Carving pumpkins is perhaps the quintessential kickoff to spooky season. Yes, there's finding the cutest DIY Halloween costumes and buying all of your favorite Halloween candy to hand out to trick-or-treaters. But there's something so fall about decorating a pumpkin to put outside on your stoop (along with a DIY Halloween wreath!). Plus, it makes for a super cute fall date idea. There are countless pumpkin carving ideas out there, but we've rounded up some of the best looks so you can spook all those who ring your doorbell on October 31. Although some of these pumpkin faces are so adorable, they are just as likely to say "Aww!" as they are to shout "Ahh!"
Before you even decide which carving idea to pursue, it's probably a good idea to do an inventory check of necessary supplies you may or may not have on hand. If you don't already have a pumpkin carving kit, there are inexpensive tools online that you can purchase to use for years to come. And if there will be little ones helping you with the carving, we have also included some pumpkin painting ideas as well as faces that require a stencil so that all ages can be involved. Once you have chosen one or more of the best pumpkin carving ideas, read up on how to best preserve your carved pumpkin so you and your family can enjoy your handiwork for as long as possible.
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Draw eyes, mouth, and scar (an angled horizontal line that goes all the way around) on the pumpkin with a marker. Following the scar line, cut the pumpkin in half. Scoop out the seeds; discard. Insert many half-toothpicks into the bottom part of the rind; replace the top part, pressing into the exposed toothpicks to hold the parts together.
Carve out the eyes and mouth; slice into the scar shape at an angle to make it more visible. Wipe off remaining marker with a damp cloth. Using a skewer or awl, puncture pairs of holes opposite each other ½" apart along the length of the scar. Bend a Q-tip into a U shape; press each end into a pair of holes opposite each other. Continue until holes are filled. Press olives onto half-toothpicks and press into eye holes.
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Pumpkins with Personality
Look out, because these perky pumpkins are looking back! Cut eyeholes in your pumpkin, and attach plastic eyeballs (available at party supply stores) inside the sockets to give the face a spooky stare.
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This surprised fella will look adorable (in a scary way!) on your front porch. Carve circle eyes and a big mouth in any size squash. Push artificial nails into edge of mouth for teeth. For eyes, glue black sequin pupils to seashell coins; push into place.
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Wow Earthlings with the out-of-this-world effects on this space-inspired set. Tap the built-in LEDs on the butternut squash rocket ship and pumpkin flying saucer to light up the night.
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Attach a piece of craft felt to the top of pumpkin. Create hair by stapling plastic film into loops. Carve out rectangle for mouth and insert cassette (you can trace the tape beforehand to make sure it will fit!). Hot glue tape to bottom of mouth and insert metal pieces for eyes and a nose. Accessorize as desired.
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Obsessed with the new Elvis movie? Then we've got the pumpkin for you (to match your rockin' costume). Attach craft fur to the top of pumpkin and style into the King's famous 'do. Use pins to hold up his sunglasses. Cover a roll of duct tape and two pieces of cardstock with gold glitter to make stand.
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If you have some extra lollipops hanging around the house, use them as decoration for your pumpkin. Use a metal skewer to poke holes at top of pumpkin. Insert lollipops. Carve eyes and mouth and use leftover pumpkin pieces to form ears. Make eyes with gumdrops and use licorice or jewelry you have around the house to accessorize.
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Your gourds will be the life of the party with this look. Attach silver or gold foil fringe to the top of gourd and wrap around the stem a few times. Cut ping pong balls in half, paint on eyeballs, and glue on foil fringe eyebrows. Attach to gourd. Use felt to create mouths with teeth and attach to each gourd.
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Carve desired faces and then make eyes by gluing lentils to nut of choice. Attach to pumpkin with dress pins. Place bowl upside down in each pumpkin (over the light) and then place planter on top.
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For a fang-tastic carved pumpkin, attach black bats above your pumpkin's eyes and mouth to serve as eyebrows and a smoking mustache.
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You can't get any spookier than combining a classic orange pumpkin with a ghoulish ghost. All you need are some white thumbtacks to make your ghoul — plus a black Sharpie to draw the screaming mouth.
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First, carve spider web. Spray paint pumpkin black, let dry, and then remove pieces from web. Use a spider template to make the bejeweled creepy crawler and hot glue rhinestones for a spectacular look.
