25 Pumpkin Carving Ideas For Beginners
Halloween is just around the corner, and what better way to celebrate than with a festive jack-o-lantern? But if you’re new to pumpkin carving, don’t worry! You don’t need to be a master sculptor to create a cool design. This post is here to help with Pumpkin Carving Ideas For Beginners. From classic spooky faces to silly characters, we’ve got something for everyone. So grab your pumpkin, and a carving kit, and get ready to unleash your creativity!
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Starry Moon
This starry moon pumpkin carving is a great one for beginners and would be so easy to do yourself! You could even choose to leave out the face on the moon to make it even easier.
Simple Cat
This cat face is one of the easiest pumpkin carving ideas! All you need is some triangles, circles, and a square to recreate this easy idea!
Cute Dinosaur
This adorable dinosaur pumpkin carving would be perfect to share with kids and looks so easy! The body of the dinosaur uses some basic lines and shapes and then top it off with some triangles!
Toad Pumpkin
Using two pumpkins, this Mario Toad pumpkin carving idea is super unique and looks so fun! This should be easy to do using some simple circles and an adorable smile!
Harry Potter Pumpkin
Harry Potter is a Halloween favorite for costumes and decorations but why not include the franchise in your pumpkin carvings too? This idea is so cute and would be so simple to recreate!
Toy Story Alien
This adorable Toy Story Alien is so cute and would be so easy to do yourself! It uses some basic shapes and makes for such a cute carving!
Flowers
Covering your pumpkin in these simple, easy flowers is such a great way to make it look professional! This idea is so cute and will look great on your doorstep!
Simple Bats
These simple bats are a perfectly spooky option to carve onto your pumpkin this Halloween! This looks super easy and festive for the holiday!
Pac-Man Pumpkin
This pumpkin carving idea is perfect for Pac-Man fans! The shapes look so easy to do and this should be simple and fun to do yourself!
Cookie Cutter Carving
Using some fun, spooky cookie cutters and a hammer, pumpkin carving is so easy! Pick out your favorite cutter shapes and get to hammering!
Skeleton Face
This Jack Skellington face from The Nightmare Before Christmas looks so easy and iconic! This movie is a Halloween favorite so why not include it in your pumpkin carvings?
Heart-Eyes Pumpkin
This heart-eye emoji pumpkin looks so easy and fun! All you need is two hearts and a semi-circle smile!
Volleyball Pumpkin
This volleyball pumpkin carving is perfect for sports lovers and uses simple shapes so it should be super easy to recreate yourself!
Pineapple or Shy Guy Character
Both of these adorable pumpkin ideas look so easy! The pineapple is perfect for Halloween time in warmer places and the Shy Guy character is great for any Mario Bros fans!
‘BOO’ Pumpkin
This BOO pumpkin is so cute and would be so easy to do! It’s so festive and just absolutely adorable for the spooky holiday!
Polka-Dot Pumpkin
This small pumpkin carving idea is great for a solo carving night! This idea looks so easy to do with a cookie cutter or a drill and makes for such a cute pumpkin!
Surprised Face
This veggie tales-esque pumpkin design is perfect for kids and looks so easy! Even amateur carving parents can help their kids out with this easy idea!
Batman Symbol
This Batman symbol pumpkin is another great carving idea to share with your kids and little ones. This look super easy and fun to DIY!
Ghost Pumpkin
A ghost is your stereotypical Halloween pumpkin but this cutout ghost looks so fun and easy for beginners!
Cute Snail
This cute snail is perfect for cottage-core autumn-lovers and would be so fun to recreate this Halloween!
Pumpkin Patch Truck
This cute little pumpkin patch truck is the perfect idea for amateur pumpkin carvers! The design is fairly simple and would be made so easy with this printable stencil!
Minions Pumpkins
These simple, easy, matching Minions pumpkins would be great if you’re carving with a friend or significant other!
Turtle Carving
This is a great carving idea for hotter locations! It’s festive but also summery for this transition time and looks so easy to do.
Owl Pumpkin
This owl pumpkin carving is a great easy one for beginners! It uses a few simple shapes but looks so professional and complex!
Scream Face
This scream face is such a Halloween icon, and super easy to recreate on a pumpkin! All you need is a few basic shapes.
Bow Pumpkin
This coquette bow pumpkin carving is perfect for anyone who doesn’t like spookier designs! This is a great idea for amateur pumpkin carvers!
Pumpkin Carving Essentials
Over the past few years, I have learned the best tips and tricks for carving pumpkins, especially with little kids! Here are the ones that have stuck with me!
1. Carve out the bottom instead of the top. This makes it easier to pop over a candle and glow at night.
2. Use a handheld mixer to loosen up all the insides. This makes it so much easier for my kids to scoop it out and saves a little time!
3. Use the cookie cutters. Using the pumpkin carving knife is definitely harder for little ones. My toddler loves using cookie cutters to create her spooky shapes. My older daughters love, carving the old school way, but they always end up switching to cookie cutters to create extra shapes.
4. Use Vaseline to lock in moisture. And sprinkle some cinnamon in your pumpkin to keep it smelling so good as well as keeping away the spiders, ants, and gnats.
With a little planning and these beginner-friendly ideas, you can carve a fantastic pumpkin that will be the star of your Halloween display. So grab your pumpkin, and a carving kit, and get creative! It’s a fun and festive activity that can be enjoyed by people of all ages, and the spooky (or silly) faces you create will surely bring a smile to everyone’s face. Happy carving!
I hope you found this post with 25 Pumpkin Carving Ideas For Beginners helpful!
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xx,
Lauren