Fun pumpkin carving ideas: 58 Easy Pumpkin Carving Ideas for 2023: Cute, Cool, Simple
Pumpkin Decorating and Carving for Kids: Fun Ideas for All Ages 2023
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Kids love to carve pumpkins – but it can be a bit non-kid friendly at times. Here are some of the best ideas for pumpkin carving for kids and toddlers to make it safe and fun for everyone.
Pumpkin Carving for Kids
One of my favorite parts of Halloween is picking out the perfect pumpkin and carving a fun design on it.
Growing up, I would bug my dad on a daily basis to take us to King Soopers to pick out a pumpkin.
He would usually make us wait until just a few days before Halloween. It was torturous!
Ever since my first child was born, we’ve made pumpkin carving a family tradition. We have three kids now, and it just gets more and more fun each year.
With that said, it can be a little bit tricky to know the best ways to carve pumpkins with children, because it can be a little bit dangerous once you pull out the kitchen knives!
Thankfully, there are a lot of great ways to involve the whole family – and some are carving-free! I hope that this post will help you find some ideas that the whole family will enjoy this Halloween season.
Pumpkin Carving Ideas for Toddlers
Kid’s Pumpkin Decorating Kits
There are tons of different pumpkin decorating kits out there that are really affordable. I can even find them at The Dollar Tree these days.
My favorite brand is Pumpkin Masters. They include safe-to-use tools to make pumpkin carving a little less dangerous – my oldest son can even do it.
They usually include some fun designs to make it easier to cut out your pumpkin, and they even have some pumpkin stickers that are fun for carve-free pumpkins.
Here are some of the different kits you can buy:
- 12 Pattern Pumpkin Carving Kit
- Pumpkin Masters Stick ‘Ems
- 10 Pattern Carving Kit
And just for fun, here’s a progression of using one of these kits several years back.
Patterns
There are so many patterns out there that you can find to carve a pumpkin with. You can have your child pick out their favorite one, and then you can just print it off and get started.
I found this website – Pumpkin Pile – that has TONS of free ideas!
Painting
This is one of the simplest pumpkin decorating ideas, and it’s something that young and older children can enjoy.
Just get out some paint, some paintbrushes (or even encourage finger painting) and let your kids go to down. I recommend making sure you set out plenty of newspapers to prevent any big messes.
I also love these bibs from IKEA. They are great for protecting clothes from paint!
Mr. Potato Head Pieces
Forrest and I both thought this sounded like a fun idea – get out a bunch of Mr. Potato head pieces and let your kids stick them into the pumpkin.
This is a very safe way to decorate a pumpkin, and if you have a variety of pieces (there are so many different sets you can get on Amazon), the pumpkin could be rather creative!
Pumpkin Punchers
We got these last year, and they were a big hit for kids and adults. It’s basically like a cookie cutter for the pumpkin. My kids loved being able to pick out different eyes, noses, and mouths, and then it was super easy for Forrest to cut out the design using a hammer.
You can buy them on Amazon!
Chalk pumpkins
I saw this idea on Pinterest, and I LOVED it!
Basically, you buy some chalkboard paint and cover a pumpkin in it.
Then, give your child some chalk, and they can draw all over it. I think it’s such a fun and non-messy idea.
Foam Sticker Pieces
I always see foam stickers on sale at Jo-Ann’s or Michaels.
There are always a bunch of different kinds – they often have seasonal/holiday kinds.
Your kids can easily put these all over their pumpkins. This is another great idea for younger kids.
Safe lighting
Finally, it’s important to make sure you keep things as safe as possible with your kids.
I already mentioned the carving tools that Pumpkin Masters have that are safer for adults and children.
However, safe lighting is important as well! Candles can be tricky to light and put into a pumpkin. I put one in our pumpkin tonight and just about burned my hand off (I don’t work well with fire, though).
Pumpkin strobe lights can be really fun to use. I’ve found those at the Dollar Tree most years!
Dollar Tree LED tea lights are also a great idea.
I’ve seen some pumpkin lights there as well.
More Halloween Ideas You May Enjoy:
- Free You’ve Been Booed Printables and Ideas
- Halloween Games and Activities for Kids
- Dollar Store Halloween Costume Ideas
Katie
Katie is a Colorado-native, BYU graduated, and most importantly, wife to one and mother to three beautiful boys. She is passionate about sharing her experiences with others – especially about pregnancy, breastfeeding, cooking, and crafts. She is currently training to be a Certified Lactation Educator. She loves spending time with her family and helping others find joy in family life.
