25 Fun Pumpkin Carving Ideas to Try This Halloween

These pumpkin carving ideas are fun to recreate for the spooky season!

One of the best activities to do during the spooky season is pumpkin carving. Yes, it does get a little messy, but it’s fun and makes for cool jack-o’-lanterns, so it’s worth it! If you’re looking for inspiration on how to carve your pumpkins this year, then carry on reading for some fun ideas!

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Top Pumpkin Carving Tips

If you’re going to be carving pumpkins this Halloween, it’s important to know all the tips and tricks to give you the best outcome. Whether it’s your first time carving pumpkins or your 20th time, it’s helpful to remember these tips to make the process easier and to make your pumpkins last!

Cut the Bottom of Your Pumpkin

Before you get to carving your design, make sure to cut out the bottom of your pumpkin rather than cutting out the stem! You can easily do this by flipping your pumpkin upside down on a bowl, then cutting out the bottom part. Not only will your jack-o’-lantern look better this way, but it’ll be way easier to insert your candle!

Use a Dry Erase Marker

With any pumpkin carving idea, it’s best to draw your design first, so you know exactly where you’re going to be carving. Use a dry erase marker for this, as it can be easily erased with a wipe or cloth if you make a mistake on your design. Trust me, you wouldn’t want to waste a pumpkin for your jack-o’-lanterns because you decided to freestyle your design instead of drawing it out first!

Use an Electric Hand Mixer

The messiest part of pumpkin carving is removing all the pumpkin guts. This can also be super time-consuming if you’re only scraping them out with a spoon. Instead, use an electric hand mixer to loosen up the stringy bits in minutes! You’ll find that you can easily scoop the guts out afterward!

Use Cookie Cutters for Shapes

Carving shapes into your pumpkin can be a tedious task. So to make the process easier, use cookie cutters and a mallet to carve out the shapes. Just make sure you’re not hitting your pumpkin too hard with the mallet; otherwise, you risk your pumpkin falling apart. If there’s only little damage, superglue might save it, though!

Use Vaseline Once You’ve Finished

Once your pumpkin has been carved, rub Vaseline (or any type of petroleum jelly) on the open cut edges. This will lock in moisture and help your pumpkin last for about 1-2 weeks!