33 Easy Pumpkin Carving Ideas For the Best Jack-o'-Lanterns On the Block

Carve your favorite furry friend into your pumpkin this Halloween. This spooky (but not scary) pumpkin carving idea creates a silhouette of a cat against a full moon. Use our free cat pumpkin carving stencil to scrape the design, rather than using a traditional carving method. The thinned pumpkin flesh behind the cat will give the pumpkin a warm glow that looks like real moonlight.

This farm-inspired pumpkin is all about using your imagination. Carve out a barn-shape opening and fill it with mini bales of straw and wee gourd animals. The no-carve cow and pic come to life using outdoor acrylic paint ($2, Michaels), felt, and glue—customize them to look like your favorite critters. Turn kids loose with supplies, and they're sure to fashion a full farmyard menagerie.

Either this paw print pumpkin stencil is a regular ol' dog print that's been enlarged by a factor of ten, or it's a true-to-life werewolf print. Use a pumpkin carving kit ($10, Walmart) and our free stencil to make this Halloween pumpkin. If each of your family members is making a pumpkin, carve an extra for your pet to make your pumpkin family complete. If you're feeling ambitious, use one of our free dog breed stencils to carve one that looks just like your pup!

Turn your front porch into a pirate ship with this easy skull-and-crossbones pumpkin cut out. The partially-carved skull gives a creepy ambiance, while the light of the candle or battery-operated tea light ($4, Walmart) inside shines through the eyes and crossbones. Carve this design into a pumpkin of any color—black will make it look like a classic pirate flag!

The little ones will get a kick out of the cheeky (and cheesey!) pumpkin carving idea for kids. Simply coat a real or faux pumpkin with soft yellow paint, drill a few different-size holes, and add plastic mice in various stages of entering and leaving. For safety, use battery-operated candles for illumination.

Choo, choo, choose pumpkins with a similar size and shape. Cut out wheels and windows, then paint the train cars. This cute-as-pie idea is more freight than fright—what a delight!

Create a Frankenstein monster that's goofy and fun to carve. Our free pumpkin carving stencil makes this pumpkin pattern easy and fun for all ages. A pumpkin carving knife ($12 for a 5-piece set, Walmart) is the only tool you'll need to get this stencil cut into your pumpkin.

Related: 7 Must-Have Pumpkin Carving Tools

Felt wings and ears secured with toothpicks transform petite pumpkins into wicked-cute bats. Etch out the eyes then stick red sewing pins ($7, Walmart) through the center of each to create beady stares. A coat of black paint on the bodies makes the eyes appear to glow even during the day.

Walking Dead fans rejoice—we've got the best free pumpkin stencil for you. Create a creepy zombie hand with a lit background for a shaded and spooky design. Use a lumpy and bumpy pumpkin to complete the undead look.

This owl pumpkin design is anything but scary! The details of this free pumpkin stencil include leaves, flowers and polka dots. Use a drill and traditional carving tools ($10, Lowe's) to bring this free pumpkin design to life.

Carve your biggest pumpkin with a wide, goofy smile to greet trick-or-treaters as they walk up to your front porch. This classic jack-o'-lantern just has four easy shapes, so you'll have a festive outdoor display completed in no time.

Editor's tip: Rub Vaseline ($2, Target) on the carved areas of your pumpkin to make it last longer.

Simple but dramatic is the mantra with these big-eyed jack-o'-lanterns. Pick your favorite eyes from our five templates or freehand pairs. Set pumpkins in a shady area so they look like creatures peering out at trick-or-treaters. Use faux flickering candles ($10, Pottery Barn) to avoid a fire hazard.

This dragon pumpkin design breathes fire, which looks so realistic once a candle is placed inside. This design plays with a mix of scraping and full carving for different amounts of light in different shapes.

We *like* this pumpkin-carving design—and your Halloween trick-or-treaters will, too! This positive pumpkin design is sure to make guests smile, and maybe you’ll even get a thumbs up on your creative Halloween decorations.

A little bit funny and a little bit spooky, these witch's legs stand tall with black paint, ribbon, and shallow carving, courtesy of gouging tools. This pumpkin design will perfectly accent your existing Halloween witch decor.

This easy deer pumpkin doesn't require any actual carving at all! Transfer the stencil design to the surface of your pumpkin, then use an etching tool from a pumpkin carving tool kit ($11, Walmart) to etch around the silhouette of the deer. When you're done, light the pumpkin from the inside for a subtle spooky glow.

