Every year, people are looking for new and interesting ways to carve pumpkins. The primary goal is usually to more accurately reflect the personality of the person who is carving (and displaying) the pumpkins. The secondary goal is usually to ensure that there are no slips ups with the knife.  Here’s a great way to ensure that both goals are met: running pumpkins (don’t worry, they won’t chase you) – using our cookie cutters to create safe, easy, and most importantly, amazing looking pumpkins that are sure to catch the eyes of runners – day and night.

Things you will need:
01. Pumpkins (approximately 6″to 8″ tall (not including the stems) to replicate the look of the finished pumpkins shown here)
02. A safe pumpkin carving tool (There’s no need to use a kitchen knife or something unsafe)
03. Our running cookie cutters
04. A bowl for the pumpkin seeds and guts
05. A hammer (so it’s easier to put the cookie cutters through the pumpkin skin)
06. Candles or LED lights for illumination
07. Toothpicks (for the 13.1 design)

Step one: Cut the top of the pumpkin off in a circular fashion to create a removable “lid.” Set aside, as you’ll obviously need this later.

Step two: Use a spoon to scoop out the inside of the pumpkin. It’s worth the time to make sure all the seeds and strings are removed for the neatest looking pumpkin – and mush safer if you’re going old school and using actual candles inside the pumpkin. Personally, I love the LED lights. They look just like real candles and you can buy them in more than one color for a variety of looks,  but they’re you’re pumpkins, so use whichever makes you happiest.

Step three: Place the cookie cutter of your choice on the pumpkin and gently hit it with the hammer until it breaks through the skin. The key here is “gently”. If you hit the pumpkin too hard, you’ll end up smashing pumpkins (and no, that will not summon the band to visit and give you a private concert, but it will make a mess in your kitchen) and they will look nothing like the pumpkins on this page.

 

*Please note: if making the 13.1 or 26.2 pumpkins, you will need some toothpicks to put the center of the three and the point one (as shown)  – these are designed for cookies, after all. The nice thing is, toothpicks are approximately the same color as the inside of the pumpkins so they won’t stand out much during the day, or at all at night.

Step four: Just like that, you have quick and easy running pumpkins.  Insert your LED light or candle and get ready to wow your friends and neighbors, who will think you’re a master pumpkin carver! (If they find out, blame me, after all, I’m the one who told you about this neat way to make authentic looking running pumpkins.

The perfect Halloween pumpkins for runners.

How gorgeous are these?

Have a happy running Halloween – we even have a great Halloween-themed virtual race, Ghouls on the Run, that you can register for today!

And if you do make some awesome running pumpkins, send them to blog@chalktalksports.com or our Facebook page – you’ll make my day – and you may be featured in a future blog post.

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