Pumpkin Carving - Il Taglio del Jack-o-lantern
Hi everyone! Happy Halloween!
Today we shall see the mother of all Halloween crafts...dadadada!!!! Pumpkin carving! The last time I carved a pumpkin I was probably about 8 years old. My dad helped my sister and me carve out our jack-o-lanterns and mine was not quite what I had envisioned (which I made no attempt to hide), my sister had gotten a head start on her angsty teenage years so all in all the experience was not the success a parent would hope for. Needless to say it was an exercise we did not repeat the next year.
This year my little one is big enough to know what a jack-o-lantern is and make complicated decisions about eye shape, my 6-year-old niece has never carved a pumpkin before so this is really the ideal situation for a jack-o-lantern extravaganza!
You'll need: Vi servirà:
A pumpkin per child Una zucca per ogni bambino
A marker Un pennarello
An x-acto knife Un taglierino
Small sharp cutting knife Un coltellino da cucina affilato
A spoon for scraping Un cucchiaio per grattare via la polpa
First let the children decide what shapes they want for the eyes, nose, and mouth. If you have the time and patience, let them draw the shapes, erase their drawings and redraw them with the correct proportions.
Cut out the top of the pumpkin with the cutting knife.
Remove the guts and seeds, transferring them to a plate or bowl.
Being very careful not to bend the blade, trace the shapes with the x-acto knife.
Use the cutting knife to cut through to the hollow in the pumpkin, cutting along the lines made with the x-acto knife. Push lightly on the other side of the shape when you are done cutting it out. If it moves easily keep pushing it until you can pull it out. If not, cut the shape once more all around to make sure it's all free. If you push too hard on the pumpkin and it's not totally cut out you could break the whole face and then you'll just want to smash it on the floor and throw a toddler-style tantrum.
Cut out all the facial features and replace the top of the pumpkin.
For the full effect drop a tealight candle in the center of your jack-o-lantern and light it with a LONG match. If you don't have a long match you can light the pointy end of a wooden skewer and use that to light the candle. Do not assume that you or the pumpkin are flameproof, and don't underestimate the fire power of a tea light. My daughter is a little too intrigued by fire but still too young to employ the proper methods for fire safety, so we opted to save ourselves the trip to the ER and skip the candle this year.
Ciao a tutti! Buon Halloween!
Today we shall see the mother of all Halloween crafts...dadadada!!!! Pumpkin carving! The last time I carved a pumpkin I was probably about 8 years old. My dad helped my sister and me carve out our jack-o-lanterns and mine was not quite what I had envisioned (which I made no attempt to hide), my sister had gotten a head start on her angsty teenage years so all in all the experience was not the success a parent would hope for. Needless to say it was an exercise we did not repeat the next year.
Oggi vedremo l'attività più Halloween-esco che esiste...dadadada!!!! I Jack-o-lantern! L'ultima volta che ne feci uno avevo circa 8 anni, io e mia sorella li facemmo insieme a mio padre. Il mio non era venuto poi così bene (e le lamentele si sono sprecate) e mia sorella invece aveva già cominciato con il suo atteggiamento da adolescente superiore a queste cose "da bambini". Sicuramente non è stata un'esperienza di gioia paterna. Ovviamente è stata un esperimento che non si è ripetuta nei prossimi anni.
This year my little one is big enough to know what a jack-o-lantern is and make complicated decisions about eye shape, my 6-year-old niece has never carved a pumpkin before so this is really the ideal situation for a jack-o-lantern extravaganza!
Quest'anno la mia piccolina è abbastanza grande da apprezzare il jack-o-lantern e poi è anche abbastanza grande per fare delle scelte complicate sulla forma degli occhi e altri tratti del viso della sua zucca. In più la mia nipotina di 6 anni non aveva mai fatto un jack-o-lantern, quindi quest'anno era l'anno perfetto per farlo!
You'll need: Vi servirà:
A pumpkin per child Una zucca per ogni bambino
A marker Un pennarello
An x-acto knife Un taglierino
Small sharp cutting knife Un coltellino da cucina affilato
A spoon for scraping Un cucchiaio per grattare via la polpa
First let the children decide what shapes they want for the eyes, nose, and mouth. If you have the time and patience, let them draw the shapes, erase their drawings and redraw them with the correct proportions.
Per prima cosa, lasciate che i bimbi decidano quale forma debbano prendere i lineamenti della propria zucca. Se avete pazienza abbastanza, lasciate che siano loro a disegnarli, poi cancellate i lineamenti disegnati da loro e ridisegnateli con delle proporzioni accettabili.
Cut out the top of the pumpkin with the cutting knife.
Remove the guts and seeds, transferring them to a plate or bowl.
Togliete la polpa e i semi, trasferitele in un piatto.
Being very careful not to bend the blade, trace the shapes with the x-acto knife.
Facendo attenzione a non piegare la lama, ritagliate il contorno delle forme dei lineamenti con il taglierino.
Use the cutting knife to cut through to the hollow in the pumpkin, cutting along the lines made with the x-acto knife. Push lightly on the other side of the shape when you are done cutting it out. If it moves easily keep pushing it until you can pull it out. If not, cut the shape once more all around to make sure it's all free. If you push too hard on the pumpkin and it's not totally cut out you could break the whole face and then you'll just want to smash it on the floor and throw a toddler-style tantrum.
Usate il coltellino da cucina per ritagliare le forme fino al centro svuotato, Tagliate lungo i tagli fatti con il taglierino. Spingete leggermente sul retro delle forme, facendo attenzione a non spingere troppo. Se le forme escono facilmente, continuate a spingere piano piano finchè non potete levare la forma completamente dal buco. Se non si dovesse levare facilmente, NON CONTINUATE A SPINGERE, ritagliate di nuovo la forma con il coltellino. Se spingete troppo forte rischiate di rompere la zucca. Se si rompe la faccia del vostro jack-o-lantern, probabilmente non sarete in grado di trattenervi dal tirarlo perterra e buttarvi a terra facendo capricci degni di un lattante (siete stati avvisati).
Cut out all the facial features and replace the top of the pumpkin.
Ritagliate tutti i lineamenti e riponete il gambo della zucca.
For the full effect drop a tealight candle in the center of your jack-o-lantern and light it with a LONG match. If you don't have a long match you can light the pointy end of a wooden skewer and use that to light the candle. Do not assume that you or the pumpkin are flameproof, and don't underestimate the fire power of a tea light. My daughter is a little too intrigued by fire but still too young to employ the proper methods for fire safety, so we opted to save ourselves the trip to the ER and skip the candle this year.
Per un vero jack-o-lantern metteteci una candelina di quelle nel cerchietto di alluminio. Mettetela prima nella zucca e poi accendetela con un fiammifero lungo, se non avete un fiammifero lungo potete usare uno spiedino, accendendolo sulla punta. Non date per scontato che non vi potete bruciare con una candelina piccina piccina perchè non è così. Mia figlia è un po' troppo affascinata dal fuoco ed è troppo piccola per osservare tutte le procedure di sicurezza relative al fuoco, quindi noi abbiamo deciso di risparmiarci il viaggio al pronto soccorso e abbiamo saltato la candelina quest'anno.
BE SAFE AND HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
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