Hack-O’-Lantern: Our Best Pumpkin Carving Tips

Welcome to “Hack-O’-Lantern,” the easiest gourd-based decoration you can create, this or any Halloween.

You don’t even need a pumpkin carving kit to make it, since you probably have all the tools in your house already:

• An ice cream scoop (to empty out the insides)
• A grapefruit knife (for trimming)
• Wood carving tools or a box cutter (to outline details)
• Tracing paper and pushpins (to transfer your design)
• A melon baller (to create eyeballs)
• A vegetable peeler and lemon zester (to add texture)

Always remember to empty your pumpkin from the bottom; this will keep it from drooping. Also, use battery-operated candles because they are safer and last longer than the fire-based options.

Check out all of our favourite jack-o’-lantern hacks in the video below.

If that hack doesn’t work for you this one from the folks over at Reddit is one of the simplest methods we’ve seen.

Pumpkin carving done easy from lifehacks

You’ll need a blender to help hollow out the inside of the pumpkin and then a spoon to scoop out its innards and seeds. Then use a sharpie to design your pumpkin face. Next, you could use a serrated knife to carve out your eyes and smile, but an alternative is pointed out here which is to use cookie cutters and a mallet to punch out the perfect shape.

Then place some vaseline over the smile and eyes to keep your pumpkin from drying out. One last life hack is to sprinkle some cinnamon inside your pumpkin to keep it smelling like a pumpkin spice latte!

If these hacks don’t gel with you here are some tips from pumpkin carving experts.

This story was originally published on October 21, 2019 and was updated with additional information on October 27, 2022.