Make A Hallowe'en JackElophantern
Step 1 - Ingredients & Equipment
A pumpkin any size you prefer. This one is about 8" diameter.
A carrot for the nose / trunk.
Two (2) white radish for tusks.
A knife for cutting and shaping.
A vegetable peeler for cleaning veggies.
Optional; an apple corer for making eyes.
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Step 2 - Basic Prep
Caution: be sure you are old enough to use a sharp kitchen knife and have
permission to do so.
Cut the pumpkin top to make a lid as you would for a jack'o'lantern. Clean out
the seeds from inside the pumpkin.
Clean the dirty outer layer off the carrot and radishes with the peeler.
Make holes for the trunk, tusks, and eyes. You can scroll down to step 4 to
see where they are placed. Yours may vary from this photo.
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Step 3 - Installing the trunk
Estimate where to trim the ends off your carrot and push it through the hole
from inside the pumpkin. If the hole is not large enough, do not
force the carrot or it may split your pumpkin. Adjust the size of the trunk
hole for a nice tight fit so the carrot won't fall out.
In step 4 you can see how the trunk looks.
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Step 4 - Trunk Installed
Your JackElephantern should resemble this photo at this stage in your progress.
Note how the eye holes are round ,,, they were made with the apple corer but
could be done with a knife and made diamond or triangle shaped. It is not
important how they are shaped. Their only job is to let light shine out. |
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Step 5 - Tusks Installed
Now you insert your cleaned white radishes into the tusk holes in the same
manner as you did the carrot trunk ... from the inside and with a tight fit. |
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Step 6 - The Ears
The ears are the most difficult part to do. Three separate photos in steps
6, 7, and 8, show how to make and attach the ears.
You may prefer to use construction paper or cardboard instead of going through
this process but the pumpkin shell ears look most natural.
From the BACK side of the pumpkin, where it will not be noticed, slice
off two pieces about a quarter to half inch think. This makes two oval shapes
which will be the ears. |
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Step 7 - Ear Slots
At the place where you want the ears to be, cut a vertical slot in the side of
the pumpkin.
Trim one side of each ear to make it straight to fit the slot.
Now go to step 8. |
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Step 8 - Installing the Ears
Place an ear in its slot with the pumpkin skin side facing front.
Use two toothpicks as nails. Push them through the ear and into the pumpkin
shell at an angle. These will hold the ears in place. |
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Step 9 - The Finished JackElephantern
Here he is! Isn't he grand? |
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Step 10
And grander still in the dark. Frightening isn't he. |
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