It’s the season for colorful leaves, cooler weather, costumes, and of course, carving pumpkins. And what better way to combine your autumn spirit with your military pride than to carve a military-themed design in a pumpkin?
If you’re not sure how to go about this, let Military Spouse Central help. Our Veterans United crew crafted some military-themed pumpkins, and we included the free pumpkin stencils to get you started!
These templates are easy to follow and we thought they turned out great.
Pumpkin carving tips and techniques
- Choose a larger pumpkin. The bigger the surface, the easier it will be to carve a design.
- Cut the top of the pumpkin off at a 45-degree angle so the lid will not fall through.
- Try to carve the inside of the pumpkin out so that the outer wall is about one inch thick.
- Draw a design or download one of the free pumpkin stencils we provided.
- Use some tape to secure the stencil to your pumpkin.
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Tracing the design with small poked holes gives you a great outline for carving your pumpkin.
With the design or stencil taped to the pumpkin, trace the design with a pen, pressing into the gourd to make an indentation in its skin that you can follow with a carving knife. You can also trace the template by poking holes along the design.
- If you don’t have a carving knife, use a long, serrated knife. (You can also get complete pumpkin tool sets like the one we used at Walmart for $4 to $7.)
- Carve slowly and away from yourself to ensure safety.
- To preserve your pumpkin for a longer period of time, spray the cut edges with a solution of water and bleach (1 part bleach to 8 parts water).
- Most importantly, have fun!
Free Pumpkin Stencils: Military Themed Design
American Flag and Soldier Pumpkin Template
Wounded Warrior Project Pumpkin Template
We included templates for pumpkins for the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force and Coast Guard.
Patriotic pumpkins are a great way of supporting the service member in your life.
We’d love to hear how your pumpkins turn out as well! Send us a picture at amay@vu.com.