Halloween Pumpkin Carving Ideas and Tools

First of all, selecting the pumpkins you'll carve for Halloween is very important.

Size matters!

You will need to select the pumpkin that is the right size and shape for what you would like to carve. The bigger and heavier, the more difficult it is to handle. Bigger isn't always better.

Generally, try to select pumpkins that are uniformly orange meaning that are ripe, and have no bruises, cuts or nicks.

Using a template is usually the best way to carve, if you want a lot of detail or when you are just starting out with carving pumpkins.

Free Templates, Patterns, and Stencils for download:

Celebrate Halloween - A very nice selection of free templates. Well organized!
Pumpkin Lady - Over 200 templates to download and print!
Hershey's Templates - As in Hershey's chocolate!
Cartoon Characters - Harry Potter, Sponge Bob, Dora the Explorer, and many more!
Martha Stewarts Pumpkin Carving Templates - Clever ideas from Martha herself.
Zombie Pumpkins - A searchable database of over 200 stencils.
Better Homes and Gardens - Many free downloads to print and carve.

In order to carve a really good pumpkin you will need the right tools! They should be sharp, flexible, thin and sturdy.

You could buy a pumpkin carving toolkit or you can put together your own tools, including power tools. Believe it or not, there is even a Dremel tool just for pumpkin carving! *See Dremel Pumpkin Carving Tool below.

The use of a combination of power tools and hand tools is actually recommended. Power tools allow for easier carving, while hand tools will give you greater control over detail or sensitive areas.

Recommended Hand Tools:
A long, thin bladed boning knife - For larger cutting, such as the hole in the top. It is the hand tool version of the jig saw.
An X-Acto knife with a keyhole saw - For detailed work.
Small, thin knives - Great for detailed work.
Grease Pencils - Especially good for freehand drawing a pattern.
Ice Cream Scoop - Awesome for scooping!
A large metal ladle - Also nice for scooping.

Recommended Power Tools:
Jig Saw - It takes practice, but it is a fast way to cut. Use a small, thin blade. Be careful, it keeps cutting after you turn it off!
Drill - For making small, accurate holes. Much better than trying to "carve" a small hole!
Dremel Tool

First, cut out the top of the pumpkin around the stem of the pumpkin. The hole normally should be large enough to allow you to scoop out the seeds and stringy guts by hand, or with a large spoon.

Turn the pumpkin around to determine where you will begin carving.

Feel free to use the shape and textures of the pumpkin to enhance the finished product.

Put the template on the pumpkin and tape it down or use the grease pencil to mark where you would like to carve.

Once you are ready, begin cutting the larger areas and then work toward more detail. Take your time!