27 Cool Pumpkin Carvings That’ll Make the Other Stoops Jealous

Carved pumpkin closeup

Halloween’s just around the corner, and you know what that means: Time to decorate that stoop of yours with some cool pumpkin carvings.

When I come across cool pumpkin carvings, I have one of two reactions, usually simultaneously. The first is a feeling of awe (especially when the pumpkin doesn’t even look like a pumpkin anymore), while the second is a feeling of plummeting self-esteem – especially since my last attempt at pumpkin carving was about as successful as a Kardashian marriage. So I decided to do what any self-respecting nerd would do: Turn to social media for inspiration. I now have renewed faith that I, too, can move up the ranks from amateur pumpkin carver to extreme pumpkin carver… home edition.

Have you scouted out cool pumpkin carvings to try? Once you’ve picked them out, here’s how to find the perfect pumpkin:

  • Choose a pumpkin with a thick wall. You can estimate this by choosing the size you need, then finding one that’s heavier than others that are the same size.
  • Try and find a pumpkin that’s a complimentary shape to the design you want to carve. For example, if you want to do a face, avoid round pumpkins and find ones that are oblong.
  • Beginners tend to run into two problems: They either don’t carve deep enough, or they carve too deep and break through. Make sure to be careful as you carve, and eventually you’ll get to know your pumpkin’s quirks.
  • Keep your pumpkin in a cool and moist area to lengthen its life – so you know, you can show up your neighbors for as long as possible.

Without further ado, here are 27 cool pumpkin carvings to grind your gears (in a good way):

1. Tinkerbell

2. Kermit

3. Grumpy Cat

4. Darth Vader

5. Autumn

6. Spongebob

7. Elsa

8. Kool-Aid Man

9. Sonic and Tails

10. Sheldon Cooper

11. The Joker

12. Cheshire Cat

13. Iron Man

14. Walter and Jesse

15. Yoda

16. Skull Candy

17. Bob Ross

18. Dexter

19. John Wayne

20. Soft Kitty (or maybe Smelly Cat)

21. Monsters Inc.

22. Alfred Hitchcock

23. Chuck Norris

Chuck Norris pumpkin
Image: Pumpkin Carving Ideas

24. Hello Kitty

Hello Kitty pumpkin
Image: It Thing

25. Spiderman

Spiderman pumpkin
Image: Home Designing

26. Alien

Alien pumpkin
Image: FordGT

27. Nightmare Before Christmas

Nightmare Before Christmas pumpkin
Image: l-eh

Which cool pumpkin carvings will you be showing off?

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Image: Cyndi Calhoun

Krissy Brady

Krissy Brady is a women’s health + lifestyle writer who’s so out of shape, it’s like she has the innards of an 80-year-old. Instead of learning how to crochet, she decided to turn her emotional baggage into a writing career (genius, no?). You can follow her shenanigans on Twitter (you know, if you want).