Classic Jack-o’-Lantern
Triangle eyes and nose with a toothy grin — the face everyone recognises, and the easiest to carve.
40 min Cost $ 4 items
How to Carve a Pumpkin (Beginner’s Guide)
The step-by-step method: choose, cut the lid, scoop, trace the stencil and carve.
How to make it
- Choose a pumpkin with a flat base, a sturdy stem and no soft spots.
- Cut a lid at an angle around the stem (or cut the hole in the back or base so the lid doesn’t fall in).
- Scoop out the seeds and scrape the front wall down to about 2–3 cm thick.
- Tape a printed stencil to the front and trace the lines with a pin or poking tool.
- Remove the paper and carve along the dotted lines with a small serrated saw, doing the centre details first.
- Light with a battery tea light.
Tip: Adults should do the cutting with young children; kids love scooping and tracing.
What you need
- Pumpkin
- Serrated carving saw
- Scoop
- Poking tool or pin
- Printed stencil
- Tape
- Battery tea light
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Pumpkin Carving Tools You Actually Need
A small serrated saw and a scraper make carving easier and safer than a kitchen knife.
Cost $ 6 items