7 Fun and Creative Pumpkin Face Carving Ideas

If you’re anything like most homesteaders and backyard gardeners, you’ll have grown a glut of pumpkins that are just crying out to be carved into something scary for Halloween!

But if not, don’t panic – in the run-up to the spooky season, pumpkins can be bought very cheaply from markets and grocery stores.

Even the smallest pumpkin or gourd can be carved to add a ghoulish twist to your Halloween decorations. If you’re planning a spooky spectacular this fall, why not go to town and fill your yard or driveway with carved cucurbit creations?!

Let’s take a look at some of the best scary pumpkin face carving ideas, along with some top tips to help you get the best results when carving your pumpkins.

Oh, and don’t forget to save some of your pumpkin seeds for next year’s crop too!

The Best Pumpkin Faces to Carve This Year

1. Simple Spooky Toothy Grinning Pumpkin by Original Naked Chef

If it’s been a few years since you last carved a pumpkin, a little reminder of the best way to do it can be a godsend! That’s why I love this video from the Original Naked Chef, as it shows you all the tools you’ll need, plus the best techniques to use.

Some of the top tips in this video include how to transfer your design onto the pumpkin using cocktail sticks and flour – absolute genius!

And best of all, he shows us how to do the ever-popular spooky toothy grinning pumpkin. Sometimes the classic designs are always the best!

2. Poorly Pumpkin by Frances Baker Nutrition

This pumpkin certainly won’t win any prizes for tastefulness and elegance, but what a fun centerpiece for a Halloween buffet table!

I’m sure you’ve all see the vomiting pumpkin craze in recent years, but this idea takes it to the next level by creating an edible version. This ‘puking’ pumpkin by Frances Baker Nutrition is actually a delicious hummus dip, surrounded by tasty crudites. 

If you wanted to make this even spookier, try adding streaks of different colored dips such as green guacamole and red beetroot houmous.

3. Brainy Pumpkin by Skull-A-Day

Now, this creative pumpkin carving design by Noah Skalin at Skull-A-Day is very clever indeed!

Here, Noah uses two pumpkins to create the effect of a brain popping out of a classic pumpkin head. To do this you will need a large orange pumpkin, and a smaller white pumpkin or squash.

The larger one is carved in the traditional way, and you can design the face to be however you want it – scary, smiling, or even shocked!

You then cut the bottom off your smaller pumpkin, scoop out the insides and carve brain patterns into the top. the tricky bit is then getting this to sit neatly on top of your large pumpkin head!

Pop a candle or tealight inside, and voila! The light will illuminate the ‘brain’ of the pumpkin, guaranteed to creep your Halloween guests. 

4. Tinkerbell Pixie Dust Pumpkin by Luis Linares

This cute little Tinkerbell design will appeal to all the fairy fans in your family! The trailing pixie dust effect looks beautiful and is surprisingly simple to create.

To help you make this clever design, Luis Linares has made a step-by-step guide for you to follow. 

You might need something brighter than a candle to give this design the full impact it deserves. A battery-powered LED light should do the trick, giving Tinker Bell the dazzling trail of pixie dust she deserves!

5. Pesky Puny Pumpkin Attack by Betty Shaw

You know when you get to the end of fall, and you’re left with all those little gourds and pumpkins that didn’t quite make it to full size? They would be perfect for this Pesky Puny Pumpkin Attack design by Betty Shaw!

I love the look of horror on this pumpkin’s face as it is being attacked by a hoard of tiny squashes. If you’ve got any green gourds, they would look great for this design!

6. Scary Pumpkin Face by Bobby Duke Arts

This YouTube tutorial by Bobby Duke Arts is worth a watch if only for the theatrical dramatics! The spooky voice had me gripped, and the methods used to create this design include some excellent tips to take your pumpkin carving skills to the next level.

One of the ingenious ideas is to use food coloring to highlight certain areas of your design, such as around the eyes and the teeth.

Placing the pumpkin on its side means you can also use the gnarly stalk as a scary hooked nose, which adds to the overall creepiness of the design.

Make sure you watch the video to the end, for a spooky scene that will definitely get you in the Halloween mood!

7. Creepy Cannibal Pumpkin by Queens Botanical Garden

What’s scarier than a Halloween pumpkin?

A cannibalistic pumpkin, that’s what!

This great design by Cassandra at Queens Botanical Garden makes great use of those little gourds as fodder for the giant pumpkin head.

I love how detailed this tutorial is; Cassandra shows you exactly how to do each stage and explains the best tool to use. If you’ve never attempted a pumpkin carving design of this complexity before, you really can’t go wrong with this one!

I hope you enjoyed these fun and creative pumpkin face carving ideas!

We’d love to hear about your spectacular spooky ideas and designs – what are you planning for Halloween this year?