How to do cool pumpkin carvings?

Using a mix of long and short carving strokes will create texture on the pumpkin. Spray vinegar on the carved areas so they last longer before adding your string lights . Tip: If your pumpkin isn't glowing much, you can thin the flesh of the pumpkin by scraping away more of the inside flesh with a spoon.

What can you carve instead of a pumpkin?

Aside from peppers, Murray says gourds and squash vegetables are other great alternatives to classic pumpkins. Choose ones with smooth fronts to carve your spooky faces into.

What is a good carving pumpkin?

Captain Jack is an extra-large, dark orange Jack O'Lantern-type pumpkin. Captain Jack is an extra-large variety boasts a classic tall, barrel shape. Its flat bottom allows it to easily stand on its own with toppling over. Captain Jack pumpkins are most common used for carving pumpkins.

How do you get sharpie off a pumpkin?

Fun pumpkin carving fact: you can get sharpie or permanent marker off of a pumpkin with rubbing alcohol or nail polish remover.

What fruit can you carve?

Fruit carving is the art of carving fruit, a very common technique in Europe and Asian countries, and particularly popular in Thailand, China and Japan. There are many fruits that can be used in this process; the most popular one that artists use are watermelons, apples, strawberries, pineapples, and cantaloupes .

Can you carve fake pumpkins?

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 .

How do you carve pumpkin eyes?

Hollow out orange pumpkins; carve eye shape, then use linoleum cutter to carve lashes. Draw iris and pupil circles on white pumpkins, trace iris outlines with linoleum cutter, and lightly etch lines from outer to inner edge of iris. Paint with diluted green acrylic paint; when dry, use black acrylic paint for pupil.

How do you carve a haunted house pumpkin?

If you want to, you can carve some of the pumpkin flesh out to make the outlines for the ghost faces. You can use a small knife, scalpel or carving tool. Then carve out the eyes and mouth for the face using the carving knife. Next carve out the door and the circle shape for the window at the top of the house.

How long does a sculpted pumpkin last?

Generally, carved pumpkins last between 3 to 5 days , but weather and sunlight can play a huge role in your lantern's life. If you live in a colder climate, your pumpkin could last up to a week, but if it's exposed to heat, it may only last a few days.

How do you make a carved pumpkin glow?

If you are using a carved jack-o-lantern, you've already got a face. If you just want a glowing pumpkin, you simply coat the pumpkin with glow in the dark paint , and you're finished.

10 Creative Pumpkin Carving Ideas | Hallmark Ideas & Inspiration (2024)

10 Creative Pumpkin Carving Ideas | Hallmark Ideas & Inspiration (1)

By Betsy Gantt on August 7, 2017

When it comes to Halloween, if you aren’t over-the-top, you’re not doing it right. Take a journey with us through an enchanted forest where the pumpkins are creative yet frightfully easy to make. Follow our simple instructions to create the perfect jack-o’-lantern from our top 10 pumpkin-carving ideas.

To make most of our jack-o’-lanterns, all you need are the basic art skills (like gluing and tracing circles and squares) that you mastered as a kid. An electric pumpkin carver makes them scary-easy to create, but don’t fear—any of these pumpkin-carving ideas can be done with the tools you already have at home.

Inspired? Create and share by tagging @hallmarkstores.

Died bride and doomed groom

10 Creative Pumpkin Carving Ideas | Hallmark Ideas & Inspiration (2)

Set the altar for shivery fun with this gruesome twosome who are ready for their Halloween wedding day. With a snazzy top hat for the groom and some gauzy wrapping for the bridal veil, you’ll be on your way to creating your own mummy pumpkin man and wife—until death, or rot, they do part.

Download the died bride and doomed groompumpkin instructions

Monstroctopus

10 Creative Pumpkin Carving Ideas | Hallmark Ideas & Inspiration (3)

A single baleful turnip eye keeps watch. Curling banana pepper tentacles are primed to grab the legs of those who wander off the beaten path. And a pointy red pepper tongue sticks out between crooked asparagus tip teeth. No chance of YOUR house getting egged with Monstroctopus on duty this Halloween night. Who knew vegetables could be so gleefully evil? Actually, my kids did…

Download the monstroctopus pumpkin instructions

Haunted mouse houses

10 Creative Pumpkin Carving Ideas | Hallmark Ideas & Inspiration (4)

To build these mini mice mansions, gather a few oddly shaped pumpkins, a carving tool, twigs, dried leaves, a hot glue gun or craft glue, and a few faux mice (shiver).

