So you’ve found the perfect pumpkin to carve…tis’ the season to carve pumpkins and toast those seeds! Don’t let this pumpkin carving season pass you by without having the necessary tools on hand to carve the greatest pumpkin of all time. Get ready for a night in carving pumpkins when you have these five must-have pumpkin carving tools on hand.

Melon Baller

Beyond what you have in the knife drawer, there are some tools that make the pumpkin carving process easier, and more enjoyable. One of those tools is the classic kitchen tool, the melon baller. This handy tool can take spherical chunks out of the shell of a pumpkin, which when exposed to light, creates a warm glow through the depressions.

Miniature Saw

An exacto knife is a must-have when carving irregular shapes or small areas. A common tool at the workbench, this one will save you, come carving time.

Cookie Cutters

You likely already have a few cookie cutters on hand, why not put them to use on your pumpkin? Shapes like stars, moons, cats, and other Halloween images are easy to cut once outlined on the pumpkin. Simply tap a cookie cutter with a rubber mallet to penetrate the rind of the pumpkin and you’ve got an instant stencil. Tada.

Keyhole Saw

The keyhole saw is sort of the holy grail tool of pumpkin carving. The sharp teeth on this saw can slice through the tough shell of a pumpkin. Its blade is also flexible, which allows you to freely cut around curves and straight lines.

Linoleum Cutter

Used for small cutting with great accuracy, a linoleum cutter makes it easy to carve detail into your orange beauty with just a skin-deep outline, and then pattern with different blades and sizes.

Get in the spirit this Halloween season with some good old-fashioned pumpkin carving. For more fun seasonal activities, take a look at the Olympus Sierra Pines blog.