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October 2, 2020

Home ยป Crafts ยป 25 Clever Pumpkin Carving Ideas

25 Clever Pumpkin Carving Ideas

Creative and adorable pumpkin carving ideas that will bring the whole family together for this favorite fall activity!

Fall is by far my favorite time of year. I love the weather, the food and the fun fall activities like making caramel apples or carving a pumpkin. And if you need some easy pumpkin carving ideas, you’ve come to the right spot! This list has 25 amazing ways to carve a memorable pumpkin this fall season!

pumpkin carving ideas

Where summer always seems to have us running in a million directions, I love that fall pulls the family in close again. The coziness and the nesting when the cool weather comes is my favorite, and there are so many fun things to do with the kids this time of year!

Pumpkin carving is a fan favorite in our house, but after a while, just doing the typical jack-o-lantern face year after year gets a little played out. I’m always on the hunt for new and clever pumpkin carving ideas that the kids can do on their pumpkins. My search this year did not disappoint!

There are a ton of unique ideas out there for all levels – simple basic designs for the littles, and more advanced templated for the bigger kids who want to be challenged a bit! It’s such a fun activity for the family that doesn’t require a lot of extra materials, which makes it fun for me, too!

Carving tips

  • Picking your pumpkin. Choose a pumpkin that’s firm to touch (with no bruising or soft spots), has a sturdy stem and a flat base.
  • Knife. The knife you use makes all the difference! Make sure it’s a sharp serrated knife so that it can easily cut into the hard surface. You might also want a pairing knife handy for carving out smaller designs.
  • Scoop out the insides. Make sure to scoop out all the gunk and seeds. You want it to be completely clean on the inside when you’re finished. I’ve found that an ice cream scoop or large silver spoon works great.
  • Make rough cuts first. Use the tip of the knife to make small holes in the pumpkin where your design will be. This allows you to trace it out first, then go back and carve it. You can avoid any major mess ups this way!

Easy ideas

These easy ideas are simple and absolutely adorable! The designs are so fun and suitable for the whole family. You can’t go wrong with any of them!

easy pumpkin carving ideas

Scaredy Cat from Parents

easy pumpkin carving ideas

Cat and Mouse from Better Homes and Gardens

easy pumpkin carving ideas

Peek a Boo from Better Homes and Gardens

easy pumpkin carving ideas

Cookie Cutter Lantern from C. Jane Create

easy pumpkin carving ideas

Harry Potter from House of Paint via DIY Worthy

Funny ideas

I absolutely love these funny ideas. They are playful, interesting and unique. Family, neighbors and friends will definitely get a kick out of them!

funny pumpkin carving ideas

Frog Choir from Woman’s Day

funny pumpkin carving ideas

Monster Pumpkins from Better Homes and Gardens

funny pumpkin carving ideas

Melon Ball Pumpkin Carving from Woman’s Day

funny pumpkin carving ideas

Head of Hair Pumpkins from Good Housekeeping

funny pumpkin carving ideas

Scaredy Pumpkin and Spider from Lowe’s

Unique ideas

These unique pumpkin carving ideas are definitely not your classic jack-o-lantern design! They are so creative and will absolutely help your pumpkin stand out! Which idea is your favorite? I love the Tinkerbell version!

unique pumpkin carving ideas

Puppy from Parents

unique pumpkin carving ideas

Space Carving Idea from Woman’s Day

unique pumpkin carving ideas

Tinkerbell and Pixie Dust from Make:

unique pumpkin carving ideas

Car and Camper from Better Homes and Gardens

unique pumpkin carving ideas

House Pumpkin from Finding Home Farms

Ideas for kids

I’m always on the hunt for fun pumpkin carving ideas for kids. The ideas below are perfect for your littles and have them so excited to start carving!

pumpkin carving ideas for kids

Hoot Owl from Parents

pumpkin carving ideas for kids

Minnie Mouse from Theme Park Insider

pumpkin carving ideas for kids

Lollipop Carving Idea from Woman’s Day

pumpkin carving ideas for kids

Black Cat and Bat from Better Homes and Gardens

pumpkin carving ideas for kids

Candy Pumpkin from Martha Stewart

Stencils

These pumpkin carving stencils help make life a little easier! They are super convenient and the patterns are so fun. We love to print out a couple to have on hand every year.

pumpkin carving stencils

Leaf Lantern Stencils from Good Housekeeping

pumpkin carving stencils

Carved Village from Better Homes and Gardens

pumpkin carving stencils

Pumpkins on Fire from Country Living

pumpkin carving stencils

Cupcake Jack O Lantern from Lindsay Ann Bakes

pumpkin carving stencils

Paw Print Stencil from Better Homes and Gardens

How fun are all of these ideas?!? I love the diversity and that there’s something for everyone. Let me know what some of your favorites are – I’d love to hear!

For more Halloween fun, check out:

  • 50+ Halloween Craft Ideas
  • FREE Halloween Coloring Pages
  • 5 Easy Kid’s Halloween Games
  • 50 Homemade Halloween Costumes

Filed Under: Crafts Tagged With: Fall, Halloween, Paint, Pumpkin

About Jamielyn Nye

I'm Jamielyn Nye, Author of The I Heart Naptime Cookbook, mom of 4 and a big fan of naptime and chocolate. The Inspiration Board is a DIY and lifestyle blog sharing easy DIY crafts and tips to inspire creativity.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Michael Wurm Jr says

    October 6, 2018 at 10:10 am

    These are all so cute! I want to try every one! Thanks for sharing!ย 

    xo Michael

    Reply
    • Jamielyn says

      October 9, 2018 at 2:25 pm

      Thank you so much! Have fun! ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
  2. Danijela says

    October 7, 2018 at 2:10 am

    These are so cute!

    Reply
    • Jamielyn says

      October 9, 2018 at 2:25 pm

      Thank you! ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
  3. Carolyn says

    October 7, 2018 at 12:49 pm

    I need all the ideas i can get in this area, so thank you!

    Reply
    • Jamielyn says

      October 9, 2018 at 2:25 pm

      Same here! Hope you have fun using some of these carving ideas! ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
  4. Bree says

    October 8, 2018 at 5:37 pm

    These are excellent ideas! Can’t wait for Halloween!

    Reply
    • Jamielyn says

      October 9, 2018 at 1:44 pm

      Thanks! Such a fun time of year! ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
  5. Taylor W. says

    October 9, 2018 at 1:05 pm

    Love this ideas! Especially love the cupcake pumpkin carving stencil. ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
    • Jamielyn says

      October 9, 2018 at 1:46 pm

      Such a great hack!

      Reply
  6. Darrin W says

    October 9, 2018 at 1:13 pm

    Great ideas!!

    Reply
    • Jamielyn says

      October 9, 2018 at 2:26 pm

      Thanks Darrin! ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply

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I'm Jamielyn Nye, cookbook author, mom of 4 and a big fan of naptime and chocolate. The Inspiration Board is a DIY craft and lifestyle blog sharing easy crafts and tips, to help inspire creativity.

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