I’m kind of lazy when it comes to carving pumpkins. Is it weird that my favourite part is cleaning them out, and then baking the pumpkin seeds? By that point, the kids are a mess and we’ve all pretty much lost our patience for the project. So I usually end up fighting with a kitchen knife to stab out a few triangle eyes and a toothy smile. It doesn’t have to be that way though! There are so many awesome, and FUN ways to decorate a pumpkin! Even if you want to skip the carving all together and just paint it, there are tons of cool ideas you can try! Check out these pumpkin carving hacks!
I am soooooooo tempted to try the Mr. Potato Head pumpkin this year! My kids would get a big kick out of it!
Drilled Pumpkins
Make awesome glowing patterns on your pumpkin by using a drill! It’s fun, easy and looks amazing when they are all lit up! Here are the ones we made:
Neutral Pumpkins
Is orange too bold of a colour to suit your decor? No problem! Just paint them a neutral colour!
Painted Pumpkins with Glittered Stems
Paint your pumpkins to match any colour scheme and then give them a glittered, whimsical stem!
via Aunt Peaches
Pumpkin Porcupines
Drill holes in your pumpkins and then push Christmas lights through them to get this cool effect!
via Martha Stewart
Solar Light Jack O’Lantern
Forget about burning yourself with a candle – Fit your pumpkin with a solar light instead and it can “burn” for days! Brilliant!
via Bitz & Giggles
Mummy Pumpkin
Slice a white pumpkin sideways to make this easy mummy pumpkin!
via Woman’s Day
Glitter Monogram Pumpkin
Personalize a pumpkin for everyone in the family!
via Unoriginal Mom
Gourd Apple Core
Make this easy gourd apple core if you want to carve a pumpkin, but you prefer to leave out the spookiness.
Mr. Potato Head Pumpkin
Who would have thought that you could also use his parts to make Mr. Pumpkin Head?
via Meet The Dubiens
Tinkerbell Pumpkin
Drilling holes closer together gives the illusion of fairy dust. Cool!
via Instructables
Make a Pumpkin Flower Arrangement
Easily turn your pumpkin into a vase and use it as a centerpiece!
via Nosh On
Studded Chalk Paint Pumpkins
Add some texture and attitude to your pumpkins by piercing them with metal studs!
via Cuckoo 4 Design
How to Make Your Pumpkin Last Longer
For all you eager beavers who just can’t wait to carve your pumpkin!
Lite Brite Pumpkin
This is beyond cool for anyone who remembers playing with lite brites as a kid! Brilliant!
via Giver’s Log
Use a Cookie Cutter
Use a cookie cutter and a mallet to cut out intricate shapes from your pumpkins. Warning… I’ve tried this and it’s harder than it looks!
via Taste of Home
Easiest way to Cut a Pumpkin
Try cutting off the pumpkin top like this to make it waaaaaay easier to put the candle in without burning yourself!
via Make
Glow in the Dark Pumpkins
Save yourself the effort of carving! Draw all sorts of patterns on your pumpkins with glow in the dark paint!
via I Love To Create
Glow Stick Pumpkins
These are watermelons, but you can use pumpkins too. Make them glow in any colour! (Check out our other glow stick ideas here!)
via Crushable
Fraggle Pumpkin
Turn your pumpkin sideways and use the stem to make an awesome Fraggle looking nose!
Bling-A-Pumpkin
Use black jewel flourish stickers to make a totally awesome bejewelled pumpkin!
 Chalkboard Pumpkins
Write out your favourite Halloween words on black pumpkins.
via Fair Goods
Pumpkin Cooler
Having a party? Fill your pumpkin with ice and use it to keep the drinks cold!
via Martha Stewart
DIY Glittered Pumpkin
Because everything is better when it sparkles!
via HGTV
Do you have any pumpkin carving tips or favourite hacks? I’d love to hear about them in the comments! (PS – I love seeing your photos in the comments too!)
I found your website via Miz Helen’s Link party,I’m gearing up for fall and there are some excellent ideas here!
Cutting square out the bottom of the pumpkin base, is an easier way for candle lighting.. This also hole we use to gut our pumpkins, which leaves stem uncut..
Oooo! Great tip! I love the idea of leaving the stem uncut! I’ll have to try that this year! 🙂
could you please send me instructions on how to do the Apple pumpkin,please.
What do you mean by not burning yourself with the candle? You put the candle in unlit, and light it in the pumpkin. It you don’t have those long matches or a lighter that can reach, light a piece of uncooked spaghetti and use that to light the candle.