Last updated on November 19th, 2023 at 12:15 am
Last year Buba and Missy Moo were far too young to comprehend carving pumpkins. Buba was just old enough to request that I carve Mickey and Minnie Mouse for him and his baby sister but he didn’t know what that actually meant. At the time it was all about Mickey and Minnie Mouse so I am pretty certain it was a fluke.
However, this year things have changed, Buba has grown up so much and is really into celebrating Halloween this year. He was ever so excited to pick out his Halloween costume on his own, dress up for his first Halloween party of the year, on Monday and asked me to carved pumpkins with him. I couldn’t pass this up, I love carving pumpkins. 
So while Missy Moo napped and Buba and I had some one-on-one time together I thought it would be the perfect time to carve a pumpkin together. I handed him our tools, our handy-dandy Oxo Good Grips Fruit Scoopers, which made it so easy for both of us to scoop out all those pumpkin seeds and guts. The orange, large fruit scooper was his favorite as you can see! 
First things first, we have to cut out our lid! I use a grated knife as it’s easier to saw the lid out in an octagon sort of shape. Make sure to angle your knife inward so the lid doesn’t fall straight into the pumpkin, it leaves a ledge for it to sit on. 
I use a large picnic table cloth on the floor, so that Buba could scoop those pumpkin seeds right onto the floor without making a big mess. And we got stuck in getting those pumpkin guts hollowed out. Buba is still too young to handle pumpkin carving tools or knives so the scooping was his task. He did brilliantly after he got the hang of it.
You can see how easy the fruit scoopers are for kids to use. I look forward to trying them out on melons and kiwis too! I love that they have big rounded edges safe for kids to use and a good handle to grip. Even though Buba’s hand was covered in pumpkin goo, his hand didn’t slip off the handle. 
I am no artist and the characters my kids request are not the easiest to draw and carve out if you don’t use my easy to follow, quick carving tip.
Whatever they may choose, google image it, use PicMonkey.com to resize to your pumpkin as most images and templates you find on google print out A4 size. Cut out your character as close to the face as possible and tape completely around the character to the pumpkin making sure it’s as flat as possible. I use the back of a meat thermometer or use a poking tool from a carving kit to make tiny dots along the entire taped template then remove the paper. 
You will be left with this perfect outline of your character on your pumpkin. Then it’s just a case of connecting the dots. Start from the top and work your way down through the face to the bottom. If you start in the middle tiny pieces can break easier as there isn’t as much support. If you do accidentally cut into another opening, use a toothpick to pin it back together.
Here are my two finished Olaf & Doc McStuffins Pumpkins carved out. During the day we have them outside on our front porch or on each side of our stairway. At night we like to light them on the kitchen island or put them in our living room front window to show them off. As you can see, it is so simple to make any fancy pumpkin carving! If I can do it, so can you!
Check out the video below to see us in action
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Don’t forget the giveaway below
GIVEAWAY:
There is more… one lucky reader will WIN their very own set of Oxo Good Grips Fruit Scoopers! Get your entries in below, you don’t want to miss out, these are fantastic!
ENTER BELOW!
* we were sent this fruit scoop set for the purpose of this review but all photos, opinions are our own.
oh wow how awesome are your pumpkins! I love this idea and will be totally giving it a go, thanks for the tips x
Thanks Kelly so sweet of you. Yes do it’s so easy. Once you have done it, you can do any character!
They look brilliant, you must be pleased with how they turned out. I don’t normally do much for Halloween but I’m really keen to give this a go (although I think I’ll need to make Octonauts pumpkins instead!)
Thanks Charlotte. Yes was very pleased how they turned out. It’s easy you can do it too. Go for it. Tweet or instagram me the after photo… would love to see!
I Love the olaf pumpkin! We discovered this method last year after the kids requested some pretty bizarre pumpkins, I’m not the greatest of artists either but this way is so handy!
The scoop looks great, using a normal spoon is always a messy job, may have to look for one of these!
Thanks hun. Yes do or enter the giveaway to win one!!! lol Such a great tip isn’t it? We did it as kids too.
So clever. My kids would love thanks
Thanks for stopping by and commenting.
Handy giveaway thank you
Ahh they look fab, so nice to have cute pumpkins 🙂
Thanks hunny. I know i love them outside but scared someone might steal them too. Lol
You’ve made it look so easy Jenny! I NEED one of those OXO Grips 😉
Get your entries in to win. They are great for pumpkin carving or using on fruit. Hahaha thanks hunny it really is once you have done it a few times
Brilliant idea Jenny! x
Thank you Becky!! They turned out better than last years.
