10 Easy Halloween Pumpkin Faces to Carve

Here is a round-up of carving basics and hacks from pumpkin carving experts.

• Cut your lid from the back bottom of the pumpkin, rather than from the top or bottom. “If you cut the top off the pumpkin […] they will dry up,” Jon Neill, a special effects artist and professional pumpkin carver, told NBCnews.com. “If you open it from the bottom, pumpkins give off so much moisture.”
• Pick pumpkins that are lighter in color. While Neill prefers darker, thick-skinned pumpkins, for beginners he recommends lighter pumpkins with “thinner thickness of the skin.”
• Use a serrated knife or a pumpkin carving kit.
• Cut the lid at an angle and use toothpicks to hold it in place.
• Use an ice cream scoop for the pulp instead of a regular spoon.
• Trace designs with dry-erase markers.
• Use cookie cutters to carve shapes into the pumpkin. “My kids who are 9, 11, and 12 love carving pumpkins this way,” Sandra Valdovinos-Heredia, mom of three and small business owner, told Mom.com. “We use a rubber end hammer to put pressure on the cookie cutter.”
• Spread petroleum jelly on the cut edges to seal in moisture.
• Use string lights instead of candles.
• If you do decide to stick with a real candle, sprinkle cinnamon inside the pumpkin. It will smell like pumpkin pie when the candle is lit!

Safety note: Remember to enjoy the season safely — pumpkin carving can be dangerous if not done properly. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), an annual average of 3,600 Halloween-related injuries were treated in U.S. hospital ERs, and 48% of those were related to pumpkin carving. If working with young children, please take special care to keep all sharp tools out of arm’s reach. Have them do the design and save the actual carving for adults.

Most of these pumpkin carving ideas don’t ask for more than eyes, nose, and a mouth as far as DIY carving goes. To use these free templates, tape a printout to the pumpkin and mark with the prongs of a fork.

1. Unicorn
Using a white pumpkin (or paint an orange one white), cut a lid and the eyes (and lashes!) Paint rosy cheeks and add glitter, faux flowers, and a horn on top, and you have yourself a bright-eyed unicorn.

2. Mickey Mouse
Re-create Micky’s famous mousy smile with these free templates from lifestyle blog SparklyEverAfter.com. (Plus two mini pumpkins or oranges for the ears!)

3. Crazy hair Jack-o-lantern
Jazz up your traditional Jack-o-lanterns by adding hair! Drill holes in the top for a lollipop mohawk, or pot them with succulents or herbs for a more flowy ‘do.

4. Family of pumpkins (#40)
Find a daddy, mommy, and baby pumpkin, cut out faces, and accessorize them with a top hat, cat eye sunglasses, and a bow tie! Get free accessory stencils from Woman’s Day.

5. Animal faces (#1 & 2)
Turn your pumpkin into an expressive cat or owl with these cute and simple carvings, which use triangle-shaped orange peels for cat ears and owl feet.

6. Familiar faces
From sugar skulls to Frankenstein, you’ll find eight free templates that you can print and use immediately!

For those who prefer to decorate without the risk and mess of carving, here are some fun and simple alternatives.

7. Mini monsters
Get three to five mini white pumpkins, acrylic paint, and a variety of paint brushes. Find step-by-step instructions for painting a friendly ghost, Frankenstein, Dracula, and more on crafting blog AubreeOriginals.com.

8. Crochet pumpkin person
Draw two black circles for eyes and an upside-down semi-circle for a small mouth. Attach crocheted arms and legs for a cheerful little crafty friend.

9. Emoji pumpkins
Paint your pumpkins with yellow acrylic paint. Using super glue and black and red felt or foam sheets, make cut-outs of the winking emoji, yum emoji, or heart eyes emoji.

10. Mummy pumpkin
Glue on googly eyes and wrap rolled gauze around the eyes and pumpkin body with Elmer’s glue, and you’re done!

Find more creative, no-carve ideas from Parenting Special Needs Magazine.