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About Katie
Katie is a Colorado-native, BYU graduated, and most importantly, wife to one and mother to three beautiful boys.
She is passionate about sharing her experiences with others – especially about pregnancy, breastfeeding, cooking, and crafts. She is currently training to be a Certified Lactation Educator. She loves spending time with her family and helping others find joy in family life.
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Easy Halloween Pumpkin Carving Ideas
Halloween | Halloween Decorating | Pumpkin
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5 Easy Halloween Pumpkin Carving Ideas! Simple, fun and kid-approved carving ideas…see how they look lit up at night too!
Every year I buy 5 pumpkins, 1 for each of us to carve for Halloween. This has become a tradition that the kids have come to look forward…and I look forward to it too! The most fun thing about it is seeing what each kid has decided to carve, then watching it come to life.
Here are 5 fun and spooky carving ideas that we created last Halloween!
Unconventional Pumpkin Carving
I don’t seem to follow any rules when it comes to carving my pumpkin…I’ve been know to drag out my drill to make polka-dot pumpkins! This swirly pumpkin is one that I made last year, I just kept carving swirls into it until it looked the way I wanted it to, and I LOVE how it turned out…it looks especially great at night.
I didn’t even use a pen to make the swirls, I just used a small carving knife and went with the flow!
Razor Sharp Teeth Pumpkin
Can’t go wrong with a classic scary pumpkin carving! The sharper the teeth, the better. The greatest thing about this pumpkin is that there are no rules to make it.
Spookalicious!
Classic Pumpkin Eats Pumpkin
Hahaha! I think one of the kids (or my husband) recreates this pumpkin-eats-pumpkin idea at least once every couple of years.
It never gets old.
We actually didn’t have a mini-pumpkin to put in the mouth, so we used a small pattypan squash instead…you could also use a small gourd.
Pusheen Cat Pumpkin Carving!
My youngest loves Pusheen cat so naturally he wanted to carve his pumpkin with it. So cute.
Kids love being able to make their own creations…there are no wrong ideas for Halloween! If my kid wants Pusheen cat, then Pusheen cat he shall create.
Scream!
The Scream face never gets old, I mean it’s a classic Halloween look. In fact, last Halloween I made a Scream Pie and it was a big spooky hit!
If you want even more pumpkin carving ideas, make sure to check out my previous post here.
More Halloween Fun to Create!
- Spooky (and Easy) Halloween Food Ideas
- DIY Giant Halloween Wreath
- Spooky Dollar Store Halloween Decorating Ideas
- 10 Ideas for Halloween at Home
- Ghost Pizzas
Happy Halloween!
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Jo-Anna Rooney
Hi I’m Jo-Anna Rooney, the creator, director, baker, maker and home decorator here at A Pretty Life in the Suburbs! I’m sharing a simple home life through fresh and easy recipes and uncomplicated home tips and home decor.
Halloween Pumpkin – 10 Funny and Creepy Carving Ideas
On the eve of the scariest holiday of the year, Halloween, which is traditionally celebrated on October 31, people all over the world not only carefully think over unusual snacks and desserts, but also try to decorate their home as original as possible.
The main symbol of the holiday is a Jack-O-Lantern made of a pumpkin. According to ancient beliefs, it is believed that it scares away evil spirits. How to make such an unusual lamp with your own hands?
Photo: pixabay.com
First you need to choose a pumpkin: you should pay attention that the vegetable is not very old, otherwise its peel will be very hard.
Also, the pumpkin should be free of rotten places and damage.
To make an unusual pumpkin lamp, you must first cut off the top of the pumpkin or its bottom. Then remove the insides: using a spoon with sharp edges, scrape out the seeds and pulp from the pumpkin. Then you can take a stencil of the design you want to make and pierce the design along the outline with a needle or thin awl. After that, take a sharp knife and cut out all the necessary elements, and put a candle inside.
Note that such a decor item is stored for a short time – only 3-5 days, so it should be done immediately before the holiday. We have collected for you some interesting ideas on how to carve a pumpkin for Halloween.
One of the most common ways is to cut out evil eyes, nose and mouth with a grin.
Photo: pinterest.com
For those who want to make a creative pumpkin, cut out windows and doors from it, and plant another small pumpkin inside.
