October is almost here and you’ll want to pick and carve your pumpkins early to enjoy every day with your jack-o’-lanterns this spooky season. Here are five unique pumpkin carving ideas to wow your neighbors.
A Hungry Jack-O-Lantern
The hungry jack-o'-Lantern is a large-mouthed pumpkin with a smaller pumpkin in its mouth. You’ll want a jack-o’-lantern stencil with an oversized toothy grin. Find a pumpkin, an apple, or a baby doll to place in its mouth (depending on if your pumpkin is a vegetarian or a cannibal). You can either carve the smaller pumpkin or just draw a distraught face on it with a Sharpie.
Get a Little Witchy
A spooky witch is always a great idea for a jack-o’-lantern. Here is a simple witch stencil you can download and print out to carve at home. It follows a simple design and even has numbered cutouts.
Scarred Pumpkin
If you mess up while carving your pumpkin, make it look intentional. Scars add character, and this character shall be named the scarface pumpkin. Mark holes for stitching along either side of your unintentional or purposeful slice mark, and bend Q-tips to fit into the holes so it appears sewn back together.
An Eyesore
Give your pumpkin some personality by adding a few crafty touches. Find some plastic eyeballs and bring your jack-o’-lantern life. Or turn the entire pumpkin into a giant eyeball using this creepy tutorial.
Cross-Stitch Pumpkin
If you’re not a carving expert but you enjoy needlework, you can use cross-stitch patterns on a pumpkin for a cool effect, as well. Here is a quick video how-to on getting started – the rest is a sinch!
If you’re looking for more spooky ideas this season, read on at the Sonoma Palms blog.