To make the houses, cut holes in the pumpkins for the door and windows. Then break your twigs until they’re all similar in length, proportional to the holes. Glue twigs together to make the window frames, shutters, doors and ramps. To attach the twig accessories, insert the twig ends into the pumpkins and glue to secure. Scatter dried leaves around the base of each pumpkin house. Add your friendly woodland creatures to complete the scene.

Something wicked trio

10 Creative Pumpkin Carving Ideas | Hallmark Ideas & Inspiration (5)

Macbeth’s witches have nothing on these ladies. But don’t worry, not much toil or trouble is needed to turn these girly gourds into midnight hags. Reenact their boiling cauldron scene with a few wickedly fun ingredients—eye of newt, alas, is not included.

Download the something wicked trio pumpkin instructions

Cinderella's pumpkin carriage

10 Creative Pumpkin Carving Ideas | Hallmark Ideas & Inspiration (6)

The subtle blue-gray of this pumpkin lends an air of mystery to this charmed carriage. Fancy belt and jewelry findings and a few pieces of hardware come together to create a magical midnight ride.

Download Cinderella’s pumpkin carriage instructions

Mowleficent fowl

10 Creative Pumpkin Carving Ideas | Hallmark Ideas & Inspiration (7)

A parliament of screech owls will liven up your night of fright and keep watch over the trick-or-treaters in your neighborhood. We’ll show you how to create these creatures on the fly with just a few simple materials.

Download the mowleficent fowl pumpkin instructions

Reek and Shriek

10 Creative Pumpkin Carving Ideas | Hallmark Ideas & Inspiration (8)

This adorably ugly couple has found true Halloween love. To duplicate this duo of doom, first you’ll need to peruse your pumpkin patch for a long, curvy-stemmed pumpkin or gourd and a warty-fleshed pumpkin (such as the knucklehead variety).

To make Reek, hollow out the warty pumpkin and carve him a grin. Attach mini pumpkins, cut in half, for his eyes. For his teeth and antenna, look around your house for odds and ends—especially your refrigerator. For example, we used pieces of white asparagus to make our Reek’s teeth. Attach what you find with florist wire or glue.

To make Shriek, first roll a long-stemmed pumpkin or gourd on its side until the stem “nose” is the perfect angle. Lop off a piece of the new “bottom” with your carving knife so the pumpkin won’t roll back. Next, carve a shallow little smirk under her nose. Then grab a costume witch’s hat, some leafy lettuce from your fridge and 2 mini pumpkins for her hat, hair and eyes. Attach them with toothpicks or florist wire.

Madame l’Osterhead

10 Creative Pumpkin Carving Ideas | Hallmark Ideas & Inspiration (9)

We went all out to create Madame’s body, but this scene is equally spooky, and much easier to duplicate, if you just make hands to hold a surprised pumpkin head. We’ll show you how to do both.

Download the Madame l’Osterhead pumpkin instructions

Mr. Pumpkin and damsels in distress

10 Creative Pumpkin Carving Ideas | Hallmark Ideas & Inspiration (10)

To create this scene in which the lady gourds are looking up in fright, place this ghoulishly grinning pumpkin on a cake stand or a small stack of books. Or, if you want to take a friendlier approach, you can turn Mr. Pumpkin into a lounge singer with the damsel trio singing backup.

Download the Mr. Pumpkin and damsels instructions

Skully in stitches

10 Creative Pumpkin Carving Ideas | Hallmark Ideas & Inspiration (11)

Sew up this skeleton’s smile with some heavy-gauge black florist wire. But allow a few days between all the steps so he can thoroughly dry out.

To make Skully, start with a white pumpkin, a melon baller, craft glue, black glitter, heavy-gauge black florist’s wire and wire snippers. Scoop out shallow circles with the melon baller for his eyes and a curved line for his smile. Let him dry overnight. Turn him so his face is facing up, then fill in the carved areas with a coat of craft glue and cover the glue completely with the black glitter. Let him dry again. Finally, insert 5 curved pieces of florist wire above and below his mouth to form his seemly, or rather seamly, stitches.

Tags:
Celebrate
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Credits:
Additional contributions from Hallmark photo stylist Joe Blake.

Hallmark photo stylist, Betsy Gantt, has created countless sets and all manner of handcrafted props, including cradles for kitties, elaborate fairy scenes and tiny trinket worlds. She spends her free time exploring flea markets for tiki collectibles and perfecting the mai tai.

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See all

10 Creative Pumpkin Carving Ideas | Hallmark Ideas & Inspiration (2024)

Died bride and doomed groom

Monstroctopus

Haunted mouse houses

Something wicked trio

Cinderella's pumpkin carriage

Mowleficent fowl

Reek and Shriek

Madame l’Osterhead

Mr. Pumpkin and damsels in distress

Skully in stitches

Shop Halloween

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