Spooky Pumpkin Carving Ideas to Get You in the Halloween Spirit
Halloween season is almost upon us, and you know what that means – get ready for everything pumpkin. From pumpkin spice lattes to pumpkin carving ideas!
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In addition to watching scary movies, planning your Halloween costume, and maybe even preparing to host the ultimate Halloween party, it’s also time to start thinking up some spooky pumpkin carving ideas!
Carving pumpkins is a time-honored Halloween tradition, and it’s also endlessly versatile.
Whether this is your very first time carving a pumpkin, or whether you’re basically a professional at this point, we’ve rounded up some of our favorite pumpkin carving ideas for this Halloween season.
As an added bonus, we’ve also thrown in some painted pumpkin inspiration for anyone who doesn’t want to get their hands dirty with all those pumpkin guts and seeds.
Your jack-o’-lantern will be the envy of all your neighbors!
Spooky Pumpkin Carving Ideas
Minion Pumpkin
Celebrate the release of Despicable Me 4 with this minion pumpkin!
As an added bonus, this pop culture-inspired pumpkin is pretty easy to carve, since minions are drawn from such simple, graphic shapes.
Minimalist Pumpkin House
This house-shaped minimalist pumpkin is one of our favorite easy pumpkin carving ideas.
The smiling miniature pumpkin tucked inside the carved door makes the perfect finishing touch!
Glow in the Dark Painted Pumpkin
If carving a pumpkin is a little too messy for your tastes, try replicating the effect of a classic jack-o’-lantern with some glow in the dark paint.
The painting process is a lot neater, but the finished effect is just as spooky as any carved pumpkin!
Autumn Leaf Pumpkin
This autumn leaf pumpkin is obviously fall-inspired, but it’s also a fun departure from traditional, spooky carved pumpkins.
To make it your own, take inspiration from the shapes of the autumn leaves in your neighborhood!
Painted and Carved Skull
This artistic skull pumpkin combines pumpkin carving and pumpkin painting to spectacular effect.
First, carve a realistic skull silhouette into the pumpkin, and then paint over it with gold paint for a finished product that’s both spooky and glamorous!
Starry Eyes LED Carved Pumpkin
Traditionally, you would put a tealight candle with a real flame inside of your jack-o’-lantern.
However, if you’re worried about the fire hazard or would prefer a light that you can reuse year after year, try replacing the real candle with an LED light!
Cute Googly Eye Pumpkin
These adorable googly eye pumpkins are another mess-free jack-o’-lantern option that are sure to make your neighbors smile.
All you need is some stick-on googly eyes and a Sharpie to draw on an adorable little smile!
Star Pattern Pumpkin
This star pattern pumpkin is the perfect option for people who aren’t into the classic, spooky jack-o’-lantern aesthetic, and are looking for something a little more minimalist and graphic.
The Nightmare Before Christmas Pumpkins
As soon as spooky season rolls around, one of our favorite things to do is rewatch Tim Burton’s Halloween classic, The Nightmare Before Christmas.
Take inspiration from this classic film and carve iconic characters like Jack Skellington and Oogie Boogie into your pumpkins this year!
Minecraft Pumpkin
If you’re looking for a fun, unique, pop culture-inspired pumpkin carving idea that’s also easy and achievable for beginners, look no further than this super cute Minecraft jack-o’-lantern!
Cat Silhouette Pumpkin
This cat silhouette pumpkin is one of our favorite spooky pumpkin carving ideas for people who are a little more advanced.
It requires a bit more intricate knifework, but if you’re up to the challenge, the finished product is a real showstopper!
Geometric Pattern Pumpkin
This geometric pattern pumpkin is another, slightly more advanced pumpkin carving idea that’s perfect for people who love abstract, minimalist designs.
Kawaii Cat Pumpkin
This kawaii cat design is the perfect pumpkin carving idea for people who love all things spooky and all things cute!
It’s inspired by the Chococat character from Sanrio!
Peppa Pig Pumpkin
This Peppa Pig-themed carved pumpkin is another hilarious option for people who are looking for pop culture-themed pumpkin carving inspiration.
Pumpkin Eating Pumpkin
This pumpkin-eating-pumpkin design is a little quirky, a little spooky, and a little weird.
Plus, it gives you an excuse to buy one of those adorable mini pumpkins from your local grocery store, farmer’s market, or pumpkin patch!
Hello Kitty Pumpkin
This Hello Kitty inspired pumpkin is another super cute option for people who love all things kawaii.
If you’re not a fan of traditional jack-o’-lanterns, but are looking for something that’s still graphic, easy, and instantly recognizable, give this Hello Kitty design a try!
Cheshire Cat Pumpkin
This Cheshire Cat pumpkin is, of course, inspired by Disney’s classic Alice in Wonderland movie from the 1950s.
It’s a fun carving challenge for anyone who loves Disney!
Sugar Skull Pumpkin
This gorgeous, intricate sugar skull pumpkin is inspired by the elaborate designs of calaveras during el Día de los Muertos.
If you’re an experienced pumpkin carver who’s looking for a challenge, a sugar skull is a cool way to flex your skill and express your creativity!
Pringles Mascot Pumpkin
This Pringles-themed pumpkin is the perfect idea for someone who’s looking for a pop culture-inspired pumpkin that’s also easy and achievable for beginners.
All you need to do is carve two round eyes and a gigantic mustache to recreate the Pringles mascot!
Woodland Pattern Painted Pumpkins
If painting pumpkins is more your style, take inspiration from nature with these woodland pattern painted pumpkins.
One pumpkin is patterned with an array of tiny, adorable snails, while another is dotted with equally cute miniature toadstools!
Cute Spooky Painted Pumpkins
These classic, yet cute spooky pumpkins are another amazing option for people who would prefer to paint their pumpkins.
You can easily paint minimalist Halloween motifs like jack-o’-lanterns, spiders, and ghosts on some pumpkins for an adorable, yet undeniably Halloween-inspired effect.
Stitched Jack-o’-Lantern
With a couple lengths of twine, you can easily achieve this eerie stitched jack-o’-lantern effect.
The features of this pumpkin are simple and easy to carve, but the twine stitched across the pumpkin’s eyes and smile adds a spooky, scary touch.
Witch Silhouette Pumpkin
If you’re up to the challenge, try carving this spooky witch silhouette into your pumpkin this year!
The image of a witch flying on a broomstick will instantly inspire the Halloween spirit in anyone who sees it!
Ghost Pumpkin
Ghosts are another iconic, instantly recognizable Halloween motif.
Carving just one ghost on your pumpkin is pretty easy and effective, but if you’re looking for a more advanced design, try recreating this one, which features three ghosts holding hands!
Spider Silhouette Pumpkin
This giant spider silhouette is a great spooky pumpkin carving idea for people who love all things scary and creepy.
It takes a little bit of advanced knife work to achieve this design, but the finished product is super eye catching and effective!
Barbie Pumpkin
Barbie summer might be over, but we’re still super inspired by this iconic Barbie silhouette pumpkin carving design!
It features the profile silhouette of the classic, original 1950s Barbie, giving this pumpkin a little bit of a retro feel.
No matter whether your preferred pumpkin aesthetic is intricate or minimalist, pop culture inspired or classic, spooky or cute, we’ve got you covered!
These pumpkin carving ideas are the perfect way to get yourself and your friends into the Halloween spirit.
