Best Pumpkin Carving Tools to Make Jack-O'-Lanterns
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Carving pumpkins is a time-honored fall tradition. Sure, jack-o'-lanterns only last a few days (or up to a week if you pull out all the stops), but they're still a ton of fun to make.
It's tempting to pick up one of the $5.99 pumpkin carving kits, but cheap carving tools never last. Few things are more frustrating than tools bending and breaking mid-masterpiece. So why not invest in a quality carving kit?
These are the best carving tools to make jack-o'-lanterns, plus some fun decorating kits and paint supplies for the little ones. Oh, and don't forget to enjoy some pumpkin pie after the carving contest.
JuguHoovi 11-Piece Pumpkin Carving Kit
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The coolest part of this "professional" 11-piece pumpkin carving kit is probably the skull-shaped storage bucket. No other kit includes a place to put the tools you're not using while you work, and it's surprisingly nice not to have to crawl under the table to pick up tools that rolled onto the floor while you were carving away.
As far as the tools go, the blades are all made of stainless steel, helping them to drastically outlive their cheaper counterparts.
Why Pumpkin Carvers Are Crazy About the JuguHoovi Pumpkin Carving Kit
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"Surpassed expectations! ... About 6 of us bought pumpkins and carved them using these sets of supplies — we are all amateur pumpkin carvers for the record — and the pumpkins came out amazing! I printed out a bunch of stencils and the designs really came out great. The tools in this set are numerous + sturdy (and we threw them in the dishwasher once done). They are very sharp though so be careful! I carved a skull (too ambitious) and didn't finish because it was difficult! But was motivated to finish it the next day given how good everyone else's came out (see pics for reference). Really good value for money here, and will be keeping these for next year." —Kanan
Start carving: JuguHoovi 11-Piece Pumpkin Carving Kit, $49.99
Elmchee Halloween Pumpkin Carving Tools
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What can we say about this pumpkin carving tool set? It's affordable and includes tons of handy carving tools.
The 1,200 positive reviews don't hurt, either. Reviewers loved the included engraving tool, which is ideal for adding minute details and tracing patterns.
Why Pumpkin Carvers Are Crazy About the Elmchee Halloween Pumpkin Carving Tool Set
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"Worth it! Storage case is an awesome bonus! I decided to spend my money on a nice set with a case this year! Every year I buy one of those cheap sets and by the time I need it again it is lost. This set is really nice!! I will have NO problem finding this next year. The case makes a big difference. Tools are sturdy and make all the difference when cutting out curves. I actually tested this on a watermelon! I will use it again on that." —Bluedevil01
Start carving: Elmchee Halloween Pumpkin Carving Tools, $14.99
Antner Professional Pumpkin Carving Tool Kit
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The Antner carving kit is by far the most unique pumpkin carving tool set. When you see these tools, they shout "for serious carvers only."
Instead of cheap, plastic handles, all the tools have real wood handles. They also come in unconventional shapes to deal with the most intricate carving patterns.
Why Pumpkin Carvers Are Crazy About the Antner Professional Pumpkin Carving Tool Kit
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"After years of using the cheap plastic dollar carving kits and having the little carving 'blade' bend like it's made of foil, this kit is very impressive. It comes in a nice case that zips up so you don't lose the tools. There's a nice variety of tools. They seem nice and sturdy, and some quite sharp (as they should be). On the blades and scoop, the metal goes the length of the handle, which is nice. I look forward to carving pumpkins this year!" —A.M.
Start carving: Antner Professional Pumpkin Carving Tool Kit, $18.99
Nesstu 21-Piece Pumpkin Carving Kit
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Of all the pumpkin carving kits we've seen, this one comes with the best case. It keeps all of the tools neatly organized so you don't have to go digging around to find the one you're looking for.
In addition to a full set of carving tools, the set includes nine acrylic stencils.
Why Pumpkin Carvers Are Crazy About the Nesstu Pumpkin Carving Kit
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"My husband and I carve pumpkins every year and this kit just upped our game! We previously had another kit but this one blows it out of the water. The tools included make it a breeze to prep your design and then cut into the pumpkin. It makes even the little pieces to easy to cut. The case it comes in is really nice too. If you want to carve a nice Jack O’ Lantern, you need this kit." —Kim Tran
Start carving: Nesstu 21-Piece Pumpkin Carving Kit, $17.99
Chrystal 13-Piece Pumpkin Carving Kit
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Eighty-four percent of the nearly 600 product reviews for this pumpkin carving kit rated it five stars, which is pretty impressive if you ask us.
The heavy duty kit also comes with an instruction sheet to give carvers an idea of how to use each tool.
Why Pumpkin Carvers Are Crazy About the Chrystal Pumpkin Carving Kit
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"Brought home a 45 lb orange behemoth from the local pumpkin patch. Bought this kit a few weeks ago and let everything sit while I picked patterns and put up other decor. Yesterday was carving day. 1. The double-sided knife cut through the 2"+ top with ease. 2. The scooper/scraper is WONDERFUL. Not only made quick work of the guts (which is generally horrible), but made it SUPER easy to thin the walls to make carving easier....
