# Jack-o-lanterns **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 27, 2002, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jack-o-lanterns/134142 "2002-10-27T19:43:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![monica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a183cd/32.png) [@monica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monica)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2002, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jack-o-lanterns/134142/1 "2002-10-27T19:43:05Z")
Halloween is coming up, and that, of course, means jack-o-lanterns. So tell me, what are you planning to do to your jack-o-lantern? My idea is this: I’m going to carve an ugly face, complete with warts, and top it with a paper witch’s hat with a hole in the top. That way, the smoke coming out of the top of the jack-o-lantern will come out of her hat. So tell me, what are you planning? ~ monica 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![rjk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ed655f/32.png) [@rjk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjk)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2002, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jack-o-lanterns/134142/2 "2002-10-28T07:20:23Z")
I’ve got this really ugly orange T-shirt … ---
**Author:** ![istara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e79b87/32.png) [@istara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/istara)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2002, 8:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jack-o-lanterns/134142/3 "2002-10-28T08:37:45Z")
Hmm. Having hideous visions of the paper hat catching fire and burning your whole house down… be careful! Nice idea though. ---
**Author:** ![Urban\_Ranger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Urban\_Ranger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urban_Ranger)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2002, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jack-o-lanterns/134142/4 "2002-10-28T11:56:52Z")
A happy face with a knife through one eye. Wahahahahaha ---
**Author:** ![Tequila\_Mockingbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/41988e/32.png) [@Tequila\_Mockingbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tequila_Mockingbird)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2002, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jack-o-lanterns/134142/5 "2002-10-28T14:32:36Z")
Last night I drew up a pattern to make a Hogwarts crest for our jack-o-lantern. Yes, I am an adult who’s probably a bit too excited about the next Harry Potter movie being released next month. ---
**Author:** ![Anubis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dfb087/32.png) [@Anubis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anubis)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2002, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jack-o-lanterns/134142/6 "2002-10-29T01:46:44Z")
I dunno exactly what yet, but it will involve white face paint and fake blood, along with more than one knife. ---
**Author:** ![racinchikki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@racinchikki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racinchikki)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2002, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jack-o-lanterns/134142/7 "2002-10-29T03:04:37Z")
I carved mine already. You can see it [here](http://image1ex.villagephotos.com/pubimage.asp?id_=868371). The stick in its mouth is to signify that it’s smoking. It’s a used car salesman pumpkin. Imagine it’s wearing plaid pants and red suspenders and a yellow tie. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2002, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jack-o-lanterns/134142/8 "2002-10-29T23:02:43Z")
I’m not doing one this year, but if somebody (at this late date) is still looking for an idea, here’s a description of a previous design I had some luck with in the past. First, when cleaning it out, don’t cut off the top – cut out the back. Make the hole bigger than it would be on top. Add a couple of small chimney holes on top, but otherwise leave it intact. The reason to cut open the back is to give you access to the inside of the front. Rather than cutting all the way through, just dig out the white “meat” down to just shy of the skin. You can stick the plug back into the rear with toothpicks or something. That way, the front of the pumpkin looks unblemished, but when you put a candle in it, your design magically appears, flickering and glowing as though inside the skin. It’s pretty hard to do well (the first time, I made the mistake of cutting out the top as usual, so I was limited in how well I could control my work in the front), but the result is quite worth it. ---
**Author:** ![Fibonacci](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/df788c/32.png) [@Fibonacci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fibonacci)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2002, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jack-o-lanterns/134142/9 "2002-10-30T00:45:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Tequila Mockingbird \* > \*\*Last night I drew up a pattern to make a Hogwarts crest for our jack-o-lantern. Yes, I am an adult who’s probably a bit too excited about the next Harry Potter movie being released next month. \*\* While searching for pumpkin carving stencils for my kids, the best site I came across was [this](http://www.carvingpumpkins.com/patterns.html) which included a Hogwarts stencil in the Kids & Teens section. Lots of really great ones here. I went to a halloween party where someone carved the Bono jack-o-lantern [here](http://www.goateestyle.com/goods/jacko.phtml) which turned out great. ---
**Author:** ![fizgig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f04885/32.png) [@fizgig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fizgig)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2002, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jack-o-lanterns/134142/10 "2002-10-30T04:23:30Z")
I just finished carving [my Roswell pumpking](http://community.webshots.com/photo/53761726/53761792DlMRCK) from [www.jack-o-lantern.com](http://www.jack-o-lantern.com). **Fibonacci** , that’s a great site, now I want to get another pumpkin so I can try my hand at the Edward Scissorhands design! ---
**Author:** ![goateestyle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@goateestyle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/goateestyle)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2002, 8:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jack-o-lanterns/134142/11 "2002-10-30T08:30:55Z")
Hey, this is the guy with the pumpkin patterns at: [http://www.goateestyle.com/goods/jacko.phtml](http://www.goateestyle.com/goods/jacko.phtml) Just wanted to let you know that anyone that carves one of my designs should take a photo and send it in to me. It will become part of this gallery: [http://www.goateestyle.com/photo/pumpkin/](http://www.goateestyle.com/photo/pumpkin/) Everyone that participates gets free stickers from my site, and the best one wins a shirt. Details here: [http://www.goateestyle.com/goods/jackocontest.phtml](http://www.goateestyle.com/goods/jackocontest.phtml) And for those who haven’t carved yet, you can use my tips and instructions: [http://www.goateestyle.com/goods/jackotips.phtml](http://www.goateestyle.com/goods/jackotips.phtml) ---
**Author:** ![MSU\_1978](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac8455/32.png) [@MSU\_1978](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MSU_1978)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2002, 11:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jack-o-lanterns/134142/12 "2002-10-30T11:16:58Z")
We always cut the bottom of the pumpkin and then set the completed pumpkin over the candle. I always save the pumpkin guts and then have then cascading from the jack-o-lantern’s mouth, as if he’s puking his guts out. A knife in the side of the head is a good touch too. ---
**Author:** ![flodnak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/838e76/32.png) [@flodnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flodnak)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2002, 11:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jack-o-lanterns/134142/13 "2002-10-30T11:35:25Z")
I’ve got two pumpkins. I’m, uh, going to carve triangles for eyes and toothy grins where their mouths should be. Are you still allowed to do that?