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"We Are Grateful For..." Pumpkin
If you are looking for a pumpkin carving design that will last into the Thanksgiving season, this meaningful idea will look great on your front porch or as a centerpiece in October and November. Have your family members and friends write down what they're grateful for on thin paper leaves and attach them to the pumpkin with glue.
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If you have a sweet tooth anytime of the year, this pumpkin look will bring you back to your childhood candy obsessions. Go all out with gumdrops and lollipops.
Get the Candy Land Pumpkin tutorial.
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Crazy Hair Jack-o'-Lanterns
Scoop out pumpkins and carve faces, then pot them with hearty green plants and herbs.
An apple a day keeps the bogeyman away! Carve freeform eyes and a mouth into a hollowed-out pumpkin. Cut the ends off of two squashes and push into each eye hole. From the cutout ring, cut teeth and secure with toothpicks. Use permanent marker to draw a face on an apple and position in your pumpkin's mouth.
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A Little Black Magic Pumpkin
This funny pumpkin face is easy to create. Just trace your face design with a marker, then carve (don't worry about it being perfect!). Cut 1" circles out of discarded pumpkin (these are its eyeballs) and shave around the edges, then attach with pins or toothpicks.
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Keep an eye (or two) on the neighborhood with these creepy carved pumpkins. The secret? A smaller white pumpkin goes inside a larger orange pumpkin.
Get the Pumpkin Eyes tutorial.
Don't look this modern Medusa pumpkin in the eye or you might turn to stone! Carve two large round eyes, two smaller circles for nostrils, and a squiggly mouth. (Tip: Measure and plan for eyeholes to fit LED lights snugly.) Push in green LED tealights. Hot-glue armature wire to back of rubber snakes, leaving a few extra inches on back end. Push wired snakes into top at sides for pigtails.
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Position the pumpkin so the stem is centered where the nose should sit. (Tip: If the pumpkin wobbles, try securing an acorn or two at the base with hot glue to create anchoring feet). Using the washable marker, draw on eyes, eyebrows, and a mouth. Try following the natural ribs of the pumpkin as a guide when deciding where to place the facial features, like the raised eyebrows or the curved mouth.
With the tip of the craft knife, scrape away the top layer of rind to reveal the lighter flesh underneath. Be careful not to poke all the way through to the inside of the pumpkin. Wipe away any excess marker with a damp paper towel. Remove the cap from two acorns and discard. Press each acorn into the flesh of an eye socket until it's secured.
Spread a bead of hot glue along the top and sides of the pumpkin where you want the hairline to be. Create the witch's mane by pressing on Spanish moss, adding enough so the orange rind is covered. Place the witch hat on top, securing with bobby pins at the back if necessary.
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Hear No Evil, See No Evil, Speak No Evil
This stacked-pumpkin statue — complete with mini pumpkin eyes and faux-skeleton arms — denies any wrongdoing. Trace the little pumpkins onto the large orange pumpkin for eye hole sizing; carve out circles, then insert mini pumpkins (bottoms face out). Add black thumbtack pupils. Carve a mouth. Repeat to create all three expressions, then stack carved pumpkins and secure with skewers. Use T-pins to attach three pairs of skeleton arms and hands.
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Carve an opening out of the top of the pumpkin and scoop out the seeds. Cut pumpkin horizontally all the way around, 1" to 2" below the opening. Repeat several times until you've carved the whole pumpkin into 1" to 2" circles all the way around (don't worry about making your cuts particularly straight or wavy).
Separate the pieces. Keeping the top and bottom pieces the same, restack the others in a different order. Rotate the pieces until you get a shape you like, enlarging the carvings for eyes or mouth if desired. Starting from the bottom, lift each level of pumpkin, insert a few toothpicks onto the level below, then press down to secure in place. Continue with the next level up until entire pumpkin is held together. Place beans into eye holes, securing with half-toothpicks if necessary.
Carve an opening out of the top or bottom of the large pumpkin, making sure it's wide enough to fit a smaller pumpkin or gourd through it. Scoop out the seeds. Draw eyes and a mouth on both pumpkins with the marker. Carve out with a knife for the larger pumpkin; use a melon baller for the smaller pumpkin.
Wipe off any remaining marker with a damp cloth. Place small pumpkin inside large one and replace the top (or bottom) cutout.
