10 Pumpkin Carving Ideas For the Perfect Spooky Jack-O'-Lantern

There's nothing like carving a pumpkin to get in the Halloween spirit.

Once you've picked the perfect pumpkin to sit on your porch, the next step is to decide how to carve it.

Struggling for inspiration?

These are our favorite carving ideas.

1. Vomiting Guacamole

This carved pumpkin doubles as a decoration and hilarious way to serve snacks at a Halloween party.

TikTok user @miniwerk took a small pumpkin and cut off the bottom, carving it with a big open mouth and two triangular eyes.

For the full effect, place your pumpkin on a tray covered with guacamole and chips.

2. Oogie Boogie from The Nightmare Before Christmas

If you're an advanced carver, try and recreate Oogie Boogie from The Nightmare Before Christmas.

Use a printed picture of the character, place it on your pumpkin and use a push pin to prick the pumpkin where the outline should be and follow that as a guide.

3. Stitched Up

An easy way to make your Jack-O'-Lantern even more spooky twist is to add some string to give it a stitched up look.

Poke holes around the eye and mouth you've carved and thread the string through.

4. Bat

Looking for a cuter take for your pumpkin this year?

Try this upside down bat.

5. Elmo On Fire

One for the pop culture fanatics—try your hand at this classic meme.

Once you've cut out the outline, peel the skin in places you want lighter colors and shading.

6. Tinkerbell

This cute carving by TikTok user @snowslunches is easier than it first looks.

All you need to do is use a picture of tinkerbell to draw an outline for you do carve out and then punch some holes behind her to look like fairydust.

7. Ghost eyes

You'll wish you had TikTok user @barbaramajeski's carving hack so much sooner.

She uses a ghost-shaped cookie cutter and a mallet to carve ghost eyes into her pumpkin.

You can do this with any other cookie cutter shape, too.

8. Mickey Mouse

For a very magical, Disney-inspired Halloween, make yourself a Mickey Mouse Jack-O'-Lantern.

@emerald_outlaw shared her process of creating on TikTok, starting by tracing his expression onto the pumpkin so she knew where to carve and then sticking two smaller pumpkins on top for his ears.

9. Forky From Toy Story 4

Forky from Toy Story 4 is another fun family friendly pumpkin carving idea.

Once again, use an image to trace the outline and then peel the pumpkin in areas you want shading.

10. A Pumpkin Man In a Pumpkin House

This adorable little guy is probably one of the easiest to create.

Cut out four squares next to each other to make window panes and then an archway to act as your door.

Draw a face on a small pumpkin and place inside.