Halloween may be the funnest and most lively holiday of the year. You get to dress up, eat candy, and scare kids. What’s not to love? If you are planning on decorating your apartment, here are a few tips for carving your pumpkins.

Keep them hydrated: pumpkins dry out and shrivel because they lose moisture. So soak your pumpkin in a tub of water every few days. Leaving it submerged overnight will add days to its lifespan.

Use the stem: if you are looking to get creative, turn the pumpkin on its side and decorate around the stem. The stem will act like a witch’s ugly nose and instantly make your pumpkin scarier.  

Paint: if you feel like skipping the carving altogether, try painting instead. Painting a design on a pumpkin is much easier than carving one into it.