Making the Stencil

• 1). Scan or download a picture of Pochacco you would like to use. If you do not have any pictures you wish to use in your home or on your computer, you can find pictures on Sanrio's website or on a variety of Pochacco web shrines. Right-click the image and save it to your computer. Although you can use any picture, it will be simplest to use a picture of Pochacco alone, with no sports equipment or friends.
  
  
• 2). Open the picture in your photo-editing program and erase any material you do not wish to use on your pumpkin. Resize the image so that it is two or three inches shorter than your pumpkin.
  
  
• 3). Invert the colors on the image, turning the white to black and the black to white. If Pochacco is wearing a shirt in the image, color the shirt black and the outline of the shirt white. Print the image.
  
  
• 4). Color over portions of the lines forming Pochacco's outline with the marker. Because white portions of the pattern represent parts that you will cut away and black portions represent parts you will leave whole, you do not want Pochacco's entire body surrounded by white, as this would require him to float. Instead, color over enough of his outline to support him, but not so much that you can no longer see his shape. Color in about one quarter of his outline to make sure he is properly supported.
  
  
• 5). Cut diagonal lines from the corners of the paper toward the center of the pumpkin, making sure not to cut Pochacco himself. The cuts will allow you to lay the pattern flat against the pumpkin.
  
  

Carving the Pumpkin

• 1). Place the pumpkin on a drop cloth or newspaper. Cut a lid away from the top of the pumpkin with the butcher knife, angling the knife slightly inward so the top of the lid is wider than the bottom. This will prevent the lid from falling into the pumpkin. Cut a small notch crossing from the lid to the top of the pumpkin so you will be able to correctly line up the lid.
  
  
• 2). Scoop the seeds and strings from inside the pumpkin with a metal spoon. Scrape away the rind from the bottom of the pumpkin until it is relatively flat. This will allow you to place the candle inside safely.
  
  
• 3). Determine which side of the pumpkin has the fewest scars and blemishes. This will be your carving surface. Scrape away the rind from the interior of the carving surface with the spoon until it is so thin you can see light shining through it.
  
  
• 4). Pin your stencil to the carving surface. Poke holes along the outlines of the white areas with your thin nail, making the holes no more than 1/4-inch apart. Remove the stencil but keep it nearby for reference.
  
  
• 5). Hold the carving saw as you would a pencil. Cut away the parts of the pumpkin that were white on your pattern, using the holes as a guide. Use a gentle sawing motion to prevent the saw from breaking. Cut away small areas first and large areas last to avoid making your pumpkin collapse.