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A clever mix of sunflower seeds, pinecone petals (for teeth!), dried leaves, and artificial foliage makes this simple pumpkin a natural wonder.
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Carve one circle eye and one half-moon eye, half-moon nose, and boomerang mouth in a large pumpkin. Push a black- painted wooden circle "pupil" into bottom of circle eye. With X-Acto knife, cut 4"-wide, 8"-long, and 3"-deep slit around stem. Bundle wheat into sections with floral tape and trim bottom stems to three inches. Line bundles up in slit to create a cool Mohawk, then attach your jack-o'-lantern head to a scarecrow body, and prop him up on your porch.
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Using a craft knife, cut a hole in the top of the pumpkin and hollow out the inside. Scrape away any extra flesh with the spoon. Rinse a handful of the seeds (about 16 or so), pat dry, and set aside. With a washable marker, draw two large ovals for eyes (position them slightly tilted towards each other for a sweeter, less scary look) and a wide, slightly lopsided mouth. Carve out with the craft knife and save the scraps. Wipe away any excess marker with a damp paper towel.
Use a melon baller to carve out two round eyeballs from the fleshy side of the pumpkin scraps. Spear each eyeball with a toothpick and attach them to the tops of the eye cutouts. Gently press a peppercorn into the center of each to create pupils.
Press the cleaned seeds directly into the mouth, positioning them in different directions. (Tip: If the pumpkin isn't completely ripe, try using the tip of the knife to create small notches in the pumpkin where you'll be inserting the teeth.) Complete the look by turning the mini pumpkins upside down and placing them in front of the zombie head to look like hands.
Hollow out a medium pumpkin from the bottom. Carve a half-circle mouth with a tooth, two half-circle eyes with pupils, and triangle nose.
For eyes, push in inner piece (don't remove!). Then, etch away skin on pupils and tooth with linoleum cutter. Use an awl to poke holes about 1 1/2" apart across the top and sides of the pumpkin. Push lollipops into holes to create hair.
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After you carve a freeform facial expression, including circle eyes, a triangle nose, and jagged teeth, push a faux spider into one eyehole. Measure the spider before carving the eyehole to make sure it will fit!
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Carve an opening out of the top or bottom of the pumpkin and scoop out the seeds. Replace the cutout. Draw eyes and mouth on the pumpkin with a marker. Use a melon baller to scoop out two small spheres from the outside of the pumpkin. Reattach each sphere to the pumpkin with half a toothpick. If desired, press seeds or spices into the spheres for pupils.
For scooped mouth (far left): Scrape partway through the rind with the melon baller to form the mouth shape. Cut out a mouth and multiple eye holes using the knife or pumpkin carver. Using discarded eye cutout, carve two eye shapes. Create two scooped eyeballs and attach them to the eye shapes with half a toothpick. Attach the finished eyes to the pumpkin with toothpicks. Wipe off any remaining marker with a damp cloth.
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Hoo Is the Wisest? Pumpkin
This is a mash-up of two medium-large pumpkins and two small gourds (for eyes). Once you’ve cut, carved, and stacked pieces, “stitch” Frank up by poking holes in the top parts and inserting 2-inch pieces of wire. Finish off with two bolts.
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Hollow out a medium round pumpkin from the bottom. Carve two oval eyes, then cut two smaller circles from leftover rind for pupils. Etch away skin on each pupil using a linoleum cutter, attach black button with pin on top, and secure to pumpkin with toothpick.
For eyebrows, use awl to poke three holes above each eye as shown. Push a length of ¼"-wide black ribbon through left hole; knot inside to secure, then thread through holes, and knot to close.
Repeat for right eyebrow. For mouth, unzip zipper a little more than halfway. Use black pushpins or silver straight pins (color heads with black permanent marker) to attach zipper, shaping mouth opening. Trace inside open part of zipper with highlighter. Unpin to carve mouth, then re-pin in place.
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With highlighter, draw curved line on white pumpkin for mouth; add half-circles below for teeth. Carve along bottom of teeth, widening as needed. Using linoleum cutter, etch away skin on teeth.
Carve eyes, then hot-glue two black jelly beans as pupils. Hot-glue candy corn nose and eyelashes. For hair, dip dried corn husks (from a grocery store) in a bowl of water and lay them out. While still damp, tear into different-width strips.
