Mr. Handyman Shares Tips for Pumpkin Carving with Power Tools

ANN ARBOR, Mich., Oct. 10, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Want to use items you may already have to save time and effort on your Halloween pumpkins? Mr. Handyman, a national home repair and maintenance franchise, has perfected pumpkin carving using power tools. Power tools are sturdier than pre-packaged carving kits, and help you achieve better results. Mr. Handyman shares five tips to make your pumpkins front porch worthy this year:

• Cut off the Top: To remove the top of your pumpkin, use a jigsaw blade at a 45 degree angle around the top to remove the lid. Watch how quick and easy it is to open the pumpkin.
• Gut the Pumpkin: Purchase a pumpkin gutter tool for around $10 and save 20 minutes compared to scraping the insides with a spoon. Simply insert the pumpkin gutter into your drill, tighten, and quickly clean the insides without damaging the seeds.
• Drill Perfectly Circular Eyes: Use a ruler and mark two evenly spaced places for the eyes. Then, insert coring bits into the drill and to easily cut perfect holes for the eyes.
• Chip Away Pumpkin "Skin": One of the biggest trends in pumpkin carving is chipping away the "skin" or outermost layer of the pumpkin. To get this look, download one of our pumpkin carving templates, outline your design on the pumpkin using a pen or thumb tacks. Next, place the tip of a woodworking chisel underneath the skin and push away from the outside edge of your design.
• Create Mini Pumpkin Bats: Spray cardboard and mini pumpkins with black spray paint. Cut the cardboard into wing shapes, take a chisel to cut slips on the sides of the mini pumpkins, and insert the wings. Drill holes in the pumpkins and insert small bolts for eyes. You can insert an eye screw on the top so you can hang a dozen of these around your front door using fishing line.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20131010/DE95864-INFO )

For more detailed instructions and to print free, pumpkin carving templates, visit:  http://www.mrhandyman.com  

About Mr. Handyman

Mr. Handyman is part of a network of independently owned and operated franchises with nearly 200 units in North America that provide commercial and residential property repair, maintenance, improvement and remodeling services. Founded in March 2000, Mr. Handyman is a member of Service Brands International, a group of service companies that provide a variety of time-saving services ideally suited for today's active consumer.

SOURCE Mr. Handyman