Nothing says fall like being elbows-deep in the squishy, stringy guts of a gourd. While the time-honored tradition of slicing and dicing an oversized squash is beloved from coast to coast, not everyone was raised knowing how to carve a pumpkin, or how to make that carved pumpkin last longer once it’s been dissected. It can take time to perfect your pumpkin carving technique, especially if you didn’t grow up carving jack-o’-lanterns by the fire in your spare time. But it’s well worth the effort to truly get into the holiday spirit.
If you’re looking for the best way to carve a pumpkin this Halloween, we’ve come up with a simple step-by-step tutorial to teach even the most uncrafty people how to carve with confidence. It’s always tempting to go all out with a Pinterest-worthy pumpkin, but even the simplest design can make a statement. Here’s how it’s done!
Best Pumpkin for Carving
The first thing to consider is picking out the best pumpkin for carving. Something even the most seasoned carvers might not realize? There are many varieties of pumpkins, but one makes such a perfect canvas for your holiday crafts that it might as well have been bred specially for it: the Captain Jack. This large, barrel-shaped gourd has a flat bottom, giving you a good base to rest on the ground without worrying about it toppling over when you hack into it with your knife.
When doing your pumpkin shopping, the farm stand (or grocery store, let’s be real) might even have signs denoting pie pumpkins and carving pumpkins. If not, have no fear: skip the smaller, more rounded gourds, which are typically better for baking, and go for the taller, thinner-skinned ones instead. In addition to the Captain Jack, Hobbits, Autumn Golds, and Gold Rush pumpkins would all work well.
Inspect your pumpkin before you purchase. Bruises or cuts on the outside will put your pumpkin at risk of rotting before you even make it to Halloween.
Once you have your ideal gourd in hand, it’s time to get carving. Follow these easy steps for a low-mess, low-stress DIIY jack-o’-lantern experience that will bring you right back to the Halloweens of your childhood.
