We've scoured hundreds of websites for Pumpkin Carving Tips and Tricks. Everything from picking a pumpkin to patterns.

Here are the best suggestions we've found...

Picking a Pumpkin:
1. Select an unbruised pumpkin, the size doesn't matter - although bigger is better. Check for discoloration and soft spots.
2. Pumpkins that are flat and don't roll work best.
3. Look for pumpkins with a sturdy stem, this is the sign of a healthy pumpkin. Don't lift the pumpkin by the stem, this can damage the pumpkin and make it age faster.

The Right Tools

You can get pumpkin carving tools at most retail stores like Walmart, Meijer etc. Another good place to look is at the farm market where you may go pick your pumpkins right out of the patch like Fulton Farms! You need special pumpkin saws, drills, pokers, scrapers, knives, exact-o knives, pins or thumb tacs, and tape.
Saws of differing length and teeth spacing determine how well they work for tight areas. Closer teeth and smaller length provide high detail.

The width of a drill determines the size of the hole it makes. Your drill's length should be able to fully penetrate the pumpkin.

Scoops and scrapers are used to make the back wall of the pumpkin smooth. This is where the reflected light will be coming from.

Pokers are used to transfer patterns onto the pumpkin as well as to make very small holes. You can also obtain watermelon carving kits, the tools vary slightly in design, but mostly you'll find scoops and different patterns.

The most important tool is the mini hand held saw.

Preparation
Do not skip this step, no matter how much you are tempted to consider it too basic to read.
Cut off the lid of the pumpkin, angling the edge of the saw or knife. This is the only time you will be making a cone-shaped wedge. You don't want the lid falling in. Keep the pumpkin steady and don't cut your hand, you'll need it later.

Note, not all pumpkins have to have lids. If you intend to have a candle, be sure there is plenty of ventilation for the candle to breath, and consider not putting on the lid (which will scortch). Optionally, cut out the bottom or back (unless you're casting a projection) of the pumpkin to preserve the top.

After gutting the pumpkin of all it's guck and seeds and strings, scrape it with a scraper.

The wall for the front of the pumpkin should be no more than one inch thick. Anything more makes carving difficult. Don't make it too thin, or then thin areas will dry out and get wrinkled.

Preservation

Put the pumpkin in a wash tub of cold water.
If the pumpkin is carved, put the carved part face down. Let the pumpkin float, and let the insides fill with water. The pumpkin will absorb the water and become very firm.

If you have fine detail work to do, you may want to let your pumpkin soak over night. This will firm up the pumpkin flesh and allow you to do intricate carving.

For long term storage, put a thin amount of petroleum jelly on the exposed, sawed edges. This prevents water from getting out. If water gets out, your pumpkin will shrivel. Anytime your pumpkin shrivels, soak it in a bath of cold water for one to eight hours, longer is better. Over night doesn't hurt.

Putting a little unscented Clorox bleach in the water will prevent your pumpkin from prematurely molding by killing off evil pumpkin germs.

Use a plant mister to spray your pumpkin and keep it moist. If you put it in plastic wrap to hold the water in and place it in the refrigerator, not the freezer, you can keep the pumpkin looking good for a long, long time.

Once you remove a wet pumpkin for display, you should immediately dry it off. This prevents mold from hanving a chance to grow.

In bad lighting conditions you can use a poker and poke holes about one eighth of an inch apart along the pattern's design lines. The denser the holes are spaced, the easier it is to trace the pattern. Additionally, your saw will cut easier, just like it is easier to tear a piece of preforated paper.

In superb lighting conditions, like you're sitting under a lamp, it is possible to use a thumb tac, push pin, needle, or pin to make very fine holes. If you use this method, it will be virtually impossible for people to detect how you transfered the pattern up close. You'll need to make a lot of punctures.

Spreading flour, baking soda (not baking powder - it will fizz), corn starch, or ground chalk over the holes will make them stand out.

Don't skimp on the time for transfering the pattern. A little extra work now will pay off greatly later.

Use the poker to mark where larger holes should be drilled.

Don't attempt to go all the way though the pumpkin surface. You are simply making guide lines for sawing later. You are marking the pumpkin skin.

If you have some colored water, like food coloring, you can dip your needle or pin into it, and provide a little additional visual clues for cutting. If you need to, a dull pencil can mark the surface to show which holes should be connected.

As you peel back your pattern, mark with a permanent marker or crayon the dead areas. These will serve as reference points.

Some people advocate tracing the pattern with a pen, but I find this gives your carved pumpkin the appearance of black lip stick. In the dark, and far away, this won't matter as much, but it takes away from the carving's beauty when viewed in a lit area or up close.

Instead, save the pattern and refer to it while carving. If you were careful about peeling it off, you should be able to hold it back up and align your reference points.

A good way to make reference points are to drill any holes first.

Carving Techniques

Hold the pumpkin firmly in your lap. Drill all holes first. Using an exact-o knife, remove any areas of skin where you which to preserve the pumpkin meat. Scrape well behind any areas where you want just mostly pumkin skin.
Then saw.

Do not dig or spin the saws. Not only can this damage a saw, but it is not all that effective.