Since I am dressing up as Sailor Moon this year, I wanted to carve a pumpkin to match (just like the time I crafted R2D2 when I dressed as Princess Leia). I found a picture online that I used as a stencil; fyi, it was not the easiest design I had to tweak it a bit and it still needed reinforcement.

Materials you will need:

-Stencil of your choice (don’t be afraid to go out of your comfort zone)

-A pumpkin (got mine from Publix)

-Pumpkin carving tools (I have been using the same ones for years)

-A pencil

-Scissors (to cut around your stencil)

-Tape

-A tablecloth

-A knife (if something stronger is needed to cut the top off)

You don’t need special Sailor Guardian powers to get this done just determination and my tips!

Tips:

-Toothpicks are your friend! Do not be discouraged if you mess up – just pop in a toothpick to hold it in place.

-Cut off the top part in an angle, so when you put the top on it won’t fall in.

-When taping on the stencil, make sure to stretch it out well (even if it means folding bits of it for it to fit).

-You can totally tweak the design for practicality and enforcement.

-Lastly, have fun and don’t take it so seriously! It is supposed to be fun:)

It did not come out exactly how I wanted, but it was definitely fun trying. I am still proud of my commitment to fulfilling this design.