Do you see the eyes on that pattern? Do you have any idea how difficult-to-impossible those would be to carve with knives or cheap grocery story pumpkin saws? That chisel finished both eyes in about 30 seconds total!
All of this without a single bit of weakness or wobbliness that would indicate poor construction, and the tools were all very sharp and well balanced. LOVE this kit!" —Mouriana
Start carving: Chrystal 13-Piece Pumpkin Carving Kit, $19.98
Luditek Halloween Pumpkin Carving Tools 11-Piece Professional Kit
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We're going to go out on a limb and say that this pumpkin carving kit is the best value for the price. For less than $15, it comes with 11 different tools, six of which are double-sided.
After you're done carving your squash supreme, clean and dry the tools thoroughly and store them away in the convenient carrying pouch for next year.
Comfy Mate Upgraded 12-Piece Pumpkin Carving Kit
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Another popular carving set with over 300 great reviews, the Comfy Mate set includes 12 useful tools for carving and sculpting your annual pumpkin.
Why Pumpkin Carvers Are Crazy About the Comfy Mate Upgraded Pumpkin Carving Kit
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"First year carving pumpkins since I was a child. Two tool sets lasted through 12+ pumpkins. One scraper broke after 8 pumpkins and some of the tools disconnected between the metal and the wood after extensive use but overall accomplished the goal. Durability was good but not great. I have a 75 percent of the tools left for next year but will have to purchase some replacement ones." —Blake
Start carving: Comfy Mate Upgraded 12-Piece Pumpkin Carving Kit, $20.99
Locolo 18-Piece Halloween Stencil Set
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There's no need to go nuts with an elaborate pumpkin carving design to have a good time. A spooky face will do the trick, but even faces can be a challenge to freehand.
This set includes 18 medium-sized face stencils to make a perfectly even, perfectly scary jack-o'-lantern.
Why Pumpkin Carvers Are Crazy About the Locolo Halloween Stencil Set
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"These are great for making faces on pumpkins and other items. Tape on and paint over it or trace on easily for carving. They wash really well with the paintbrushes, great for kids. My family was delighted. We also used it to make a face of powdered sugar on a pumpkin cake. Worked perfectly." —Maureen
Start carving: Locolo 18-Piece Halloween Stencil Set, $9.99
Keyfit Tools Professional Pumpkin Carving Knife
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A pumpkin carving contest is no laughing matter. We take our carving contests seriously, here, and serious carving contests mandate the use of serious pumpkin carving tools.
This one is sharp, precise and durable, which is just what you need to take home the trophy and put your friends' pumpkins to shame.
Pumpkin Masters Power Saw
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Let's get a few things straight. If you're hoping to carve intricate details with ease, this is not the tool for the job. It's not a serious power tool, and you'd be much better off cutting the details by hand.
What this pumpkin power saw is great for is cutting out large areas quickly. If you're working with a simple pattern, this will handle a lot of the leg work.
Why Pumpkin Carvers Are Crazy About the Pumpkin Masters Power Saw
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"Be careful as even the dull side of the blade can hurt you if you press on it while cutting. Makes carving large chunks out so easy and handles curved cuts nicely as well." -Sean M. Chase
Start carving: Pumpkin Masters Power Saw, $14
Pumpkin Punchers Carving Kit for Kids
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If you have kids and can only get one pumpkin carving set, this one is your best bet. That's because it doesn't require any carving abilities at all.
Oh, and kids get to hit the pumpkin punchers with a hammer.
Heck yes.
Why Pumpkin Carvers Are Crazy About the Pumpkin Punchers Carving Kit for Kids
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"For someone who is not very creative, it was nice to be able to mix and match pieces till I liked a face. The actual 'carving' was super fast and the design come out very clean and accurate." —SNB
Start carving: Pumpkin Punchers Carving Kit for Kids, $24.95
Candle Choice Halloween Pumpkin DIY Decorations Set
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Not everyone needs a giant arsenal of pumpkin carving tools. This kit has three simple, useful tools to manage most easy carving patterns.
The upgraded version includes two battery-operated lights and a convenient remote control so you can light up your pumpkins at the push of a button.
Why Pumpkin Carvers Are Crazy About the Candle Choice Halloween Pumpkin DIY Decorations Set
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There are no reviews yet, but this kit is rated an impressive 4.6 out of 6 stars. The version of it with two remote-controlled lights seems particularly handy for anyone who's just planning on carving one or two small pumpkins.
Start carving: Candle Choice Halloween Pumpkin DIY Decorations Set, $19.15
Outus 9-Piece Halloween Stencil Set
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Printing out pumpkin carving patterns from the internet is totally an option, but reusable stencils are considerably easier to work with than flimsy paper.
Paper falls apart when wet, which can quickly become an issue when you're punching holes in a giant gourd.
