Get into the Halloween spirit by transforming your ordinary pumpkins into extraordinary works of art to celebrate the spooky season. Carving pumpkins is a timeless tradition that allows you to showcase your creativity and set the stage for spooky, whimsical, or even magical displays.

Whether you’re a seasoned pumpkin-carving pro or just a beginner looking to try something new, these simple yet imaginative pumpkin carving ideas will help you conjure up some truly spooky designs that will surely give your trick-or-treaters a fright. Browse our collection of ideas below with links to all of the sources where you can get further details including the tutorials.

If you are looking for more Halloween decorating ideas to try this season, be sure to check out our best-no carve inspiration and our DIY Pumpkin Decorating Ideas too!

Tips For Carving Pumpkins:

Pick a theme and group jack-o-lanterns together; when choosing pumpkins to carve, pick ones with beautiful long stems; remove the guts and seeds from the interior of the pumpkin from the bottom (not the top); illuminate pumpkins with battery-powered candles or fairy lights. 

Tell Us: Which one of these pumpkin carving ideas do you find most inspiring? Please share your thoughts in the Comments section below!

1. Pumpkin Fairy House.

This whimsical pumpkin house offers endless decorating possibilities, including fairies, gnomes, and woodland creatures. To create this look, take a trek into nature with your family and collect items such as acorns, sticks, bark, moss, pinecones, etc. Affix to your pumpkin house using a hot glue gun. You may wish to add some woodland figurines and even a string of fairy lights to add a magical glow. (via @theunschooledproject)

2. Sunflower Pumpkin.

Carve a sunflower design on your pumpkin, by first drawing out the design by hand or with a free DIY pumpkin carving stencil. (via @gilbertiesorganics)

3. Classic Jack-o’-Lantern.

Start with the traditional Jack-o’-Lantern face, but add your unique twist by giving it an expressive or mischievous expression. (via @asaki_ichi)

4. Pumpkin Art.

This beautiful pumpkin is a creative work of art. You will need some pumpkin carving tools to re-create this look, along with pumpkin lights to illuminate from within. (via @ruthbilhamart)

5. Creepy Doll Eating Pumpkin.

For this spooky pumpkin, trace out the face you wish to create on your pumpkin and carve it out using a knife or pumpkin carving kit. Use props to create a funny or terrifying scene. Stuff your jack-o-lantern with fake body parts (such as a doll’s leg), red paint, or fake blood from a Halloween Superstore. Use toothpicks or jagged sticks for the teeth and styrofoam packing for the eyes. (via @our.darlington)

6. Pumpkin Nachos For A Halloween Party.

If you are having a Halloween bash, get inspired by this fun to make (despite looking sick) delicious to eat appetizer. Simply fill a baking tray with tortilla chips and cover with mozzarella and cheddar, and grill in the oven until nicely melted. Next, cover with salsa, sour cream, and homemade guacamole. Creatively arrange and bon appetite! (via @thegourmetgram)

7. The Beautician.

If pumpkin carving is not your strong suit, this simple pumpkin DIY might be just for you! You can get creative in other ways, such as using fake nails, googly eyes, and make-up to transform a pumpkin into a scary monster. (via @bestdayoftheweek_)

8. Owl Pumpkin.

Carve an owl design on your pumpkin, making use of the pumpkin’s natural shape for the owl’s round body. Add details such as feathers or leaves for the wings and large eyes that can be carved into the pumpkin. Add a light inside the pumpkin to illuminate the eyes at night. (via @tonyastaab)

9. Spooky Jack-O-Lanterns.

This trio of creative and spooky pumpkins are carved with different patterns, from ghosts to a scary face and the letters “BOO!”. For the carved pumpkins, add fairy lights for a warm glow in the evening. Be sure to roast your pumpkin seeds after scooping out your carved pumpkins. (via @fifiandfriendly)

10. Pumpkin Mama.

This creative pumpkin features a lactating “mommy” pumpkin with a baby pumpkin. (via @mindful_mamas)