Photo: pinterest.com
You can also experiment with characters – instead of Jack’s head, cut out the cat’s face.
Photo: pinterest.com
You can add unusual details to your pumpkin, such as braces for teeth.
Photo: pinterest.com
You can also cut a hole in one pumpkin into which to place a second pumpkin with a pattern, for example, a huge eye.
Photo: pinterest.com
Another option is to take a drill and cut many small holes in the pumpkin, imitating one or another pattern.
Photo: pinterest.com
As we know, round pumpkins are usually used for decoration, but you can also take oblong ones.
Photo: pinterest.com
Those who already have carving experience can make a whole composition from two pumpkins of different sizes.
Photo: pinterest.com
You can also carve bizarre huts, witches or bats on pumpkins – whatever your imagination desires.
Photo: pinterest.com
From oblong pumpkins, you can create unusual lamps in the form of a skeleton head. True, to cut such a masterpiece it will take much more time and, of course, experience.
Photo: pinterest.com
- Earlier we shared 8 creative Halloween makeup ideas.
- Read also on theLime what kind of manicure to make for Halloween.
The most interesting stories and news of the day are now in Telegram ! Subscribe to the channel theLime and learn about them soon.
DIY pumpkin decor: 10 simple and beautiful ideas
1. Pumpkin planter
Pumpkin makes a great planter for exotic succulents or any other autumn flowers. Replicating the decor from the photo is as easy as shelling pears: cut out the top and core of the pumpkin, fill the resulting hole with moss and place the plants directly into it.
- Photo
- SIMPLY HAPPENSTANCE
Alternatively, you can use a pumpkin as a flower vase to create autumn flower arrangements.
The principle of operation is the same: we cut out the core, but instead of soil we fill it with water. You can leave some pulp in which to stick the stems and branches for stability and nutrition.
- Photo
- @moseduch
2. Pumpkin with herbarium
We know how to dry flowers and autumn leaves from childhood. But do not hide them for a long time on the pages of thick books: after a week, the pressed plants can already be taken out and decorated with large pumpkins using decoupage glue.
- Photo
- country living
3. Painted pumpkins
From afar, these pumpkins cannot be distinguished from porcelain vases with Gzhel painting. This option is ideal for those who do not want Halloween-style decor in the autumn serving.
Put pumpkins on a table with a snow-white tablecloth and complement the composition with a seasonal bouquet.
- Photo
- craftberry bush
4. Pumpkins with appliqué
A decorated pumpkin can easily move from a festive table to a work table. Such a discreet design in white and gold tones will not spoil the interior of the office at all, but on the contrary, it will become an interesting accent detail. All you need is glue and large shiny sequins.
- Photo
- sugar and cloth
5. Watercolor pumpkins
Halloween decor doesn’t have to be creepy and gloomy. Watercolor pumpkins will become a bright accent in the interior and add variety to the festive decor. It is enough to wash and dry the pumpkin, stir the paints with a drop of water and apply alternately, starting from the base of the fruit.
- Photo
- Martha stewart
6. Pumpkin candlesticks
Candles add a romantic flair to a family feast. For a solemn autumn serving, replace the usual candlestick with a pumpkin. Cut off the tail of the fruit and make a small indentation for a glass bowl with candles. If there is still some room left in the hole, add moss and an ivy branch.
- Photo
- good housekeeping
7. Carved pumpkins
This pumpkin design seems to require a lot of effort, but it is actually quite simple. Draw your design on the surface of the pumpkin with a marker, leaving enough space between the holes. Take a small drill or reamer and punch holes where needed.
- Photo
- Good Housekeeping
8.
A pumpkin instead of an ice bucket
A bucket of champagne or a rose is an elegant, but not at all necessary attribute for serving drinks. Pumpkin is a great substitute! Cut off the top third of the fruit and remove the core, then place a suitable size glass or plastic bowl inside and fill it with ice.
- Photo
- style me pretty
9. Pumpkins with ribbons
If you don’t have time to cut stencils, paint and glue, tie a beautiful ribbon around the pumpkin’s tail. The color and print of the braid is best chosen in accordance with the color scheme of the interior or the theme of the holiday.
- Photo
- STYLE ME PRETTY
10. mini pumpkins
Grab tiny pumpkins from stores and place around your home for an autumnal feel.