I have only bought foam pumpkins for the last 3 years. I got tired of seeing something I worked so hard on rot!
I use the little saw blades that come in the pumpkin carving kits and last year they came out with a kit just for the foam pumpkins. I bought it but couldn't tell any difference.
When transferring your pattern, the more holes you poke into the "skin" the better off you are when it comes to actually cutting.
I use the blade with the smallest teeth and I saw up and down with it, moving as fast or slow as need be.
When you start getting to where a lot of the stuff has been cut away the walls get kind of flimsy. At that point, I use one hand to saw and the other to brace the wall so it doesn't break from the movement.
Something I did differently last year was to cut a hole in the bottom of the pumpkin. It was supposed to be for sitting it over a light but it came in very handy for bracing the walls. Always before I would just have to find a cut out big enough to get my fingers or hand in.
It does make a bit of a mess - just have a vaccuum handy when you get finished! Good luck!
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