20 Unique Pumpkin Carving Ideas (2024)

FAQs

What can I carve instead of a pumpkin? ›

If you want actually useful, multi-purpose kitchen tools:

To carve your pumpkin, and especially for the part where you cut the top off, you're going to need a good, sturdy serrated knife. We like this one from OXO that's likely to be stronger and sharper than anything you'll get in a plastic carving kit.

Carving Pumpkins

It is the Jack-O-Lantern pumpkin! These pumpkins were bred for carving, so they have little flesh (“pumpkin guts”) on the inside and thin walls that make it easy to carve and allow candles to shine through. Lumina pumpkins are also a fun choice for carving due to their eerie white skin.

Pepper or Capsicum Jack-O'Lanterns

Green, red or yellow peppers (or capsic*ms) make very good carving material as they are much softer to cut than pumpkins. The flesh is not as messy either so less chance of rotting or moulding before your Halloween party!

Originally, Turnips were what we carved. Although, many decades since, some people have carved watermelons. But Carving Pumpkins is, generally, what we do these days.

A Serrated Vegetable Knife

The best tool for cutting the eyes, mouth, and nose out of your jack-o'-lantern is something that's probably already sitting in your kitchen: “I use a fruit and vegetable knife with a serrated edge,” says McMahon, who notes that his chosen knife is eight inches long.

Thin out the interior wall of the pumpkin on the side where you plan to carve, making the carving process easier. Design your Jack o' Lantern using a dry erase marker. If you make a mistake, it's easy to wipe it away and start over.

Petroleum jelly or vegetable oil will help keep the moisture in and keep your pumpkin looking good. Another option is to use a store-bought pumpkin preservative spray like Pumpkin Fresh, which contains fungicide (to kill the mold) and lubricants (to keep the pumpkin from drying out).

Spraying the cut surfaces with hairspray can also slow down the decaying process. Products designed for anti-humidity work really well. Instead of cutting the stem out of the top of the pumpkin to be carved, cut the hole on the bottom of the pumpkin and remove the piece.

Should you throw away pumpkin guts? ›

When it dries it becomes extremely hard like cement creating a huge problem for your pipes. We suggest carving your pumpkins on a newspaper so you can easily discard your pumpkin innards and seeds into your garbage can or compost pile.

Room temperature pumpkins are easiest to carve, so if you are storing your pumpkins outside, bring them inside 1-2 days before carving so they can warm up.

1. Black Futsu – Like a color-changing chameleon, this rare Japanese variety is one of the most unique pumpkins you can grow. Starting out as a greenish-black wart covered fruit, 'Black Futsu' turns chestnut color when mature, but not before transitioning through a grayish-green, moldy-looking stage.

Technically, any type of pumpkin, gourd or squash can be carved, but you want to select ones that are easy for you and your kids to handle.

No need to grab a special carving knife—just use what you'd use for dinner. A serrated knife can cut through thick pumpkin rind with ease, while a paring knife can detail the most minute cut-outs.

Root vegetables of choice: radishes, turnips, rutabagas, and potatoes work well *Note: Vegetables with contrasting skin and flesh colors make for bolder carvings. Kid-safe carving tools: Spoons, table knives, wooden skewers or toothpicks, melon ballers, cookie cutters, etc.

There are two kinds of faux pumpkins I have come across, the generic craft pumpkin and the Funkin. The craft pumpkins look like an idealized pumpkin. They are a little thin for carving but will work.