A jack-o’-lantern helps add mystery to Halloween as it makes your window look eerie.  There are many types of jack-o-lanterns.  Some people prefer to carve a jack-o’-lantern from a pumpkin.  While others prefer to buy an electric jack-o-lantern.  These glowing pumpkins come in many varieties.  Some of these pumpkins have scary faces.  While others have scary, happy and even funny faces.  Each jack-o-lantern is unique, and some even have the face of your favorite character.

If you want to create a unique jack-o’-lantern, you can make one from orange chenille stems.These chenille stems are available, in a pack of 100, for just $5.89 with free shipping included. You can also get a pack of 24 orange tea lights for just $9.99 on amazon.com. For this project, you will also need scissors and a small tea light.  Take two pieces of chenille stems and make two circles.  Carefully link the two circles with chenille stems.  Keep adding chenille stems to the two linked circles leaving spaces between each one.  It is necessary to leave space, so you will be able to see the glowing light coming from the pumpkin.

Using the chenille stems, make two squares for the eyes of the pumpkin.  Create another square for the nose.  Make a crescent moon for the mouth.  Carefully attach these features to the pumpkin.  Do not fill in these features with chenille stems.  You do not want to cover them so that they can be illuminated with the tea light.

Fill in the top of the pumpkin with chenille stems.  Then you will fold two chenille stems together to creat the twig and put it on the top of the pumpkin.  Do not fill the bottom of the pumpkin with chenille stems.  You need to leave the bottom of the pumpkin open, so you can add the tea light.  Once you add the tea light, you now have a jack-o-lantern made from chenille stems.

Jack-o-lanterns are one of the most popular Halloween decorations.  These glowing pumpkins have appeared in the Halloween movie sequels and in many other horror films.  The tradition of using jack-o’-lanterns on Halloween began in Ireland in the 19th century.  Irish immigrants brought the tradition of using jack-o-lanterns, as Halloween decorations, to America.  According to one Irish custom, the tradition of these glowing pumpkins is based on Stingy Jack.

There are many superstitions regarding jack-o’-lanterns.  Some people placed these glowing pumpkins in their home to ward off evil spirits.  According to one myth, once an evil spirit saw a jack-o-lantern on the windowsill, they would stay away from your home.  Others believed that these mysterious pumpkins represented Christian souls in purgatory since Halloween is on the eve of All Saints Day (1 November)/ All Souls Day (2 November).

It is hard to imagine that some people actually believed in vampires but some really did.  They were even afraid that vampires would come to their home and hunt them down, so they used jack-o-lanterns to get rid of them.  According to myth, once the vampire saw the light from the glowing pumpkin, the vampire would be identified.  After seeing the glowing light, the vampire would flee and no longer hunt you down.

Today a jack-o’-lantern is simply used as a Halloween decoration.  They illuminate homes adding that magical Halloween touch.  Whether you decide to carve a jack-o’-lantern from a pumpkin or make one from chenille stems, do have fun making all your Halloween crafts and remember to make them look spooky.