Why Pumpkin Carvers Are Crazy About the Outus Halloween Stencil Set
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"These are definitely for older children like teenagers or adults as they are tedious and time consuming stencils. There are nine of them in different designs that are fun and express the scary spirit. If you take your time these can be great. The stencils can be used over and over and are made well to last." —Alice Ceballos
Start carving: Outus 9-Piece Halloween Stencil Set, $8.59
Homemory Flickering Bulb Flameless LED Tea Light, Pack of 12
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Lighting jack-o'-lanterns with real tealights is a fun tradition, but it's also a bit of a safety hazard. What if you forget to blow them out before you go to bed?
Flameless, battery-operated tea lights give an almost identical effect, only without the fire.
Why Pumpkin Carvers Are Crazy About Homemory Flickering Bulb Flameless LED Tea Lights
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"Figured I'd get these lights for Halloween and other special occasions and they worked like a charm! They are small so we put 2 lights in each regular size pumpkin, and (thanks to forgetting them overnight a couple of times) they lasted a few nights and still going strong (can see from the street about 50 feet away). Even better is the lights use regular watch or glucometer batteries (CR 2032? I forgot) so I can replace them if needed. I'm very satisfied" —Linda B
Start decorating: Homemory Flickering Bulb Flameless LED Tea Light, Pack of 12, $10.99
Pumpkin Carving Stencils: 50 Halloween Templates for Carving Pumpkins, Decorating and Painting Crafts
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One of the trickiest parts of carving a pumpkin is deciding what to carve. This paperback pumpkin carving stencil book gives you plenty of options, and most are easy enough for carving newbs to handle.
Winlyn DIY Wooden Sticks Pumpkin Craft Kit
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Decorating real pumpkins isn't always practical. This DIY pumpkin craft kit comes with 382 orange popsicle sticks of assorted sizes, leaf stickers, pipe cleaners, foam face stickers and more.
So kids can have some festive fun without buying a single pumpkin.
Why Pumpkin Carvers Are Crazy About the Winlyn DIY Wooden Sticks Pumpkin Craft Kit
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"These are very fun. I bought them to do Halloween crafts with my 6 year-old since we are stuck at home for school and we had fun. This is def a craft where young kids need help so just keep that in mind. I also made some extra to decorate my teaching studio and they turned out so great. I'm not a DIY/craft person either so these are great for everyone!" —L. Cecille
Start decorating: Winlyn DIY Wooden Sticks Pumpkin Craft Kit, $18.99
Joyin 30 Faces Pumpkin Decorating Stickers
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Carving pumpkins with a huge group of kids is utter chaos, so try this value pack of silly pumpkin face stickers instead.
There's enough to make dozen of faces, but get a few sets to avoid kids fighting over a particular face.
Joyin 18-Pack Craft Halloween Foam Stickers Pumpkin Decoration Kit
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All kids love the texture of foam stickers. This pumpkin decorating set transforms ordinary pumpkins into cute and cuddly woodland creatures, and it's easy enough for toddlers to do (mostly) on their own.
For added entertainment, let them do it completely by themselves. They might make monsters with multiple eyes purely by accident.
Why Pumpkin Carvers Are Crazy About the Joyin Halloween Foam Stickers Pumpkin Decoration Kit
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"I was skeptical buying these with no reviews. ... Don't be! They are perfect! The kids looooove them! We bought pumpkins bigger than the typical pie pumpkin size and they worked great! Have held up outside (covered porch) for 3 weeks now (:" —Addison Murphy
Start decorating: Joyin 18-Pack Craft Halloween Foam Stickers Pumpkin Decoration Kit, $14.95
Decorae Unicorn Halloween Pumpkin Decorating Kit
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Mermaids and unicorns are always popular with little girls. Give the people what they want and try out this reusable set of unicorn and mermaid pumpkin decorating accessories.
The set includes 13 pieces total and requires no carving skills whatsoever.
Jr. White Acrylic Paint Pens
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You don't need to be a world-class painter to decorate a pumpkin with a set of paint pens. This set includes a full rainbow of colors, plus black and two metallic shades.
It's so much less messy than scooping out pumpkin guts.
Why Pumpkin Carvers Are Crazy About Jr. White Acrylic Paint Pens
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"Super easy to use! My kids loved them when painting pumpkins and rocks." —R
Start decorating: Jr. White Acrylic Paint Pens, $13.99
Neon Nights Glow in the Dark Paint
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Who needs to carve a pumpkin when you can make one glow in the dark? In eight vibrant shades, this acrylic paint works on most surfaces, including pumpkins.
Since painting them doesn't pierce their tough, outer skin, it's a great way to decorate outdoor pumpkins that will last for weeks.
Why Pumpkin Carvers Are Crazy About Neon Nights Glow in the Dark Paint
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"Beautiful! Great paint for a blacklight party! Check out the photo of the Cheshire Cat I made from Amazon boxes ;)" —Erin
Start decorating: Neon Nights Glow in the Dark Paint, $16.99
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