Easy and Scary Jack-O-Lantern Faces Anyone Can Carve

Halloween is almost upon us, and it’s time to make some fun of our fears. We want to really go all out for Halloween this year, with super easy but scary jack-o-lantern faces that anyone can carve! Perfect for lining the front steps, glowing inside a dark window, or peeking out from around the mums coming up the front walk. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a chance to simply laugh at all those things that go bump in the night? These jack-o-lantern ideas are the ticket, my friends. So, gather up the scooper and the scrapers, make sure your pumpkin knives are ready to go… these faces will be almost as much fun to carve as they will be to display!

How to Make a Jack-O-Lantern

Need to know how to make a jack-o-lantern? Here’s a great place to start. Check out these carving tips to help you turn these ideas into front porch fright mongers…

1. Make a workspace. If you haven’t done this before, this is messy. Use newspaper, paper bags, something you can spread over the area and throw away later.
2. Gather your supplies. You need a serrated knife or a pumpkin carving kit, a sturdy large spoon or scooper, a marker, and a candle. We love LED candles or firefly lights these days, but many people still like the nostalgia of using a standard votive candle.
3. Using the great ideas below, or a pumpkin carving template, draw your design on your pumpkin. You can remove most marker with rubbing alcohol if you make a mistake. Also, draw a circle for your lid. It’s easy to get off track and cut your lid way larger than you intended, taking up space for your design.
4. Cut the lid. Angle the knife 45 degrees inward as you cut, so that when you replace the lid, it won’t fall into the pumpkin.
5. Scoop out all the seeds, and scrape out all the goop. You want the inside of the pumpkin to be clean and dry. Your pumpkin will last longer, and your candles will burn better. Learn how to roast pumpkin seeds from Jessica Gavin.
6. Cut out your design.
7. Pro tip… use a craft or X-acto knife to clean up any details.
8. Make your pumpkin last by rubbing the cut area with petroleum jelly or cooking spray. This will help prevent mold from growing.

These stainless steel jack-o-lantern face stencils eliminate the need for knives. You use the mallet and stencils to cut your design into the pumpkin. You get 16 different shapes to create custom jack-o-lantern faces. From Amazon.

Finally, if you’re looking for scary jack-o-lantern face templates to help you create the perfect design, check out this set at Amazon. They’re reusable plastic, and can be used on more than just pumpkins!