To make curly pieces, roll a few and secure with paper clips until dry. Working around stem, hot-glue one end of each husk strip to top of pumpkin; use straight pins to secure as needed. Fold two wider corn husk strips in half, and wrap together at ends with a third strip to form a bow; hot-glue in place.
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Spray paint about 15 dry penne pieces and two shell pasta pieces black on a covered surface in a well-ventilated area. Let dry. Flip pasta over and repeat on the unpainted side. Carve freeform eyes and a jagged mouth onto your pumpkin, then push the black pasta pieces in to creates pupils and teeth.
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When the sun goes down, these pumpkins are a hoot. Print and tape the templates (Baby Owl, Mama Owl, and Daddy Owl) to the front of a hollowed-out pumpkin, then use a transfer tool or metal skewer to poke holes along the outline of the template.
Remove and discard the template, then use a carving knife to cut along the design. Paint almonds and Brazil nuts orange and glue in place for feet and ears.
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Make this bewitching display at home by first hollowing a green heirloom pumpkin. Carve out mouth and eyes, then attach parsnip nose with toothpicks. Straight-pin faux berry branches on top for hair. Print hat template and trace onto felt; cut out tracing and assemble with hot glue. Wrap ½-inch satin ribbon above hat brim and place on top of hair.
Get the Witch Hat stencil.
With a large serrated knife, cut off top ⅓ of large orange pumpkin and hollow out. Then hollow out bottom part too, and on each side, cut a hole halfway down; push skeleton arms through. Cut divots in bottom's base to keep arms steady.
For skull, trace plastic Halloween eyeballs on a small white pumpkin; hollow inside traced circles with melon baller, push eyeballs into holes, and then carve a mouth. Position stemless medium white pumpkin inside bottom section of big pumpkin for body; top with skull. Secure top and bottom sections of large orange pumpkin along back and sides with wood skewers. Arrange skeleton hands over top.
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Hollow out a medium-tall pumpkin from the bottom. Carve mouth shape, then stick toothpicks into top and bottom to create teeth. For eyes, slice off bottom of two small gourds; attach with toothpicks. Push in yellow thumbtacks for pupils. Use a highlighter to draw dashes for eyebrows. Remove gourd eyes, etch in eyebrows using a linoleum cutter, then replace eyes.
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To make this blood-sucker, carve eyes, brows, and a mouth into a hollowed-out white pumpkin. Make pupils with a permanent marker. Paint large wood teardrops white with red tips to make fangs; push into place. Top with a widow's peak cut from a slightly larger orange pumpkin. Pin a black craft foam collar around the pumpkin.
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Decide which side of the squash will be the front. Carve off the bottom third of the squash, cutting it so that it curves upward in the front (save some rind for the eyes). Separate the pieces and scoop out the seeds. Carve the mouth curve 1" to 2" higher on the top piece, using a vegetable peeler afterward to smooth out the edges.
Cut about 1/2" all around the bottom piece, then carve a curve another 1" to 2" at the front for the bottom of the mouth. Carve away at both top and bottom pieces until they rest nicely to resemble an upper and lower jaw. Smooth with a vegetable peeler (keep a peeling for the tongue). Press several half-toothpicks into the back and sides of the bottom rind; place top of squash onto the bottom so that its edges overlap. Press to secure.
Cut out round eyes from extra rind. Scoop out eye pupils with a vegetable peeler, then use half-toothpicks to stick the eyes onto the top of the gourd. Place squash on top of leaf feet and use discarded rind peel to form tongue; secure from inside using a toothpick.
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Carve an opening out of the top or bottom of the pumpkin and scoop out the seeds. Replace the cutout. Draw eyes and mouth on the pumpkin with a marker and carve out. Wipe off any remaining marker with a damp cloth.
Place a dab of hot glue inside a dry ziti piece and press the cut end of half of a toothpick into the glue. Let dry. Repeat on five to 15 ziti pieces; set one aside. Insert remaining ziti teeth into the pumpkin's mouth with the exposed end of the picks, leaving space for the last tooth. To create the gold tooth, coat the ziti piece you've set aside in white glue and roll in glitter. Let dry. Shake off excess. Insert into the open space in the pumpkin's mouth. Wedge nuts into openings for eyes.
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Spacey Monster Pumpkins
Carve an opening out of the top or bottom of the pumpkin and scoop out the seeds. Replace the cutout.
