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šŸŽƒ Satisfy your carvings, Miami

Have you started carving pumpkins yet? (Donā€™t worry, neither has The New Tropic. šŸŽƒ)

Itā€™s getting scarily closer to Halloween, and weā€™ve got a few Miami-themed jack-oā€™-lantern patterns waiting for you down below ā€” we’re especially excited about the one depicting Miami music legend and Bermuda Triangle Family figurehead Otto Von Schirach.šŸ˜‰šŸ”»šŸ˜‰

If you make one of these creations (or your own Miami-themed pumpkin), we want to see it! Tag us on Instagram or Twitter at @thenewtropic or email us so we can share your creations.

Before you start carving, here are a few tips and tricks courtesy of our pals at our sister publication in Pittsburgh, The Incline:

1. Pick the best in the patch. To be clear, this doesn’t necessarily require a super-sized specimen. Look for a flat side to facilitate ease of carving.Ā Hereā€™s a list of pumpkin patches in and around South Florida.

2. Scoop the goop. While youā€™re cleaning out the inside of the pumpkin, give an extra scrape to the wall youā€™ll be carving. Be careful not to scoop too deep, lest you risk breaking the pumpkin.

3. Make a design plan. As the old adage states, ā€œmeasure twice, cut once,ā€ and it applies to jack-oā€™-lantern design, too. For the easier patterns, print them out, tape them onto the pumpkin and then use something sharp to poke holes through the paper. When youā€™re done, youā€™ll have a good roadmap for slicing your design. For the harder ones, consider cutting the design out with an X-Acto knife, taping the white sections to the pumpkin, then tracing onto the pumpkin with a marker. It’s very important to note that these illustrations are designed to cut out the black space; imagine those areas aglow with candlelight.

4. Find the right tools. The carving kits you can find at the grocery store actually work pretty well. A paring knife will get some broader patterns done, while the thin little saws maneuver around tight corners. And be careful, obviously.

5. Do the hard part first. Itā€™s good life advice and great jack-oā€™-lantern advice. Begin with the smallest, most intricate areas while you still have a lot of pumpkin to work with. Itā€™s tough to cut out a detailed section if your canvas is already flimsy.

And hereā€™s the biggest pro-tip:Ā If carving a pumpkin sounds exhausting (it always infuriates me), then try just drawing and painting on the pumpkin. It still makes for a fun activity at home with friends or family.

Alright, now get out your carving tools, scoop the guts and goop, and make your jack-oā€™-lantern glow.

To use these patterns, simply right-click on the image, select ā€œsave as,ā€ and file it on your computer. Resize the image if you need to, print it out, and youā€™re good to go. Remember that these are designed for you to cut out the black parts. Happy hauntings!