Creative Ways to Light a Jack O'Lantern

[Pumpkin_Man]

Hi Fokls:

I am mainly a traditonalist, and I almost allways use candles to light my jack o'lanterns, but lately I have not been doing that exclusively. I found this light in the drug store that contains multi colored LEDs, which change the color of the light from red, blue, green and yellow. Last yar I placed that in my out side jack o'lantern, and I got RAVE REVIEWS from the TOTers. Later that evening, I saw a jack o'lantern in the window of a cop's house. He has of those old "Kojak" flashing red police lights with the magnetic base that you place on top of a regular car. Anyway, he had that inside a jack o'lantern and it was really cool. I have also seen stobe lights used, and one guy a few years ago used a small black light, after spray painting the inside of his jack o'lantern with paint that's sensitive to ultraviolet light. I've also seen Christmas tree blinking lights used inside the jack o'lantern, and the yellow or orange ones placed right in the eyes.

One of the more creative applicatiions I've seen was a guy who cut a pumpkin in half, carved a face in each half and placed it over his two porch lights, one on each side of his front door.

How about you guys? I know that candles are tradiitonal, and I will be using candles in most of my jack o'lanterns, but have you seen any really cool alternatives to lighting jack o'lanterns?

Mike

[TheHallow1]

Like you, I too am a traditionalist and I usually carve the classic Jack-O-Lantern: Triangle eyes and nose with a crooked-toothed grin, and then light it up with a single candle but I've always wanted to douse a Jack-O-Lantern with a long-burning flammable liquid and set the whole thing ablaze (or at least the inside so the flames pour out of the pumpkin's eyes, nose, and mouth) I figure it'd look pretty sweet.

[iHaunt]

I love old fashioned JOL, but I still do like to carve such skull, grim reaper, large spider with web, haunted house with big full moon and more!

[MacPhantom]

I've got a book called "Extreme Pumpkins" or something like that, and the guy uses road flares. There wasn't much left of the pumpkin at the end of the night, but it looked pretty cool.

[Pumpkin_Man]

I actualy did that, Hallow1, at a Halloween bonfire a few years back, but the pumpkin didn't hold up. It "melted" before the flames could shoot out of the eyes, nose and mouth.

MacPhantom, I love the road flare idea, and I bet with a large enough pumpkin that might work. I did actualy use a sparkler once in my outside pumpkin.

iHaunt, I am also a huge fan of the traditional jack o'lantern, but I have seen some wonderful art work done with pumpkins. It was really too bad the pumpkin couldn't be saved or preserved in some way.

Mike

[iHaunt]

I always carve the pumpkins after the 25th of October because I don't want all pumpkins go bad and smelly. I know after the first day of November all pumpkins will smell bad and rotten, with some molds. I have to throw them away in the trash.

[Pumpkin_Man]

I've already had to throw one away, and will be throging another away tonight, but at least I had a jack o'lantern to light. They usualy last about a week and a half before mold starts to grow on them and the get soft and smelly.

Mike

[writerpatrick]

I tend to carve mine either the day of Halloween or sometimes the day before. The problem I have with even one day early is that the pumpkins dry out and shrink distorting many of the details. Last year (the pumpkin I currently have for my avatar) I spread the carving over two days. I did the main carving one day then the finishing carving the next day. This year I'll probably do it all on Halloween. The only problem is that it takes a lot of time that I could be using for other decorating.

I've used a flasher in a pumpkin before but I tend to prefer candles. If you are using a battery operated light make sure you have extra batteries on hand or at least a candle you can replace it with.

I did have the idea of using two candles and lining them up so that the flames shine through the eyes. That would look neat, although as the candles burn down the effect would diminish.

[Pumpkin_Man]

LED light sources are very easy on battery power and give off a briliant light. I was using this really cool light that changes color, and it really looks neat in a jack o'lantern. I used it outside for all the TOT ers, and they really got a bang out of it.

Mike

[NeverMore]

.
I'm thinking there has to be something that can be done with these types of lights. Either for
lighting up pumpkins or some kind of spooky light show. I tried finding them last year but no
joy.





Here they are in action... http://www.deepdarc.com/2010/11/27/hack ... as-lights/

[witchy]

I have some of those for my house, I use them around Christmas, I would have never thought to use them for Halloween, cool idea!!

[Pumpkin56]

Has anyone ever found a red pumpkin light? I have a small pumpkin with a vampire on it and I think it would look best with a red light. I've yet to find one though and I really hate the idea of having to make one--I've already got too many projects as it is.

[jadewik]

Pumpkin56, you might try using a regular white light, but taping red tissue paper on the inside. I did this with a couple funkins I carved. It's not exactly red-- but it's a bit closer. I do have a photo of them lit, but it's not uploaded. (I'm at work right now.)

[Pumpkin56]

That is a very interesting idea. I may have to try that when I get home. Thanks!

[jadewik]

Here is the photo of those funkins all lit up.