Win Your Block’s Best Pumpkin Award This Halloween With These Carving Tools & Patterns

If you love arts and crafts, and want the chance to show people how creative you can be, Christmas, Thanksgiving and Halloween are likely your favorite holidays. Having an excuse to create eye-catching centerpieces, tree-topping ornaments or spooky decorations is great fun and a nice way to spend time with children, friends and family, too. One of the best annual holiday tasks is without a doubt carving pumpkins. Every year brings a blank canvas, letting you create the most eye-catching or scariest design you can think of. Whether you choose a ghost, monster or Halloween night scene for your pumpkin, there’s always plenty of fun to be had seeing who can create the best jack-o’-lantern!

When it comes to carving pumpkins, having the right tools and inspiration gives a huge leg up. While a kitchen knife and dessert spoon perform a perfectly adequate job for the average jack-o’-lantern, if you’re looking to raise your pumpkin carving game or entertain friends and family with a pumpkin carving competition, it’s time to upgrade your tools.

We’ve put together a list of 10 pumpkin carving tools, books and kits to help you achieve the best possible jack-o’-lantern. From three-dimensional faces and creepy ghosts to graveyard scenes and Darth Vader’s mask, these kits and templates will teach you how to carve a pumpkin for every preference and skill level.

Grab one of these handy kits, raise your carving game and make sure it’s your house that stands out this Halloween with amazing jack-o’-lanterns.

1. Antner Professional Pumpkin Carving Tool Kit

BEST OVERALL

This eight-piece Antner Professional Pumpkin Carving Tool Kit includes every kind of pumpkin carving tool you could want. From a pumpkin scraper and a scimitar saw to an oblique knife and a moon curved knife, this complete kit is worthy of professional-standard creations. The eight different tools mean there’s enough for every member of the family to have one during at-home pumpkin carving parties. Plus, the set comes with its very own case, giving you an easy way to store your tools and help prevent their disappearance between holidays.

2. Easy Pumpkin Carving

BEST FOR LEARNING THE BASICS

Whether you’ve been carving for years or you have decided this is the year to up your pumpkin carving game, the Easy Pumpkin Carving: Spooktacular Patterns, Tips & Ideas provides sound advice on making the most of your pumpkin carving skills. The 14 different patterns in the book include a bat, sugar skull, black cat and a witch on a broomstick. In addition, the book also gives advice on carving techniques and other tips on how to become the street’s number one pumpkin carver.

3. Signature Brands Pumpkin Masters Carving Kit

BEST FOR KIDS

The Signature Brands Pumpkin Masters Carving Kit comes with everything you need to produce an eye-catching pumpkin this Halloween (except the pumpkin). Inside, you’ll find a book with 12 different patterns to try as well as three different saws, a scraper scoop and a handy poker. This is a great way to inspire your friends or kids into creating something special and make your carving party a little bit more exciting.

4. Crazy Pumpkin Pumpkin Carving Kit

BEST ALL-IN-ONE KIT

With 39 different pieces included in the box, this Crazy Pumpkin Pumpkin Carving Kit has every aspect of pumpkin carving covered this Halloween. The child-friendly kit includes a pumpkin scoop, carving saw and drill along with LED color changing candles, numerous carving stencils and more. Whether you’re going for a scary or friendly outcome, this kit has something to help you get there.

5. MeiGuiSha Pumpkin Carving Tools Kit

BEST FOR PROFESSIONALS

The MeiGuiSha Professional Wooden Pumpkin Carving Tools Kit is a professional standard carving kit which also comes in a handy, rolling case for easy storage and transport. The kit boasts 10 different carving tools, including knives, a saw, pokers and a scoop. This kit would make a great gift for friends who love to get artsy at this time of year.

6. Disney Star Wars Pumpkin Carving Kit

BEST FOR FILM FANS

While scary and terrifying faces may be the most popular option with people at Halloween, it’s hard to deny that seeing Darth Vader or Yoda on a pumpkin doesn’t look awesome. In this Disney Star Wars Pumpkin Carving Kit, you’ll get all the tools you need to create some Star Wars-inspired pumpkins, including seven different patterns. And remember, if you’re having trouble getting that last, slippery piece of pumpkin out, you can always… use the fork.

7. Realistic Pumpkin Carving

BEST FOR ARTISTS

If pumpkin carving is more than just a half an hour activity you do every October, and you’re genuinely looking to impress visitors or get some recognition on social media, this Realistic Pumpkin Carving: 24 Spooky, Scary, and Spine-Chilling Designs is the book you need. Inside, you’ll find out how to create creepy, three dimensional faces on your pumpkins to genuinely give people the willies. The book includes two step-by-step projects to get you started and a further 24 patterns once you’re ready to go it alone.

8. Dakota Products Pumpkin Gutter & Carving Tool

BEST PUMPKIN GUTTER

If all you’re looking for in a carving tool is the ability to quickly gut your pumpkin, then the Dakota Products Pumpkin Gutter & Carving Tool is for you. The simple yet effective tool is sturdy and durable enough to rip through your pumpkin’s insides and drag the seeds and flesh out without a problem. The rounded head makes clearing the inside easy without fear of breaking through the wall, and the tool is also dishwasher safe, making clean up after carving a little easier.

9. Alvin Heritage Arts Linoleum and Vinyl Carving Set

BEST FOR ETCHING

The Alvin Heritage Arts Linoleum and Vinyl Carving Set is a classy way to etch your pumpkin. This technique involves scraping away the top layer of “skin” on the pumpkin rather than cutting all the way through. These high-quality tools feature beechwood handles and a range of interchangeable blades. Options include a classic knife along with several different U-shaped cutters, which are all made from a hardened carbon steel for easy cutting and durability.

10. BLACK+DECKER Max Lithium Drill with Accessories

BEST POWER-ASSISTED OPTION

Bored of having to use up all your elbow grease cutting, gutting and carving your pumpkin? Say goodbye to using physical effort thanks to this BLACK+DECKER Max Lithium Drill with Accessories. This battery powered drill makes cutting through your pumpkin a cinch and includes a variety of drill bits to aid your pumpkin-crafting work. And while it’s not the most precise tool available on our list, if you’re creating pumpkins on a large scale, using a power drill is definitely going to save you a good number of man hours.

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