Your Money MattersConsumer Reports

Actions

Testing hacks supposed to make carving a pumpkin easier: Bull or No Bull? We let you know!

Posted
and last updated

When you type "carved pumpkins" into the search bar and scroll through Google Images, you will see all kinds of amazing examples of Jack-o'-lanterns. So, we decided to test some hacks, most that we found on Buzzfeed, to see if they make the process easier.

Is it a solid hack or is it whack? We will let you know if each one is "Bull or No Bull!"

First up! It shows that it's "easier" to cut the top and part of the back of the pumpkin to scoop everything out. It definitely gives you more room. We're going with NO BULL!

I've heard that using an ice cream scooper would be easier than the shovel-like scooper that comes in a kit. In doing the test, I found that it was great to use the kit scoop to start, and the ice cream scooper second to get all the string guts out. We are going with NO BULL!

On Buzzfeed, they show a cookie cutter and a mallet to create perfect shapes. We held the cookie cutter, hammered it into the pumpkin with the mallet, but the cookie cutter didn't go all the way through and got stuck. We had to take a knife and cut around it like a stencil to get it out. It might be easier and quicker to freehand it. Since it wasn't easier, we are going with BULL!

It's time to sink our teeth in!

Grab a mini pumpkin, cut out a portion deep and wide enough for plastic fangs. Place the fangs in, stick in tacks to be the eyes, and meet our NO-BULL little friend, Vampumpkin!

We saw some other fun hacks using glow-in-the-dark paint, drilling holes in a pumpkin with a light inside to give a sparkly disco effect, and how to turn your pumpkin into a cooler!

Click here for the other hacks!

What other hacks have you seen? Are there any you want us to try? Email us!