Practice Makes Perfect

Halloween is just around the corner. That means it's time to start thinking about this year's jack-o'-lantern design. Nowadays, it's possible to buy a kit or download stencils to help you produce some truly amazing jack-o'-lanterns. But that can take the fun out of what should be a creative endeavor. But doing it on your own might mean relying on skills you seldom use: coming up with an idea that can fit on a pumpkin; making sure it's something you can actually execute with the skills and steadiness of hand that you possess; carrying out the carving while avoiding a trip to the emergency room.

Here's a site that will help you at least lay out a design and see what it looks like, complete with a flickering candle inside. You'll still need to work on your steadiness-of-hand with a knife on your own, maybe using a practice pumpkin. With a bit of practice, you'll be able to scare your neighbors out of their wits. Who knows? If you keep at it, you might work your way up being able to carve this year's Googlie!