These are so awesome! Great ideas 🙂
Thank you so much. We loved how they turned out.
Thank you MacKenzie. We were glad how they turned out.
Oh that’s so cool. Z would absolutely love the Olaf one and probably try to carry it around! 🙂
Do a mini one so he can!!! Hahaha thanks hun
I’ve never carved a pumpkin before, I have a fear I’d accidentally slit my wrists with a pen knife. I would love to give it a try though!
Oh in that case use a pumpkin carving kit. They have little plastic covered tools so its more safe and easier even for kids to use.
These pumpkins look amazing. Thank you for sharing how to carve them 🙂
You did such a brilliant job, hunny! I will be pinning your tutorial right away as we are planning to carve our pumpkins tomorrow. xxx
Thank you so much for pinning. Always feels amazing when someone says they are pinning something of mine. Lol enjoy carving.
Those are brilliant – and I love the idea of using a skewer to mark out a template – I’ve only ever done freehand carving before and it wasn’t anything like as impressive; thank you for the top tips!
Thanks Carie. Oh yes you can spend lots of those pumpkin carving kits. A good old poky therometer and pearing knife from the kitchen works for me. Lol
Awesome carvings!
Thank you so much!
wow they look amazing. We are going to have a go at weekend. Wish me luck 😉
Best of luck. It’s so much easier than you think my lovely. The pumpkin carving tool kits are great too to saw out little pieces if you can find one. Either way, I bet you will do brilliantly.
Now I feel silly – you make it look so easy!! It never occurred to me to actually use a template, I just kind of make it up as I go along!!! Hopefully I’ll have a better dressed front door this year (I quite like the fact I’ve got all of half term before the high night itself to get ready for trick or treating!).
Exactly, go carve to your hearts content now. You can make anything out of a pumpkin. Just google image it. lol Thanks lovely.
These are fantastic! We carved our pumpkin exactly the same way the year before last – we have an inflatable one now! #sharewithme
Not a bad idea having an inflatable one. lol Love it. Might have to get some myself.
This is so helpful, thank you! My lid last year did start to fall into the pumpkin a little bit! Yours look brilliant, what a great way to do it; my daughter would love Olaf 🙂 x #sharewithme
Thanks Louise, It’s so easy once you have done it I promise. Don’t forget to get your entries in to WIN some helpful Fruit Scoopers too! They are great so the kids can carve pumpkins too!
They look amazing!
I would never have thought of attaching a template and pricking holes into the pumpkin…what a good idea! x
Thanks Laura. Oh yes so much easier this way.
Great work Jenny! I’m pretty allergic to drawing but I think even I could manage this! Thanks for the inspiration.
I am too. I cant even do stick people. This is so easy though. Try it.
This is such a good idea! I had never thought about printing a pic and doing that way, amazing xx
Oh yes anything to make the things i do easier in life. Hahahaha
The pumpkins look great. We did a boring one last year, but I’d like to do something a bit cooler this year.
Do it its so easy promise. The kids love picking out characters for them too.
I just think this is brilliant Jenny. After watching your You Tube vid it all came clear how it is possible to do something that looks so impressive, and Buba really enjoyed the de-seeding too didn’t he? Did you find a pumpkin patch to visit? X
I did find one. I am hoping to take the kids this Saturday. Fingers ctossed the weather holds.
This is how I carve my pumpkins and it makes it so much easier and more fun when you’re not frustrated when the shape isn’t going right 🙂 Love Olaf!!!
Exactly, ever since I started this I have always done it. I used to get so frustrated. lol Thanks Helen.
Your pumpkins are amazing, I’m super impressed! We had a go last year but kept to a quite simple crooked face – I’ll definitely be using your tips and trying to get a bit more adventurous this year! Xx
Thanks hunny. Yes do, once you get the hang of it, it’s super easy. I promise.
What a great idea – love the theme. Hope they totally enjoy it. I love Halloween xx
Me too, it’s one of my faves, even though I am a big chicken on the scary stuff. I wish I had the money to completely dec out the house for it each year. Maybe as the kids get older. lol
Wow! There are so many great bit of advice in this. Table cloth as a drop cloth -brilliant, fruit scoopers as pumpkin-carving tools – brilliant, creating a template and outline – brilliant! Thanks so much for a great post! #TriedTested
Thank you so much Shannon for your amazing comment. I do like to share my tips that help me do things more easily and better as a parent. We only learn by doing and sharing. lol 🙂 Glad you like it.
