80+ Creative Halloween Pumpkin Carving Ideas

It feels like – every year – people continue to up their pumpkin carving game.

Long gone are the days of the simple Jack-o’Lantern. Today’s Halloween pumpkins can be found in a wide variety of designs, carving intricacy, and themes. If you’re looking for some unique inspirations for your pumpkin carving this year, here are our picks for some of the most creative pumpkin carving ideas.

Unique & Creative Pumpkin Carving Ideas

I’m going to be totally honest with you, many of these pumpkins are completely out of my league when it comes to carving skills. Therefore, this will be an inspiration gallery, not a DIY tutorial.

But I have to say that I love the range of designs, from ones that are still relatively simple while providing a nice impact, to ones that are so intricately carved that they barely resemble a pumpkin anymore.

The Buried Alive Pumpkin Carving

This design is one I think I could actually pull off, carving wise. The carving itself is very simple, but the way that it’s been buried in the ivy gives it a uniquely delightful look.

Dias de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) Carved Pumpkin

This one, however, I could not even hope to replicate. I love the Day of the Dead design, but I don’t think I could handle the intricacy of the design. Maybe with a Pumpkin Carving Stencil, but even then… it would be pushing it.

Zombie Carved Pumpkin

Image Source: Pinterest

I can’t even begin to imagine how this was achieved. All I can say is WOW!!!  I’m guessing this artist used The Walking Dead to generate their pumpkin carving ideas. But that’s just a guess.

Pumpkin Toad

Ok, so maybe this is technically more of a gourd toad, but you get the point.

Creepy Eyeball Pumpkin

Image Source: Facebook

A white pumpkin is painted to resemble an eyeball and then carefully inserted inside a larger, orange pumpkin. The result is extraordinarily creepy.

The carving skills required are fairly rudimentary, but the painting skills are off the chart!

BOO! Pumpkins

Image Source: Home BNC

This one looks like it would be easy enough to replicate, although also easy enough to mess up completely.  I’d have to have some spare pumpkins on hand just in case I messed up somewhere on the B. Or the O. Or the other O.  I think I could executive on the exclamation mark. I think. I definitely need some more pumpkin carving ideas that rely on the simple use of power tools and less on artistic sculpting capabilities!

Pumpkin Pegs

Image Source: PLAID

Or, pumpkin carving ideas that require a single cut. That, I think I could handle!  This design only requires one to cut the pumpkin in half, scoop out the insides, and use pre-bought Halloween-themed pumpkin pegs to create a silhouette spacer. Genius! I think even I could handle this one!

An Intricately Carved Pumpkin

To me, this is reminiscent of Cinderella’s coach, although it really isn’t. Given that her coach was originally made from a pumpkin, this particular carving is quite appropriate. This pumpkin looks as lovely with and without the inside lighting.

But, since I mentioned it, here is – also – an actual Cinderella’s Coach Carved Pumpkin.

Image Source: Pinterest

A Ghostly Doggy Trio

Ok, fine… the pumpkin itself is nothing to write home about. But the dogs in your classic ghost costume were too cute to ignore!

Starry Night Carved Pumpkin

Image Source: Southern Living

Turning to the art word for pumpkin carving ideas provides a lot of material to work with. In this example, Vincent van Gogh’s The Starry Night served as inspiration for this delightful pumpkin.

The Melting Monster Pumpkin

It’s difficult to even tell that this was – once upon a time – a normal old pumpkin.  Whoever carved this beauty has some SERIOUS skills, and is not lacking in unique pumpkin carving ideas!

See No Evil, Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil Carved Pumpkin Statue

Image Source: Woman’s Day

I love the look of this pumpkin statue  which represents the whole saying “Hear No Evil, See No Evil, Speak No Evil”.  The carving itself is pretty straight forward, what makes this special is the use of Jack Be Little pumpkins with black thumbtacks to represent the eyes, and costume skeleton arms to mimic the visuals for each statement.

Drip Painting No Carve Pumpkins

Source: Momdot

Yes, I know, these aren’t actually carved. But they are so cool, I figured it was worth letting that slide just this once.

Angler Fish Carved Pumpkin

Image Source: davidarsenault.deviantart.com

Of all the places to look for pumpkin carving ideas, I would not have pictured the deep blue sea as a source for inspiration. But I love the creative use of the two pumpkins, plus some outdoor mini-lights, to create this delightfully creepy Angler Fish carved pumpkin.

Carved Tree Pumpkin

Image Source: Pinterest

This intricately carved, and somewhat disturbing, tree is stunning too look at. I also like how they left some of the sinewy insides intact as they just add to the overall feeling of this carved pumpkin tree.

The Jailbird Pumpkin

You can almost hear the little pumpkin inside yelling “Let Me Out! I’m Innocent!!!” Where do these brilliant pumpkin carving ideas come from???

Skeleton Hands Carved Pumpkins

Image Source: Country Living

I love this design, which uses two pumpkins… a tall one to represent the arm bones, and a rounded one to carve the skeleton hands. The gravestone behind makes it look likes this glowing skeleton hands are reaching up from the ground. So creative and wonderfully executed!