11. Easy Pumpkin Carving Idea With Toothpicks. 

This creative pumpkin carving idea requires a carving kit to make eyes and a mouth. To elevate the eerie factor, use toothpicks to create sinister, jagged teeth. Be sure to add an LED candle with a timer inside the pumpkin to cast a spooky glow. (via Pinterest)

12. What A Hoot.

This pumpkin idea is creative and fun and will be sure to give your trick-or-treaters a hoot! To create these owl pumpkins, you will need a hot glue gun for the mini pumpkin eyes. Pumpkin seeds are used for the border around the eyes, also using the hot glue gun. (via @hectormsanchezphoto for @southernlivingmag)

13. Hear No Evil, See No Evil, Speak No Evil.

This trio of stacked pumpkins features skeleton hands and mini pumpkins for eyes. For the eyes, trace the mini pumpkins onto the larger pumpkins to get the correct hole sizing, and then carve out the circles and insert the mini pumpkins with the bottoms facing outwards. The pupils are black thumbtacks. Carve out the mouth. Repeat these steps for all three pumpkins and then stack. Secure the pumpkins with skewers. Use T-pins to affix the skeleton arms and hands to the pumpkins. (via @womansdaymag)

14. Haunted House With Meringue Ghosts.

Carve a spooky haunted house scene on your pumpkin, complete with windows, doors, and eerie silhouettes. Place a small candle inside to create a spooky glow. (via @nourkandler)

15. Pumpkin Eating A Pumpkin.

A large pumpkin has been carved out with teeth and a mini pumpkin sits inside the mouth of the much larger pumpkin. (via @morning.sophie)

16. Use The Stock As A Nose.

Carve a spooky face into your pumpkin using the stock as the nose. Use can add a hole into the other side to insert an LED candle. (via Pinterest)

17. The Lord Of The Gourd.

(via Patrick Harrison via Pinterest)

18. Pumpkin Eating Another Pumpkin.

Scare your trick-or-treaters with this scary pumpkin ensemble. Here, a large pumpkin is carved with menacing teeth, munching on a pair of smaller pumpkins. (via Pinterest)

19. Scary Pumpkin Head.

Make a spooky pumpkin face with creepy eyes and jagged teeth along with some fake blood for a gruesome finishing touch. For the eyes, you can use golf balls, or styrofoam balls and use a paint marker to draw the eyeballs. (via Johnnyray on Pinterest)

20. Spooky Pumpkin Eyes.

Add these DIY eyeball pumpkins to your doorstep, where they’ll keep a vigilant watch over your trick-or-treaters this Halloween season. While these look difficult to make, they are actually surprisingly simple to put together and will make a fun family project! To make these, you will need two small white pumpkins, two large orange pumpkins, a pumpkin carving set, a linoleum cutter, red permanent marker. black permanent marker, green acrylic paint, and black acrylic paint. Get the how-to tutorial at the provided link. (via Woman’s Day)

21. DIY Pumpkin Fairy House.

This fun craft project is perfect for those who do not like scary-faced pumpkins. This can be placed on your front porch to greet your trick-or-treaters to show off your creative prowess. To make this enchanting pumpkin, you will need the following: a medium-sized blue Hubbard squash, a small brown or green acorn squash, toothpicks, mini glass balls, acorn caps, wood rounds, ginkgo leaves, a carving knife, a linoleum carving tool, and a hot-glue gun. Get the complete instructions at the provided link. (via Country Living)

22. Cracked Open Jack O’Lantern.

This jack-o’-lantern, cracked open to reveal a skull within, promises a spooktacular Halloween display for your trick-or-treaters. (via @pigletsadventurefarm)

23. The Cookie Monster.

(via @pigletsadventurefarm)

24. Halloween Pumpkin Monster With Tooth Braces.

This adorably fun pumpkin Jack-o-lantern with braces is simple to make. This can be made using aluminum foil for the braces. (via @morning.sophie)

25. Pumpkin Brace Face.

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