Perfect Pumpkin Carving Tools

You can certainly carve a pumpkin with nothing more than a small kitchen knife. But who would want to when you can create a prize jack-o'-lantern with the tools listed here? Also consider this tip: Cut a hole in the bottom of your pumpkin for the candle. That leaves the entire top of the pumpkin for creative carving. And how about using small electric light fixtures or a string of fairy lights to illuminate your jack?

• Serrated knives -- These come in a variety of sizes for big and little cuts. Heavy-duty versions of this knife have larger zigzag serrations for cutting through tough pumpkin skin.

• Double-edged serrated knife -- The tiniest model is great for hard-to-get spots. You can saw in both directions, which comes in handy when you're making the perfect evil eyeball.

• Utility knife -- A strong, sharp mat knife is easily able to cut through even the toughest pumpkin rind.

• Craft knife -- This artist's tool can make delicate patterns or help you cut out little tough-to-reach spots.

• Melon baller -- Scrape away the final layer of stringy innards with this super scooper.

• Apple corer -- Use the traditional coring motion to make a polka-dot pumpkin. Or drag the edge of the corer to make snaky stripes that don't penetrate the entire skin of the pumpkin.

• Linocut tool -- Used to cut linoleum in printmaking, a linocut cutter is a handy tool for peeling away delicate strands of pumpkin flesh. Use this tool to draw delicate patterns or features.

• Sculptor's loop -- When it comes to making swirling lines in the pumpkin rind, this tool works even better than the apple corer. The key: Make sure you don't go all the way through the rind.

• Cookie cutters and hammer -- Try lightly hammering old-fashioned cookie cutters part-way into the pumpkin's flesh. The trick: Gently pull out the cookie cutter and use a linoleum cutter to scrape away the pumpkin rind within the cookie-cutter shape. The light will shine through the remaining layer of rind. Or hammer a small cutter all the way through.

• Keyhole saw -- This is the perfect tool for cutting out a lid or making an opening in the bottom of the pumpkin.

• Pumpkin scoop and shovel -- Say goodbye to seeds with these handy tools.

• Drill -- A wonderful hole-poker.