77 Pumpkin Carving Ideas to Carve Out Some Fun This Fall

Our Best Tips for Carving Pumpkins

Choosing Designs

There are so many different options to consider as you carve your pumpkin. When it comes to designs, you will first want to determine whether you're looking to carve something classic, humorous, scary, and so on.

Many people will also carve a pumpkin to have it reflect their interests or hobbies. For example, the carved pumpkins shown above illustrate that many people like to showcase musical instruments, favorite animals or pets, band logos, and more.

Matching Your Pumpkin to Your Home

You also want your pumpkin to reflect your design style, specifically if you are choosing to display it indoors as opposed to outside on the stoop.

• If your home leans traditional, you cannot go wrong with a classic jack-o-lantern.
• If you love contemporary or eclectic style, consider one of the geometric carving designs shown above.
• If you appreciate boho style, one of the floral pumpkin carving ideas showcased above will fit right into your space.

Selecting Carving Tools

To carve a pumpkin at home, you will need a sharp knife and a spoon to scoop out seeds in order to hollow out your pumpkin before carving into it. Some people will use an ice cream scoop rather than a spoon for efficiency.

While these simple materials will work just fine, many retailers also offer pumpkin carving tool sets designed to make the process a bit more seamless. These tend to include an array of special saws, drills, and knives that will come in handy for those looking to create more intricate designs.

A permanent marker will come in handy as you map out exactly where you would like to cut your pumpkin.

When Should You Carve Your Pumpkin?

Generally, carved pumpkins will only last for three days to a week before beginning to rot. If you want to be sure your stoop is perfectly decorated in time for Halloween, you will therefore only want to do your carving a couple of days before the holiday.

While it may be tempting to carve your pumpkins as soon as you start to feel a chill in the air, it is important to keep in mind that once it is hollowed out, its lifespan will begin to rapidly decrease.

What Should You Do With the Pumpkin Guts?

While carving your pumpkin, you will of course be hollowing out all of the pumpkin "guts" as well as plenty of pumpkin seeds. Rather than tossing the seeds into the trash, you may wish to consider one of the many ways to repurpose them.

• The first and most common technique is to roast and then eat pumpkin seeds.
• You can also incorporate the pumpkin seeds into your final carved pumpkin design. You can easily adhere them to the outside of your pumpkin using a glue gun, where they will add texture and help to bring your design to life.
• Finally, you can plant pumpkin seeds in your yard with the hope of starting your own patch.
• You can also compost the guts in your yard, where they can help to fertilize your garden.