Before you begin, you want to prepare your work area. If you are doing it indoors, you might want to spread out pages of newspaper, a table cloth, or even a small tarp. Of course, you can always do this outdoors where the unused portions can be swept up or hosed off.

Now you need to decide whether you'd like to light your pumpkin up with a candle of some sort of electric bulb. Based on your decision, you will either cut off the top of the pumpkin (better heat ventilation for a candle), or the bottom of the pumpkin (to run an electric cord through).

Once you have made your decision, cut your access hole. You need to be able to fit your hand as well as your scraping tool inside, so be sure this hole is wide enough. Also, make sure you hold the knife at a slight angle so you don't accidentally poke through the side of the pumpkin. This would also be a good idea if you decide you want the top of your pumpkin to have a lid. Cutting it out at an angle allows for the cut piece to rest against the bulk of the pumpkin, instead of just falling through.

Now reach in and starting dissecting your pumpkin by pulling out all that slime, string and seed! Once you've got the bulk of it out, use something to scrape off the remaining material from the inner walls of the pumpkin. I like to use an ice cream scooper, but any kind of spoon would also work. If you prefer the weightiness of the pumpkin when drawing out your pattern, you can do the next step first.

When designing your pumpkin, you can either draw something out on a piece of paper and then tape it or transfer it to the side of the pumpkin, or you can draw directly on the pumpkin. However, one thing to keep in mind when drawing directly on in is that the flesh of the pumpkin can be easily dented (by a pen or pencil for example). Also, if using markers, make sure you use washable markers in case you make a mistake or change your mind on a portion of the design. Additionally, you can use a pin or a fork to prick your pattern, like connect the dots!

Once you have your design in place, begin carving it out. You can either use a knife or a specialty pumpkin saw, but in my experience knives work better. Pumpkin saws are generally more delicate and require more time, with the upside being that they tend to be more accurate than knives. Of course there are many other tools to choose from if you so desire (such as wood carving tools).

All you have to do now is fit your candle or your electric bulb into your pumpkin and put it out for all to see!