Jack O Lantern Decorating Ideas

Halloween is almost upon us, and I think after the last few years we all could use some ways to make some fun of our fears, right? And shoot, what could really scare us now? We want to really go all out for Halloween this year, with some super easy but scary jack-o-lantern faces that anyone can carve! Perfect for lining the front steps, glowing inside a dark window, or peaking 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 take all these ideas and turn them into front porch fright mongers…

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.
Gather your supplies. You need a serrated knife or pumpkin carving kit, a sturdy large spoon or scooper, a marker and a candle. We love LED candles or firefly lights these days, but a lot of people still like the nostalgia of using a standard votive candle.
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 to cut your lid way larger than you intended, taking up space for your design.
Cut the lid. Angle the knife 45 degrees inward as you cut, so that when you replace the lid, it will not fall into the pumpkin.
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'.
Cut out your design.
Pro tip… use a craft or X-acto knife to clean up any details.
Make your pumpkin last by rubbing the cut edges with petroleum jelly. You can also spray the pumpkin daily with water mixed with a few drops of bleach to ward off rotting. If you live in a warm climate, clear a space in the frig for the jack-o-lantern at night.
Enjoy the spook!

Scary Jack-O-Lantern Faces

Green Pumpkin Face

Check out this scary jack-o-lantern face! It's a super simple design to copy, but it's all in the details, right? Using a green light source inside the pumpkin took this to another level! You could also use red for a really scary look. Again, LED candles and lights are the solution here.

Classic Jack-O-Lantern

These classic scary Halloween pumpkins are super easy. Crazy how the fall leaves make it seem a little spookier, right?

Flame Pumpkin Carving

This one takes on a whole new look with small variations in the carving method. Making the lines look more like flames adds a super spooky dimension. This is one where some more professional carving tools might be helpful. If you want to find out the origin of the jack-o-lantern and a little Halloween history, jump on over to 'Parade'.

Pumpkin Teeth

This one is all in the teeth, fellow Halloweeinies. Easy still, because they are all straight cuts. But it will definitely take a lot of patience! Photo by 'Home for the Harvest'.

Tall Jack-O-Lantern

It's the shape and size of this pumpkin that makes the scary jack-o-lantern face a little different from the others. Tall and small are spooky too!

Werewolf Teeth

Here is another one that the teeth make the design. But this one goes a step farther, and after carving out the teeth, they peel off the skin of the pumpkin, on the teeth only. Kind of gives it that "rabid werewolf baring teeth" feeling, doesn't it?

Freddy Krueger Pumpkin

Krueger fan? This one just takes just one little prop to give it that Freddy feel…

Jack Skellington Jack-O-Lantern

Scary jack-o-lantern faces don't have to be hard. This one makes the mouth easier by making them simple straight cuts. A little Jack Skellington, right? Notice the detail with the shapes of the eyes.

The Easiest One

This one may be the most easy scary jack-o-lantern face we have here! Just go for it!

The Second Easiest One

Okay, maybe we spoke too soon. These are the kinds of scary pumpkins that are great for kids. Spooky, but not too terrifying and it really doesn't get easier than this!

Large Scary Jack-O-Lantern Face

This is another case where size matters… In this case, the larger pumpkin gives this scary face some real presence… Oh, the creepy zombie arms don't hurt either!

Carved Pumpkin Lost His Teeth

For this pumpkin carving, we think they may have taken a different route with the teeth. (An easier one!) Instead of carving out the teeth, they carved out a mouth, then made teeth from the scraps and attached them with toothpicks.

The One with Scales

Need a twist to make your scary jack-o-lantern face just little reptilian or dragon like? Carve scales into the pumpkin shell. This is time consuming, but not hard! This would be a great one to have candles lit around the jack-o-lantern as well as inside, to illuminate and bring focus to the texture of the scales. It's all in the presentation! Yep, just like food.

The Mouthy One

Tall mouth, short work of a really cool pumpkin. Also note how the outer edge of the eyes match up with the outer edge of the mouth. That symmetry gives it a strong look.

Simple Scary Jack-O-Lantern Face

No nose, lots of negative space.

Jack-O-Lantern Faces Templates and Kits

If you want to get yourself a jack-o-lantern face template or pumpkin carving kit, check out these…

This pumpkin carving kit has over 500 five star reviews on 'Amazon'. It even has a zipper case so they aren't floating around the silverware drawer until next year…

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

So if you are looking for easy but scary jack-o-lantern faces to carve into those pumpkins this year, we hope we got you feeling inspired! Jump on over to our posts on How to Make a Halloween Graveyard and then 11 Ideas for Pretty Pumpkins over at OhMeOhMy. And if you are looking to get that yard decked out for the scary season, check out Front Porch & Outdoor Halloween Decorations and Pumpkin Carving with a Drill over at TGG!

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