How to Shave a Pumpkin Design for Halloween

Take your jack-o’-lantern carving to a new level by learning how to easily carve and peel off the top layer of a pumpkin to give it layers for a 3D effect.

By: Jessyca Williams

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Looking for a new twist on the Halloween pumpkin carving tradition? Try combining shaving and carving techniques to create a 3D effect that will make your jack-o'-lantern the envy of the neighborhood.

How to Shave a Pumpkin for Halloween

Instead of carving your Halloween pumpkin, try carving it to create a spooky 3D effect.

Photo by: Jessyca Williams

Jessyca Williams

Tools and Materials:

spray bottle
bleach
clean cloth
bucket
keyhole saw

1. Clean the Pumpkin

Clean off any dirt from the pumpkin. Spray the outside with a small amount of bleach to kill any bacteria. Flip the pumpkin upside down into a bucket. (Tip: The pumpkin gets nutrients from the stem, so leaving it intact will help it last longer.) Use a keyhole saw to cut a hole in the bottom at an angle. Scrape the inside of the pumpkin and remove seeds and strings using the spoon in the carving kit or use a grapefruit spoon with serrated edges.

Jessyca Williams

Photo By: Jessyca Williams

The Best Roasted Pumpkin Seed Recipe

Don't throw out the pumpkin seeds! Follow our recipe, and give this sweet treat as a host/hostess gift for the holidays.

2. Pin Stencil to Pumpkin

Attach the stencil to the front of the pumpkin with pushpins. You might need to cut the paper around the stencil pattern to get it to lay on the round surface.

Photo by: Jessyca Williams

Jessyca Williams

3. Outline the Design

Make an outline of the pattern using an awl from the pumpkin kit (an ice pick or pencil compass will also work) to jab tiny holes all around the pattern of the stencil.

Jessyca Williams

Photo By: Jessyca Williams

4. Lightly Carve the Pattern

Remove the stencil. Connect the dots using the blade in the carving kit or a craft knife. Lightly cut around the outside of the design, but don't cut all the way through the pumpkin. This outline cut will prevent the other carving tools from accidentally going outside of the design.

Jessyca Williams

Photo By: Jessyca Williams

5. Scrape Partial Cuts

Cut out the smaller designs with the keyhole saw. Use a chisel to slowly shave the top layer of the pumpkin skin from the design.

Jessyca Williams

Photo By: Jessyca Williams

6. Make Full Cuts

Use a deeper chisel to remove more of the pumpkin once the skin is removed. Cut out the bigger design using a keyhole saw. Clean up the edges of the holes with the pottery tool that comes in the carving kit or a craft knife.