Not-Your-Ordinary Pumpkin-Carving How-Tos

Martha Stewart

Welcome trick-or-treaters this Halloween with our spooky and kooky pumpkin-carving ideas.



Funny-Face Pumpkins
For a jack-o'-lantern unlike any other on the block, try our mix-and-match templates to carve goofy gourds and amusing mugs.

How to Make the Funny-Face Pumpkins



Etched Pumpkins
Chris Soria and Marc Evan of Maniac Pumpkins treat pumpkins as blank canvases for intricate portraits, fantastical monsters, and tongue-in-cheek replicas of famous art. The carving masters recommend using linoleum cutters for etching, as in the haunted house pumpkin pictured here.



Fanged Pumpkins
Group an assortment of Drac-o'-lanterns on your mantel or front porch to create a fang-tastic pumpkin patch scene. Tip: Use simple pushpins for devilish red eyes.

How to Make the Fanged Pumpkins



Zombie Pumpkins
They're alive! Create your own wickedly cute, googly-eyed monsters with just a few inexpensive items.

How to Make the Zombie Pumpkins



Pumpkin Totem
Stack carved pumpkins in graduated sizes to make a glowing lamppost.

How to Make a Pumpkin Totem



Stem-Nosed Pumpkins
Some jack-o'-lanterns greet the world with toothy smiles and innocent eyes, but this nosy family flips pumpkin carving on its head. To make, hollow out the pumpkins from a hole in the bottom, and position their features (see page 2 of this template) on top so the stems serve as crooked noses.

How to Carve a Stem-Nosed Pumpkin Face




Mouse Motel
Rooms go fast in these cozy, critter-filled gourds -- a skin-crawling alternative to traditional pumpkin faces.

How to Make the Mouse Motel

Get More Scary and Creative Ways to Carve Pumpkins

Plus:
Homemade Halloween Costume Ideas for Adults
Indoor Halloween Decorating Ideas