Written By The Exploreist
By Todd Maurer | Updated: March 09, 2024
No Halloween is complete without some fun pumpkin carvings and jack-o’-lanterns ready to greet trick-or-treaters and party guests. From glamorous witches and spooky Medusas to beaded globes and tin men, there is always one idea to put you in your Halloween spirit. We went to Instagram and compiled a list of the best Halloween pumpkin carving ideas. And the best part is you don’t need to be an expert, and the result can still impress whoever sees it.
1: Hungry Pumpkin
2: Not so Spooky “Spooky” Pumpkin
3: Pikachu Pumpkin
4: Baby Yoda Pumpkin
5: Who is Inside the Pumpkin?
6: Stack Up! And Pretend We Are Tall
7: Mickey Mouse Pumpkin
8: “This Is fine” meme Pumpkin
9: The Adorable “boo!”
10: Hitch A Free Ride
11: “A Weird Family” Pumpkin
12: “Trick or Treat” Pumpkins
13: The Angry Mike Wazowski from Monsters University
14: A Tough Smoker
15: The Heart Rate Chart Pumpkin
16: The Batman
17: Go for a road trip
18: U.S. President Election in 2020
19: The Climbing Enthusiasts
20: Cinderella’s Pumpkin Carriage
21: Patrick & Spongebob Painted Pumpkin
22: 2020 Is On Fire
23: COVID-19 Inspired Pumpkins
24: A new species: Pumpkin Palm
25: Apple or Pumpkin?
26: A Late-night Visitor/Eater
27: A Pumpkin of Yourself
28: “I Love Warm Hugs” Olaf Pumpkin
29: Infernape Pokémon
30: A Smiley Cat Pumpkin
31: The Hash Slinging Slasher from SpongeBob
32: A Nerdy Pumpkin
33: Toy Story 4 Sporky, oh no, Forky
34: Big Eye Pumpkin
35: Among Us Pumpkin
36: Home SPA Pumpkin
37: Drunk, Vomiting Pumpkin
38: The Cat
39: Cabin in the Woods
40: The Classic Jack-o’-Lantern
41: Adorable Ghost Paint Pumpkin
42: Polka dots Pumpkin
43: Pumpkin with a Scary Stare
44: Chef Bon Appetit Pumpkin
45: A Ferocious Carrot Lover
46: Cheshire Cat in Alice in Wonderland
47: Boo!
48: Angler Fish Pumpkin
49: A Man-Eating Pumpkin
50: A Murderer Pumpkin
51: Shut You Up!
52: An Alien Pumpkin
53: The Old Hags
54: Who’s Underneath!?
55: Scary Teeth Pumpkin
56: the Cat with Stitches
57: The Infected Pumpkin
58: The Beautician, with many eyeballs
59: Jack Skellington from The Nightmare Before Christmas
60: Ouch!
61: The Ghost Gang
62: Another Axeman’s victim
63: Evil Witch Pumpkin. What’s Under Her Hat?
64: A Zombie Pumpkin
65: A Venom Pumpkin
66: A Hungry Pumpkin Spider
67: Beh! Stick the Tongue Out
68: Melting Face
69: What’s Under the Pumpkin Face
70: The Pumpkin Man is on the Loose!
71: Prince Charming Carrousel
72: Flower Pattern Pumpkin
73: Again! Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland
74: Rapunzel & Eugene from Disney’s Tangled
75: Jack Skellington from The Nightmare Before Christmas
76: Charizard Pokémon Pumpkin
77: Ariel, the little mermaid
78: Dumbo, the flying elephant
79: Mexican Death Mask
80: Happy Halloween!
81: Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch
82: Tinker Bell & Her Pixie Dust
83: Harry Potter Pumpkin
84: The Little Mermaid Pumpkin, A Simpler Version
85: Minions from Despicable Me
Alright, that’s all the awesome pumpkin carving ideas we gathered after spending hours scrolling the feed of #pumpkincarvings on Instagram. Many thanks to these creative and talented artists and Halloween enthusiasts, and if you have other great ideas that should be on this list, leave a comment below.
If this is your first time carving a pumpkin, here are tips to help you get started.
Tips to Carve a Pumpkin for Halloween
Pick a Perfect Pumpkin
Before we start carving our Halloween gourds, let’s talk about how to pick a perfect one. The best candidate is one that’s bright orange, firm, and solid, with no soft spots, cuts, or other damages. Depending on your design, you can also consider mini-pumpkins, white pumpkins, or those with bumps on them.
Gather Supplies and pumpkin carvers
Once you have found that perfect pumpkin, what you need then is a bowl, water, paper towels, a scraper or spoon for cleaning the inside of the pumpkin, some tiny saws, and an awl. There are kid-friendly carving kits on Amazon, which costs only a few dollars and come with everything you need.
You might also want to grab some spray paint, linoleum cutters, and drill bits if you want to make a colorful and elaborate one.
Choose a Pumpkin Design
Once you have had the tools and the pumpkin to work on, it’s time to select a design you like. Think of a character you want to portray on your pumpkin, and then pick one with a shape that works to your advantage.
Start With The Bottom or Top
When it comes to the first cut, you can either start from the top or bottom, depending on your design. The best way, in our opinion, is to cut a lid off the bottom, which helps to hide the cut and to add and position the candles later.
Create a Chimney
If you cut the lid from the top, consider creating a smoky hole, which acts as a draft that draws the air in when you light up the candle and helps it burn brighter.
Cut out The Pulp and Seeds
Next is the fun part — you get to clean the pumpkin inside out. Preparation is 90% of pumpkin carving, so it’s really important to do a great job on this. We’re using the measuring cup, which is our favorite tool for cleaning a pumpkin.
Draw Your Design on The Pumpkin
You can draw your design right onto the pumpkin or print or draw it on a piece of paper first and then cut your drawing out to attach it to the pumpkin using duct tape. There are also free pumpkin carving stencils and templates online to help you easily transfer artwork to your pumpkins.
Start Making Some Tough Cuts
Once the art is attached to the pumpkin, take a drawing pushpin and start outlining your art. Go along the edge of every line of your drawing and put a series of holes into the meat of the pumpkin.
Use Your Scraps Creatively
Don’t throw away the pumpkin shells you just cut off. Make a tongue, pipe, or hair accessories and use toothpicks to add them to the carved pumpkin.
Light up Your Carved Pumpkin
The final step is to light up your pumpkin! You can use candles, which can be messy, or battery-powered lights that simulate a candle flame. You can also use tea lights, flashlights, or your Christmas lights, which also add some festivity.
Lastly, keep the pumpkin seeds you just scooped and roast them into the classic Halloween snack. Check out thispostfor a more detailed carving tutorial.
Now, put out your mason jars, Halloween costumes, Halloween decor, or whatever you need to make your home a haunted house and get the party started. If you’re looking for more Halloween crafts to keep yourself or the little ones busy,hereis a list.
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