29 Easy Pumpkin Carving Ideas For the Best Jack-o’-Lanterns On the Block

By BH&G Holiday Editors
Updated September 01, 2020
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Jason Donnelly
Carve your own funny, scary, or beautiful pumpkin carvings this Halloween. Your whole family will find plenty to love about these easy pumpkin carving ideas. We have everything from kid-friendly (and easy!) smiling carved faces to gorgeous carved pumpkin monograms for your front entryway. Plus, our free pumpkin carving stencils make these designs super easy to create!
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Cat Pumpkin Stencil

Brie Passano
get the free cat stencil

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.

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Peek-a-Boo Barn

Adam Albright

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 paint, 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.

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Paw Print Pumpkin

Brie Passano
get the paw print stencil

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 our 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!

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Skull-and-Crossbones Pumpkin

Jason Donnelly
get the free stencil

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 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!

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Cheese-and-Mice Pumpkin

Greg Scheidemann

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.

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Twilight Express

Adam Albright

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!

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Frankenstein Face Pumpkin

Carson Downing
free frankenstein stencil

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 is the only tool you'll need to get this stencil cut into your pumpkin.

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Bat Attack

Adam Albright

Felt wings and ears secured with toothpicks transform petite pumpkins into wicked-cute bats. Etch out the eyes then stick red sewing pins 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.

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Zombie Pumpkin Stencil

Jason Donnelly
free zombie stencil

Walking Dead fans rejoice—we the 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.

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Cute Owl Pumpkin

Brie Passano
free cute owl stencil

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 carving tools ($10, Lowes) to bring this free pumpkin design to life.

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Glowing Eyes

Adam Albright
Get the free eye templates

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.

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Dragon Pumpkin

Brie Passano
free dragon stencil

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. Little ones planning to dress in a knight in shining armor costume will love this easy pumpkin carving.

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Thumbs Up Emoji Stencil

Get the pumpkin stencil

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.

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Witch's Legs

Greg Scheidemann
Get the stencils here

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.

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Traditional Pumpkins with a Twist

Helen Norman

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.

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Angry Face Pumpkin

Brie Passano
Free angry pumpkin stencil

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

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Cat and Mouse Pumpkins

Adam Albright
Get the free stencils

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.

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Easy Pumpkin Trio

Adam Albright
Get the Halloween stencil

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.

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Grinning Pumpkin Grouping

Greg Scheidemann

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.

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Monogrammed Pumpkins

Alexandra Grablewski

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.

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Pumpkin Luminarias

Andy Lyons

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 shepherd's hooks. Skip the candles in place of battery-operated lights.

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Laughing Pumpkin

Greg Scheidemann
Get the free pattern

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.

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Sly Vampire

Adam Albright
Get the free vampire pattern

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.

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Ghost Emoji Stencil

Diane Starkey
Download the pattern

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.

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Flower-Power Pumpkins

Blaine Moats

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.

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Pumpkin House Numbers

Peter Krumhardt

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.

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Pumpkin for the Birds

Jay Wilde
Get the free pattern

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).

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Mice Stencils

Jay Wilde
Get the free stencil

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.

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Drilled-Face Pumpkins

Steven Randazzo

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.

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By BH&G Holiday Editors