Inspiration for Fortnum & Mason’s Pumpkin Carving Competition

From the petite munchkin to the big and bulbous, spooky squash is invading London. Luckily, the pumpkin attack is working to our advantage. With Halloween just around the corner, people are preparing to roll up their sleeves, pick their weapon of choice and slash away at the thick skinned beasts to make some ghoulish decorations. Think you’ve got the best chiselled gourd in town? Then why not enter it into the Fortnum & Mason’s Pumpkin Carving Competition on October 31? With competitions open to children (aged 10 and under) and adults (aged 11 and up), it’s the perfect opportunity to see if your carving skills are up to scratch. The kids’ competition takes place between 3 and 5pm with judging starting at 4pm and the adults take the stage from 6-8pm with judging at 7pm. So get carving and be sure to book a spot for your chance to win prizes and get your creation featured in the Fortnum & Mason window for all to see. Carly-Ann Clements

For more info , see Fortnum & Mason’s Pumpkin Carving Competition.

Need some inspiration? Don’t fear, we’ve put together a list of some of our favourite jack-o-lanterns, along with some hints and tips….

Sometimes, simple is best:

But most of the time, the devil is in the detail:

Quite often literally:

Source: DeviantAR

Being culturally relevant is key:

And retro’s pretty cool too:

Above all creepy is best:

Especially the unsuspectingly creepy:

Source: DeviantART
Or the obviously haunted:

Fangs are good:

You know, something you can really get your teeth into:

Or swallow whole:

So if you use a stencil:

Use brute force…

Or just the force:

 Just remember to think outside the box (or inside the pumpkin):

And don’t worry, failures can happen:

And even though there’s a kids category, we don’t recommend including your child in the display:

Tags: carly-ann clements, fortnum and mason, halloween, halloween 2012, jack-o-lantern, pumpkin carving competition, pumpkins