One easy way to pump up a traditional pumpkin: Forget the orange and try a colorful gourd instead. Here, a green pumpkin transforms a traditional triangle face and crooked grin into an interesting focal point.

This angry pumpkin has teeth, pupils, and wobbly eyebrows that create a festive and spooky pumpkin. Use a pumpkin saw ($3, Party City) and our free pumpkin carving template to get the look for your front entryway this fall. Don't forget to put a small votive candle inside to illuminate the face.

What's better than one grinning cat face pumpkin? A little mouse pumpkin to pair with it! Download the patterns for these cute critters below. After carving the kitty, don't forget to attach some black felt ears to make her extra cute.

Whether you're carving the flame emoji on a single pumpkin or assembling a DIY pumpkin bonfire, we've got several free flame-shape stencils to choose from. All you need for this easy pumpkin carving idea is a big carving knife ($3, Party City) and a spoon to scoop out the insides.

A new twist on traditional pumpkin carving comes courtesy of this loveable trio of pumpkin ideas. Monster-inspired but without the scary edge, these easy pumpkin carving designs are a perfect complement to good-natured seasonal decorating. Create one or group them all together to spice up your front entry for trick-or-treaters.

If you have multiple carvers in your household, then these silly pumpkin carving ideas are perfect for each of them to create a unique design. This grouping is forgiving of any flaws, with wide grins, big eyes, and goofy expressions—try one or all of our ideas for pumpkin faces to carve.

To make these pretty monogrammed Halloween pumpkins, first, decide whether you want to use the initial of your family name or the initials of each family member's first name. Let each person pick their own pumpkin for a variety of different colors and sizes. Keeping all in the same font will give your family pumpkins Weasley-sweater vibes. If you'd rather, print letters in different fonts to mix it up; trace onto pumpkins and carve or gouge out.

Light up your walkway for trick-or-treaters this Halloween with miniature pumpkin luminarias. Small to midsize pumpkins work perfectly for this easy carving idea—just hang a series of these carved faces along a sidewalk using heavy-gauge wire and black shepherd's hooks ($8, Lowe's). Skip the candles in place of battery-operated lights.

This spooky scarecrow will guard your front porch all season long. This one looks detailed, but since the stencil uses negative space to form the scarecrow figure, you'll only need to actually cut out eight pieces. Carve a simple stitched smile on the figure and your pumpkin is ready to display!

Your littlest ones will love the good-natured expression of this easy pumpkin carving idea. The simple pattern makes it easy to cut out the off-kilter teeth, oversize nose, and expressive eyebrows. For long-lasting light, consider battery-operated candles.

This smiling vampire stencil could seem scary at first, but he's a friendly, funny monster: just look at that grin! With a hooked nose and dramatic eyebrows, this vampire pumpkin is all fun and games. To make this vampire, simply use our stencil as a guide.

Boo, we see you! For this emoji pumpkin carving idea, don't use just any ghost—use your favorite emoji instead! A playful emoji ghost will make a haunting accent for your Halloween home. Bonus: Our ghost stencil is perfect for pumpkin decorators who would rather etch than carve their designs.

Take an easy pumpkin carving pattern, add flowers and greenery, and voila: floral-enhanced jack-o'-lanterns! Happy faces are quick to carve, and cheery colors add a light and bright touch to this autumn duo. Attach accents with pins, toothpicks, or glue for adorable smiling pumpkins.

This easy pumpkin carving idea is a great way to welcome visitors to your home this Halloween season. Remove the stems from the pumpkins (except for the top one). Trace number stencils onto pumpkins using a crafts knife. Then, chisel the pumpkin skin out of the stenciled numbers, revealing the lighter pumpkin flesh beneath.

Your kids will have fun helping pick out accents for this easy pumpkin carving idea. Transfer the pattern onto a pumpkin and cut out. Make sure to cut the lid with a zigzag edge. Wind wire around the feet of artificial crows ($14, Target), and position them as desired. Poke the wire ends into the pumpkin to secure the birds in place (you also could use fake mice or rats as other seasonal accents).

Give your cat pumpkin something to chase. Complete your pumpkin display with a fun scattering of mice using our free printable pumpkin carving stencils. Group multiple mice on one large pumpkin or carve individual pumpkins for more flexibility in the final arrangement.

Make quick work of easy pumpkin carving with everyone’s favorite tool: a drill. Start with a quick sketch of your design and use a drill with a small bit to create evenly spaced holes on the pumpkin. Tuck in a strand of LED lights for constant illumination.