Draw eyes on the pumpkin with a marker; carve out. Wipe off remaining marker with a damp cloth. Place nuts in cutout sections, piercing with a toothpick to attach if needed. Then carve a triangle out of a discarded eye cutout. Attach with a toothpick.
Use discarded rinds from other pumpkins to make eyes. Use a melon baller to scrape partway through the rind for pupils and mouth shape (or press nuts, seeds and spices into the rind for a mouth, using a toothpick to start the hole if needed). Attach eyes with toothpicks and press seeds or spices into space for pupils.
He may not have a heart, but Dorothy's Tin Man is gleaming thanks to a milk-jug collar, a shiny funnel hat, and foil eyes, ears, and nose.
First, hollow out tall white pumpkin from top (make hole smaller than opening of funnel). Carve eyes and mouth. Cut pupils, nose, and ears from 36-gauge foil sheet roll; hot-glue in place. Sit pumpkin on metal milk jug or can. Cut and curl collar around vessel; place funnel on top for hat.
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This brave lion only looks hard to make. Hollow large pumpkin from base; carve mouth and eyes. Cut nose from a smaller pumpkin; paint black and let dry. Attach to large pumpkin with toothpicks. Halve and hollow a small orange pumpkin for snout; secure with wood skewers. Halve and hollow a small orange pumpkin for ears, cut flat on one side; secure with toothpicks. Straight-pin faux chrysanthemums around face for mane.
With a melon baller, scoop out two eyes from a butternut squash; reserve. Etch eye sockets and mouth with linoleum cutter. Use toothpicks to secure eyes in sockets. Push in black bean pupils. Cut masking tape and attach for nose.
For hat, make a cone from a paper bag, then fold in its top and fringe its bottom, curling upward. Tie cord ribbon around middle for a belt and tuck in straw. Cut patches from burlap and attach with small masking tape strips.
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Fashion real or artificial leaves into a quick disguise for a classic jack-o'-lantern. Paint eight artificial leaves black and let dry, then layer into mask shape; hot-glue together. Cut eyeholes in mask. Trace eyeholes onto large orange pumpkin; carve. Glue black-painted acorns to straight pins, then push into eyeholes for pupils. Secure leaf mask to pumpkin using glue dots.
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The future of jack-o'-lanterns? Slice the top offa large oval pumpkin, then position it on a three-inch-tall cross section of a second pumpkin. Place a round, hollowed-out pumpkin on top for a head.
Use a melon baller and a linoleum cutter to etch facial features and gears on the body. Make pupils with a screwdriver. Carve round notches into the sides of the body; use wood skewers to attach small gourds for arms. And this guy's got moves: Swivel his arms to make him dance.
Lay a pumpkin on its side with the stem facing you and carve out a hole where it sits. Hollow out the pumpkin, leaving 1 1/2"-thick walls. Trace a double-walled spiral, with 1" to 1 1/2" between rings, before carving. Cut the bottom off a butternut squash so it sits flat and insert pipe cleaners with Ping-Pong-balls and googly eyes on top.
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For this skeleton gourd, carve two ovals for eyes and an upside down heart for a nose in a hollowed-out white pumpkin. Decorate it by hot-gluing candy corn, jelly beans, licorice laces, and square gum, as shown. Paint one tooth gold.
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Set a sassy sorceress out front to welcome neighborhood night walkers. Glue on fake lashes to make this witch extra eye-catching! Carve eyes, nose, and mouth into white pumpkin. Hot-glue false eyelashes above eyes. Stack two more white pumpkins underneath, securing with skewers. Cut and wrap a half circle of black burlap around body for cloak; use straight pins to affix to body. Add a striped ribbon tie around neck and embellish black witch hat with same striped ribbon.
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Cut a sweet potato and an apple in half, and slice up a radish, then use toothpicks to arrange everything into a face for your pumpkin.
He's part monster, part Halloween mascot, but all smiles when you start with a coat of white paint before carving out the zipper mouth, big round eyes, and jagged scar across his forehead.
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Happy Haunters Pumpkins
If you can't find pumpkins at the store, buy butternut squash and make them into these quirky creatures.
Get the Happy Haunters tutorial.
