Halloween Pumpkin Carving

Hundreds of pumpkin carving ideas to inspire you to carve an awesome pumpkin this Halloween!

Carving pumpkins is the best Halloween activity to show off your crafting skills and get your hands dirty. While you may still enjoy the classic toothy smile and triangle nose design, there are plenty of innovative options out there to spark your creativity this year.

To give you some inspiration, we've gathered tons of ideas that are worth considering. From impaled fence pumpkins to carvings inspired by your favorite movies, there's bound to be a jack-o'-lantern on this list that speaks to you. And if these all seem too complex for your knife skills, skip carving altogether and try one of these painted pumpkin ideas instead. Or you could combine a painted design with a carved design. Get your creative juices flowing, and make it your own!

Witch's Brew Pumpkin
Anyone who loves a tedious carving will be up for tackling this design: a witch stirring the brew in her cauldron as smoke emanates from it.

Toothy Grin Pumpkin
Give your pumpkin the biggest toothy grin this Halloween. Depending on what you do with the eyes, you can either make it look friendly or frightening.

Modern Cat Pumpkin
If you want something on the subtle side, consider recreating this pumpkin featuring a bunch of faceless mini cats by using a power drill.

Skull Pumpkin
A skull face is sure to creep out anyone who glances at it. Use a skull stencil to guide your carving or print an illustration of a skull and use scissors to create your own.

Ceramic-Inspired Pumpkins
Take inspiration from these ceramic displays by carving small leaves and droplets into your pumpkins in a pattern that feels like it flows.

Pineapple Pumpkin
Transform a pumpkin into a creepy version of a realistic pineapple. Start by carving the eyes and the face (with or without making holes), and then tap into your painting skills. Use green felt to fashion the crown.

Black Spray Painted Pumpkin
For a slight twist on the classic jack-o'-lantern carving, use black spray paint to cover the inside of your pumpkin. Let some of the paint seep outside of the eyes for an extra ominous look.

Cute Cat Pumpkin
If you're not into the whole scariness of Halloween and you consider yourself a cat lover, opt for carving a cute cat pumpkin.

Scared Pumpkin
Not all carved pumpkins have to be creepy or happy—they can be scared, too! This one looks like he's just seen a ghost.

Thorny Pumpkin
When you have themed dishes to match, a spiky jack-o'-lantern can make a great centerpiece or party platter accent.

Baby Yoda Pumpkin
Baby Yoda has been an inspiration for everything from pet Halloween costumes to Echo Dot stands, so why not let the beloved character take the spotlight on your pumpkin?

Eyeball Pumpkin
What's creepier than a single, detailed eye? Make it feel like something's always watching your front yard with this eyeball pumpkin. Bonus: Add another pumpkin next to it with very sharp-looking teeth to enhance the spookiness.

Tiny, Colorful Pumpkins
Give mini white pumpkins with classic jack-o'-lantern faces on them a vibrant twist by dying them with food coloring. Arrange them on a cake plate for extra flair.

Trick or Treat Pumpkin
This eerie design is much more intriguing to look at than a pumpkin that simply says "trick or treat" on it or only features one or two ghosts. Give the tricky carving a try if you dare!