Okay, so it's no secret that I had a baby, which apparently makes you go crazy and do all these cutesy things you normally wouldn't do. I haven't carved a pumpkin in years, but I REQUIRED that our little guy have his own pumpkin for Halloween. When it was pointed out to me that he would not remember one way or the other whether he had a pumpkin on his first Halloween, I had the idea to set up a photo op that would last much longer.

I found a spooky font on my computer and used these instructions to chisel the letters into the surface of the flesh (way easier than cutting them out entirely). Carving in front of the TV was relaxing and quite fun; the biggest challenge was getting a squirmy 8-month-old to sit still for the photo shoot!

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1 The finished product with YodaJack... click through for my process.

2 I separated the letters to make them easier to arrange and tape to the curved pumpkin. Carbon paper behind the paper helped me transfer the design.

3 I borrowed all these carving tools from our department over the weekend, not knowing which I'd need.

4 Turns out I only needed a linoleum cutter, a scoop, and a scraper, plus a sharp kitchen knife. See marthastewart.com for where to find pumpkin-carving tools.

5 Expresses how I felt at the beginning - notice where my hand slipped on the "K" - but then I got the hang of it

6 My husband photographs my progress ... carving with the linoleum cutter is easy if you do many small cuts and take your time.

7 Finished! Lit with a string of cool LED Christmas lights. What's next? Should I mold "Jack's First Thanksgiving" out of mashed potatoes?

*disclaimer: After forcing Jack into the Jack-in-the-Box and Baby Sushi handmade costumes already this October, I allowed my husband to BUY him a much-coveted Yoda costume.  Only fair. (Poor, patient Jack.)

Now I'm looking for craft/photo ideas for Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas and New Year's. Let me know if you have any suggestions!

Tags: baby, Halloween, holiday, photography, pumpkin carving, pumpkins
Posted by Kirsten Earl on November 1, 2011 in Make It, Photo Galleries