to celebrate it growing up. Since dd is only about 6 months and too young to trick-or-treat we celebrated Halloween today instead of doing it on Monday. We dressed her up, put out the jack-o-lantern, and let her see her grandparents in her costume.

Other than one other neighbor I believe I am the only one that has a jack-o-lantern on my porch this year. I used a tealight candle and made sure I didn't leave it unattended.

 

[crazee4mickey]

We light all of our pumpkins with Christmas lights.
We do enough to go down our driveway which varies between 10-15 pumpkins. This year we are doing 13! Here are pics from last year, they aren't great but I just got my camera and didn't know how to use it very well!

 

[MinnieM3]

Wow! I'm majorly impressed with those pumpkins! We just did ours tonight! We go for traditional spooky. Put the tea light in. I think we're the only ones on the block, too. Sigh!

 

[mtemm]

you may not be the only ones on the block...we only carve/light ours on halloween, so you may be surprised.

 

[shortbun]

We have three. I use tea candles. We'll light them tonight and tomorrow for trick or treat. Our neighborhood goes all out! Carved pumpkins everywhere!

 

[momof3disneyholics]

We usually carve one, but don't have time this year. We have been going to parties for 3 days straight and we have 2 more days to go, so I bought one of those plug in ones this year. I know it's lame, but we just don't have the time.

 

[Tantor]

We light all of our pumpkins with Christmas lights.
We do enough to go down our driveway which varies between 10-15 pumpkins. This year we are doing 13! Here are pics from last year, they aren't great but I just got my camera and didn't know how to use it very well!

Great idea!!! Those look awesome!

 

[birdiesunshine]

We are carving our pumpkins tonight. We use a tea light in them and keep them inside until halloween night. Halloween night we put them outside on the porch and pray that no little punks take them and smash them.

 

[jekajekalynn]

We carved up one a few nights ago, and we used taplights.

 

[golfgal]

We will carve ours today and we use a votive candle in them, they burn longer. We will only put them out and light them on Halloween. I love the smell of burnt pumpkin!

Crazee4Mickey--do you have any tips on carving pumpkins? I know those patterns are not easy to carve. Do you thin out the back of the pumpkins? How do you get the fine details done?

Oh, and one thing we do is cut the opening in the back of the pumpkin. It is easier to clean out that way.

 

[L107ANGEL]

We are doing ours tonight and we use patterns from pumkin masters. I use real candles and I also put cinnamon on the lid so it smells like pumkin pies. My friend uses glo lights and they look pretty cool as well

 

[crazee4mickey]

We will carve ours today and we use a votive candle in them, they burn longer. We will only put them out and light them on Halloween. I love the smell of burnt pumpkin!

Crazee4Mickey--do you have any tips on carving pumpkins? I know those patterns are not easy to carve. Do you thin out the back of the pumpkins? How do you get the fine details done?

Oh, and one thing we do is cut the opening in the back of the pumpkin. It is easier to clean out that way.

I thin it out at the back but not too much and I have used the "Pumpkin Masters" patterns and tools for years---each pattern has exact instructions on what to cut first...they are amazing! We get tons of compliments every year on the display-its so much fun!