Lurking inside this tower are three cheesecloth ghosts itching to play. Choose three orange pumpkins that stack nicely; hollow each from the bottom. Draw and cut out your own templates for a door and windows, trace onto pumpkins, and carve. Trace each again onto balsa wood sheets; cut out. Paint wood shapes black and hot-glue to frame. Bend 12-gauge aluminum wire into ghost shape, leaving 8" excess on both ends. Drape cheesecloth over wire; trim excess. Spray with liquid spray starch; allow to dry. Glue black paper faces onto ghosts. Poke ends of wire into interior of pumpkin to secure.
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Brighten up your stoop with this easy pumpkin craft. If you are looking for a minimal carving experience, this option will do just the trick. You'll only have to do some light carving if you want to level your mini white pumpkins so they sit flat. While this tutorial uses fake pumpkins, you can just as easily pick up real white pumpkins from your local market or grocery store.
Get the Rainbow Pumpkin tutorial at Studio DIY.
Repurpose this everyday cleaning tool into a top-notch updo. Carve two half-circle eyes, triangle nose, and squiggly mouth onto a warty variety pumpkin. Glue on black rhinestone pupils. From a white mop head refill, cut off a few strands and set aside. Arrange mop on pumpkin to look like a wig; keep in place with straight pins. Wrap the extra strands around a mini pumpkin to create bun; hot-glue on top of mop wig.
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With highlighter, draw tall rectangle mouth, teeth, and smile lines on butternut squash. Carve mouth and lines, then etch skin off teeth with linoleum cutter. Hollow out inside of mouth only. Carve upside-down heart for nose.
Cut eye sockets with top of knife tilted toward the pumpkin. Slice an end off of two radishes and push in black beans for pupils, then add two toothpicks to back of each and push into sockets. Poke deep hole in either side of squash at top with an awl. Tape a length of monofilament to wood skewer and thread through holes; discard skewer. Knot ends of monofilament together; use loop to hang.
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It won't matter if your kids are young and big fans of Disney's iconic character Mickey Mouse, or if they haven't watched cartoons in decades. Everyone, regardless of age, will find this design absolutely adorable. The tutorial calls for fake pumpkins, but you can definitely use the same stencil on a real one.
Get the Mickey Mouse pumpkin tutorial at Studio DIY.
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Jack Be Little Pumpkins
Small curved pumpkins make perfect accent pieces wherever you decide to display them — like in a faux cast iron planter created with black spray paint. Just take note: With all that straw around, don't even think about using candles for these!
Cut top off gooseneck squash. Cut a hole in back of acorn squash (trace gooseneck onto acorn; cut hole slightly larger so neck fits in). Draw facial features with highlighter and etch away skin with a linoleum cutter. To make hair and arms, cut tops off okra and attach to gourd with toothpicks (use awl to break through skin if necessary).
Who says a jack-o'-lantern has to be made from a pumpkin? These butternut squash goblins sport button eyes and parsnip noses; carving out the vegetable from the bottom adds stability and makes adding a light easy.
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The hat is nothing more complicated than a party store find with white masking tape and colorful branches. Remember: The right tools are key. Use a boning knife for cutting off the top and carving large areas, and a paring knife for details. A craft knife with a keyhole saw blade is good for very close work.
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Masked and Hatted Pumpkin
Real accessories like a black hat, eye patch, or mask add whimsy to carved pumpkins. Buy them at a party costume store, or make your own with felt, black construction paper, and ribbon. Try posing them on cake stands — all the better for putting your pumpkins on a pedestal!
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So, yes, bees may not be buzzing around your front porch in October. But this honeycomb design is cute regardless of the current season, and when paired with a honey dipper, your pumpkin will look super sweet.
Get the Honeycomb pumpkin tutorial at Country Living.
Pumpkins are timeless for Halloween, but what about squash? This autumnal food can just as easily transform into a festive bunch. Fun tip: Star anise make for these eccentric eyeballs.
Lauren Matthews
Group Digital Content Director
Lauren (she/her) is the digital content director of the Hearst Lifestyle Group, where she oversees online content and strategy for Good Housekeeping, Woman's Day and other Hearst titles, including SEO, video, social media and e-commerce efforts.
Elizabeth Berry
Editorial Assistant
Elizabeth Berry (she/her) is the digital editorial assistant for Woman’s Day, where she covers seasonal recipes, holiday gift ideas, and other lifestyle topics for the website.
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