99 Halloween Pumpkin Carving Ideas

June 29, 2021 Just Jes

Whether you are a beginner or a pro, we’ve found the best pumpkin carving ideas for you! From simple, whimsical, scary, & downright brilliant, you’ll be able to find something on this list!

Carving a pumpkin for Halloween has got to be one of the most fun activities of the season. There are no rules, there is no specific method, & it’s a fun inexpensive thing you can do during October!

Where did pumpkin carving come from?

Good old Ireland! The tale says a guy named Jack tricked the Devil for his monetary gain. When he died he couldn’t go to heaven or hell, so he roamed around the earth for eternity. The locals started carving scary faces into turnips to keep Jack’s wandering soul away. The tradition made its way into the US and around the world.

Today this tradition has become a family favorite. Whether you pick out your pumpkin from a pumpkin patch or nab one up from the grocery store, carving a pumpkin is too much fun to pass on.

Besides picking out the pumpkin, you might want to think about a few of these things before you get to carving this year!

Pick your carving design before you get your pumpkin. The design you might want to do will require a tall pumpkin or maybe more than one.
Use a dry erase marker to draw out your design. You can erase it as needed until you get it perfect. Bonus, you don’t have a pen or permanent marker lines left on your carved pumpkin.
Soak the carved pumpkin in cold water with a small cup of bleach to keep mold & bacteria away overnight.
Keep the moisture in. After soaking overnight, add vegetable oil or petroleum jelly to the cut fleshy parts of the pumpkin to reduce drying out & shriveling.
Choose the right time. A freshly carved pumpkin after the above following steps may last you about 5 days. So if you want your pumpkin lit on Halloween night, plan accordingly.
Display in the shade. Don’t leave your pumpkin in the sun to preserve it for as long as possible.
Use battery-operated tea lights. Real candles will destroy your pumpkin sometimes in as little as one night! Use battery-operated tea lights that have a timer.

Ready to find the perfect Pumpkin carving ideas? Keep on scrolling to see the best ones for every skill level!

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EASY PUMPKIN CARVING IDEAS

Don’t be ashamed to admit that easy pumpkin carving ideas fit your skill level! This is for the majority of all of us! Pumpkin carving does require a little bit of elbow grease, so if you’re looking for something easy to DIY, then you’ll love the following ideas!

01 | MOON & STARS

02 | CREEPSTER

03 | HAPPY HALLOWEEN

04 | GLOWING ORBS

05 | HALLOWEEN ON THE COAST

06 | PASTA MOUTH

07 | CRAZY EYES

08 | PALM TREE IN THE MOONLIGHT

09 | SUPER SCARED

10 | PERFECT PATTERN

11 | JACK-O-LANTERN

12 | ONE EYED MONSTER

13 | CARVED CAT

14 | MICKEY MOUSE

15 | STRONG EXPRESSIONS

16 | FORKY FROM TOY STORY

17 | SPIDER ATTACK

18 | KITTY CAT

19 | FRANKENSTEIN’S MONSTER

20 | SWEET KITTY

21 | WEREWOLF PRINT

22 | BATTY

23 | A HALLOWED SMILE

24 | PUNCHED OUT FACES

25 | HIS LIPS ARE SEALED

26 | FALL LEAVES

27 | MICKEY MOUSE ICE CREAM BAR

28 | LOLLIPOP PUMPKIN HEAD

29 | PEEK-A-BOO

30 | ALL SEEING

31 | CORK NOSE

32 | NERDY PUMPKIN

33 | COOKIE CUTTER

INTERMEDIATE PUMPKIN CARVING IDEAS

Ok, so let’s say you have a little more pumpkin carving skills than a beginner? These in-between pumpkin carving ideas are a great way to show off your skills, without the risk of a disaster!

34 | CAT & MOUSE

35 | WINNIE THE POOH

36 | ZOMBIE HAND

37 | BRACES

38 | SCAREDY CAT

39 | HAUNTED MERRY GO ROUND

40 | SKELETON HANDS

41 | STARTLED

42 | HAUNTED HOUSE

43 | PUMPKIN SURPRISE

44 | MUMMY

45 | SUNFLOWER

46 | A BUNCH OF OWLS

47 | PUKING PUMPKIN

48 | SINISTER GRIN

49 | PUMPKIN SEED OWL

50 | SKULL & CROSSBONES

51 | SPIDERMAN

52 | EVIL PUMPKIN

53 | CUPCAKE

54 | GHOULISH MUMMY

55 | JACK SKELLINGTON

56 | WICKED WITCH

57 | PERSONAL INITIALS

58 | VOODOO PUMPKIN

59 | THE RAVEN

60 | FLAMES

61 | A FAMILY OF PUMPKINS

62 | MONSTERS

63 | TRICK OR TREAT

64 | GHOST HOUSE

65 | LIFE SENTENCE

66 | CREEPY CREATURES

CHALLENGING PUMPKIN CARVING IDEAS

If you feel like you are a master at pumpkin carving, then this list of challenging pumpkin carving ideas is for you! From detailed cutouts to clever concepts, these pumpkins are nothing short of spectacular.