Welcome, Coast-to-Coast and Cryptomundo Fans!
Happy Halloween!

WARNING: Chupacabras Sighting in San Diego! El Chupacabras Crypt-O-Lantern (c) 2006 by Rick C. Spears Click on the image to open it in a larger window, or click on the links below to download the .pdf version. Bigfoot Crypt-O-Lantern (c) 2006 by Rick C. Spears Click on the image to open it in a larger window, or click on the links below to download the .pdf version. Nessie Crypt-O-Lantern (c) 2006 by Rick C. Spears Click on the image to open it in a larger window, or click on the links below to download the .pdf version. Alien Crypt-O-Lantern Pattern (c) 2006 by Rick Spears Click on the image to open in a larger window, or click on the links below to download a .pdf of this image.

How to create your very own Crypt-O-Lantern
by Roxyanne Young
Artwork by Rick C. Spears

Materials Needed:

Medium-sized pumpkin
Newspaper
A scraping spoon or scoop
Toothpicks
Pumpkin carving kit, or similiar pokey tools and a carving knife
A printout of your favorite Cryptid from the images below
No-flame light stick or small flashlight, available at discount and drugstores everywhere

Directions:

1. Print out your favorite Cryptid image.
2. Spread out the newspaper and put your pumpkin in the middle of it.
3. Cut out the lid, leaving plenty of room for your hands to get in there and scrape out the innards.
4. Scrape out the innards. Use the scraping tool that came with your pumpkin carving kit, or use a spoon, to scrape the pumpkin guts off the inner sides of the pumpkin. Use your hand to scoop the gobs of gooey pumpkin guts out and put them on the paper. Make sure it's nice and clean inside, with no dangly strands of guts, and save the seeds for toasting.
5. Use toothpicks to tack the Cryptid image to the face of your pumpkin. Use scissors to cut the edges of the paper about a half-inch to an inch in, as needed, and then contour the paper to fit the pumpkin. Wrap it and tack it.
6. Next, use the pokey tool that comes with your pumpkin carving kit, or another toothpick, or any other sharp-ish pointed tool to puncture the paper around the pattern, leaving a trail of small holes outlining your Cryptid on the pumpkin.
7. Remove the pattern, and start carving. Be careful of the skinny, jaggedy parts, and kids, make sure you watch Mom and Dad so they don't hurt themselves with the saw-tooth tool, okay? Tell them to go slow, be safe, and do a good job.
8. For safety, use a no-flame lightstick or a small flashlight to light your Crypt-O-Lantern. You can find these at discount stores and drugstores all over.

Pumpkin Carving Tips:

1. Keep a sinkful of warm, soapy water handy so you can rinse your hands between scoops and carving if you need to. Never try to carve a pumpkin with slippery hands.
2. If you accidentally break off a jagged piece, pull it all the way out, insert a toothpick or two, and then use the toothpicks to anchor it back in at the right spot.
3. As you're carving, take your time and do a really good job. Halloween only comes around once a year, after all, and nobody will ooh and ahhh over a sloppy Crypt-O-Lantern.
4. Wash your carving tools as soon as you're finished with them. 

CLICK THE LINKS BELOW TO DOWNLOAD .PDFS OF THE CRYPT-O-LANTERN PATTERNS

El Chupacabras

Bigfoot

Nessie

Alien

How to Toast Pumpkin Seeds
Recipes from Teachers and Children's Book Authors

"We usually soak the seeds in salt water and then pat dry, sprinkle with salt and a little Lawry's seasoning and bake.  But just so you know--we found that the seeds from acorn squash are even better than pumpkin seeds! Yum!" - from Lisa Rondinelli Albert, author of an upcoming biography of Lois Lowry, from Enslow, 2007.

"We just wash them, spread them single-layered on a jelly roll pan, salt them, and roast at 350 degrees until they're toasty brown, stirring and/or shaking the pan midway through, and re-salting." - From Melva Gloden, High School English Teacher, San Antonio, and her sister, Melanie