Life
SolStock/E+/Getty Images
Updated:
Originally Published:
I don't know about you, but I've never successfully carved a jack-o'-lantern. Sure, I usually have a lot of fun carving them... but they typically come out looking like a hot mess. Those things are hard! This year, however, I've got the eye of the tiger. I've done my research, and it turns out, carving the perfect pumpkin requires more than a pencil and a kitchen knife. With a little preparation, the proper tools, and some inspiration from these creative Halloween pumpkin carving ideas, your stoop is going to look like a spooky art museum this year.
In years past, I've made two big mistakes: I haven't had the proper pumpkin carving tools, and I didn't exercise much creativity — no wonder my pumpkins looked so sloppy and generic! While some of these designs are perfect for beginners and others require a bit more skill, you'll have a better shot at each one if you invest in a few handy tools. First, I highly recommend looking online for templates once you've chosen a design. This will make your job much easier. Most importantly, I'd recommend purchasing a keyhole saw ($8.77, Amazon) and a fine-tooth saw ($11.70, Amazon), which work much better than your standard kitchen knives.
Rachel from A Little Craft in Your Day even has the perfect pumpkin carving tutorial for beginners if you aren't quite sure where to start. It's a simple tutorial to follow, and she shows you exactly how to get a picture perfect jack-o'-lantern. She personally recommends purchasing a pack of pumpkin carving tools like this one ($9.95, Amazon), which isn't a bad investment if you're going to be carving pumpkins year after year.
Once you're set up, all you need is your inspiration, which is where these 19 ideas from some pumpkin-carving experts come in.
1
Template Pumpkins
If crafty goddess Jo-Anna at A Pretty Life in the Suburbs uses templates to carve her pumpkins, I no longer think it's cheating. Most of the pumpkins above* were carved using templates she found her templates at Walmart and Michaels, and they even came with carving tools. Pro-tip: if you already have carving tools, find a free template online instead!
*One pumpkin above was free-handed... can you guess which one? The classic barfing jack-o'-lantern is a good option if you don't want to use a template!
2
Drill Designs
Cutting out a detailed design with a little fine-tooth saw takes patience... and let's be real, we don't all have that. I love this kitty pumpkin by Handmade Charlotte, and it's easy and fast. She painted her pumpkin first, but you certainly don't need to. A drill and saw were used to create the cute cat silhouettes. Not a cat person? This music note pumpkin uses the exact same process, and is equally as cute.
3
Toothpick Smile Pumpkin
If you prefer to follow along to a video tutorial, Sharrah from YouTube channel Live Your Style has you covered. In this video, she shows four easy jack-o'-lantern ideas, but the third is my favorite. She carves a simple face into her pumpkin but then takes it to the next level by adding creepy, toothpick-teeth to its smile. It's way easier than carving the teeth yourself, and it looks more interesting, too.
4
Sugar Skull Pumpkin
fortnite pumpkin stencil
5
Man's Best Friend Pumpkin
6
Drillbit Pumpkin
7
Creepy Textured Pumpkin
A true artist thinks outside the box... and that's definitely how @ozymandias on Instagram approached his pumpkin. Instead of cutting straight through, he peeled off the skin and carved a face into the side of his pumpkin. This one is going to look particularly creepy after a couple days sitting out on the front porch.
8
Pumpkin Pants
9
Fortnite Pumpkin
10
Multicultural Appreciation Pumpkin
Ladies and gentlemen, you're looking at the one and only successful pumpkin I've carved. I'm American and my husband is Canadian, so naturally I carved a pumpkin to celebrate both countries represented in our household. I created a template on construction paper first, and it was a great practice round before cutting into the real thing.
11
Keep It Simple
I saved the best for last. Don't overthink your pumpkins this year! Whoever carved these pumpkins featured on LifeBuzz's Facebook page had the right idea. Two eyes, a smile, and done. I like their style.
Nerdy, geeky, handmade jack o lantern pattern for halloween. Check out our fortnite pumpkin carving stencil selection for the very best in unique or custom, handmade pieces from our shops. Trace around stencil with marker.
12
Geometric Design
If you have an eye for detail, and a little extra time on your hands, use this pumpkin by @mt_maths as inspiration. The geometric design is hypnotizing (which is fitting for Halloween) and creates a very cool effect when lit up.
13
A 2-In-1 Pumpkin
Grab a big pumpkin and carve it out to look like it’s eating a smaller pumpkin like this one @Cow_Llamashared on Twitter. You don’t have to carve a panicked face on the little one like they did, but it sure won’t hurt.
14
Apple Core Pumpkin
Instead of going the traditional Jack-O-Lantern route, Lisa Abbott’s daughter got super creative and turned her pumpkin into a spider-infested apple core. You may need to reinforce the middle ‘core’ to make sure it doesn’t cave in on itself, but it’s still a design worth recreating.
15
Sweet Tooth Pumpkin
Dentist Thomas Gonzales was totally on brand when he made his Jack-O-Lanterns with sweet teeth using chewing gum sticks, candy corn, and gum drops. It’s one of the most simple carving designs, and the candy totally plays into the theme of Halloween and trick or treating.
16
The Sanderson Sisters
Sure, carving one pumpkin is fun, but have you ever carved three to form an awesome set? Anita Breik took three pumpkins and painted them red, purple, and green before cutting out the silhouettes of the famous Sanderson sisters from Hocus Pocus.
17
Favorite Emoji
Whether it’s the heart eyes, side eyes, or laughing-crying eyes, everyone has a favorite emoji. Transform your pumpkin into your favorite like @tmorris0 did. There’s really not much to it, and everyone will know exactly what you were going for when they see it.
18
Turn It Into A Superhero
Look at this amazing Iron Man pumpkin Diane Choe Moon shared on Twitter. It is incredible and looks fantastic lit up. You can try to recreate this design, or come up with one of your own like Batman’s emblem or Spider Man shooting a web.
19
Pac-Man Pumpkins
Stock up on a few pumpkins and create a scene right out of Pac Man like Toby did on Twitter. You don’t need to be a skilled carver to create it, but the finished product will definitely impress your guests.
This article was originally published on