Spooky Halloween Jack-o-Lantern

You can make spooky fog come out of your Halloween jack-o-lantern using a little dry ice. Here's how you do it plus a trick for getting the best effect.

Spooky Jack-o-Lantern Materials

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Cool Halloween Jack o Lanterns

By Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D.

Basically, all you need is a carved jack-o-lantern, dry ice, a container, and water. Warm water is more effective than cool or room temperature water.

• Pumpkin
• Tall cup or glass
• Dry ice
• Water

Let's Get Started!

1. Okay, first you need to cut around the top of the pumpkin so you can scoop out the seeds and other pumpkin guts. If you are rushed for time, you can skip this step, but it's easier to carve a clean pumpkin.
2. Carve a face or design into the pumpkin. Keep in mind, carbon dioxide fog sinks, so more fog will flow out of the mouth of your jack-o-lantern than through its eyes. If you make the mouth relatively small, you usually can get fog to flow through the nose and eyes pretty well.
3. When you are ready for the display, set a tall container full of water inside the jack-o-lantern. Try to find a can or glass that is taller than the eyes of your jack-o-lantern, since that is the trick for getting fog to flow through the whole carving.
4. Drop a piece of dry ice into the water. Replace the top of the pumpkin. You want the lid to fit tightly so there won't be air currents dissipating the fog.
5. You can add more dry ice over time.