Learn Halloween Pumpkin Carving from Jokingaround.co.uk

You need: 1 short, sharp knife for cutting 1 dessert spoon for scooping out 1 teaspoon to scoop out the awkward little bits (please rinse after use as pumpkin tea has not taken off in the UK just yet) 1 candle, tea-light or a small cycle lamp for those windy evenings. Plenty of newspaper to protect work surface or husbands old cardigan you have been dying to get rid of for years as even the dog will not entertain sleeping on it. Large bowl for pumpkin seeds and flesh or grandparents old hat for similar reasons to above. Please remember the golden rule of always cut away from your self, this way if the knife suddenly slips you will not end up with a nasty flesh wound, if you prefer the painless way to a flesh wound and would like to skip the agonising wait in your local A+E department then simply apply one of our authentic looking fake wounds If you don't fancy breaking one of your witch nails then apply a little lung power instead to one of our Halloween inflatables

Step One: Cut a circular hole around the stalk.

Tilt the point of the knife into the centre of the pumpkin. This will stop the lid from falling in.

Step Two: Scoop out the seeds and any loose flesh using the dessertspoon and the knife if needed.

Step Three: Sketch the face onto your pumpkin. Use a biro so any mistakes can be scrubbed off with a scouring pad or fingernail.

Step Four: Carefully cut out the features. Take small cuts and use a puncturing motion rather than a slicing one.

Step Five: Gently scrape away the flesh on the inside of the face until it is only 1cm thick.

Step Six: Using the knife, mark a circle the size of your candle or tea-light in the centre of the base.

Step Seven: Carefully hollow out the marked area with the teaspoon.

Step Eight: Place your candle in the hollow, light it and replace the lid of your pumpkin.