So cute!! My Princess loves Doc McStuffins, so I can see us giving this a try!
Thanks fantastic. It’s so easy I promise!
This is fantastic Jenny, I really must give your method a try x
Do it I promise it’s so easy and you will never go back! Make the girls Elsa and Anna pumpkins hahahaha Thanks hunny.
Amazing. Makes our pumpkin making look very amateur 🙂 x
Try it next year you wont go back. Once you do it its so easy.
This is brilliant! Love your pumpkins, really just get my act together and do something with our 🙂
Hahaha yes let the kids pick out a character to carve. They love it.
Brilliant! I’ve never attempted to carve my own pumpkins but with the scoops it doesn’t look too difficult. I love the idea of the template too. You always see scary faces but I love the idea of using different characters. They look fab!
Oh yes in america we carve everyrhing not just scary things. We also dress in all costumes not just campires witches abd zoombies. Its more little kid friendly halloween. I love it.
WOW! My kids are going to LOVE me for reading this fab tutorial!!! My husband usually does the carving but I think this year I am going to give it a go- directing at least!! x x x
Grace says – WOW!!! Awesome……………..
The Mothers say – Fab job hun – these look amazing. We’d love to see you link this to our Mini Creations linky. Hope to see you there xx #sharewithme
Oh yes i will thanks Lucas. I didnt even think about it being a creation but i guess you are right its a great one for that. Hahaha
These look brilliant. What a fab idea. Eeekk though to all that messy Pumpkin………. Loved watching these develop xx #sharewithme
Oh thats why inuse a picnic table cloth no mess just wipe off with a baby wile abd roll back up.
How cute! Love the Doc McStuffins pumpkin 🙂
Thank you Wendy.
What a fantastic tip! I always wondered how to do those amazing, intricate carving patterns. This year M is still a little too young to appreciate Halloween, but I’m certain he will next year and I can’t wait. x
Its tge easiest way i know as i cant draw at all. Try it next year the kids love picking out their own.
What cool pumpkins! It looks like everyone had fun getting these ready for the big day 🙂 #sharewithme
What a great idea Jenny! Love how you could use any image your child requested. Thanks for linking up with #TriedTested
These are amazing!! Love the video too! I still don’t think I could do it though, mr carving skills are SO bad!! x
If i could do it hunny you can. If you adent good at carving use a pumpkin carving kit they make it easier.
These are fantastic and such a good idea!
Thank you Kay! They were fun to make! Hope you got your entries in to WIN a free Fruit Scoop Set too.
Wow these are brilliant! What a fabulous idea x #ShareWithMe
Thanks Aby they were so fun to make! Hope you got your entries in to win a fruit scoop set too!
Fab tutorial, you must miss all the celebrations over in the States, although it’s slowly becoming more popular over here x
I do but get excited each year when i see more and more going on here too. Love it. Thanks hunny
Hello there, wow this is such a good idea-I hadn’t thought of using templates to help with the images so that’s great! We have a surplus of pumpkins on the allotment so have plenty to carve! Really enjoyed your post and your photos x #sharewithme
Thanks you so much Lystra for stopping by and commenting. Glad you liked it. Hope it helps make carving easier in the future. And hope to see you again here soon. Get your entries in to WIN a fruit scoop set too!
Wow those pumpkins are amazing! I love pumpkin carving, feeling inspired to buy one now just for the fun. I know they won’t turn out quite as artistic as yours though! #sharewithme
Thanks hunny. Do it. Honestly i am no artist or crafty and i could do this. You use a template you can do anything. Its fun. Try it out. Tweet or instagram me a photo i will share it.
WOW they look absolutely amazing! 🙂
Thank you Sonia. So sweet of you. The kids really enjoyed them and I was impressed with the results for sure. Better each year. Mickey was last years. My pumpkin characters age as my kids do! hahahaha
You have totally inspired me for next year 😉 x
Omg how cute are they?! We are doing pumpkins tonight and I am so excited as it is my first time carving one! I am doing a minion and the boy is doing a puking pumpkin! Fingers crossed!
OH that sounds fantastic. Good luck. And thanks for stopping by and commenting. Enjoy!
I love the designs Jenny, I’m still deciding what to carve my pumpkin into. TIme is running out so I better make a decision! xx
Oh google something your little one would like to see and try my tips! It’s so easy I promise. Good luck. Look forward to seeing what you come up with.
WOW! They look so good. Next year I will get a stencil. For this year we just went for it x #sharewithme
Thats grear. Nothing wrong with just going for it. Hahaha its fun.
Fab! I just carved my best pumpkins ever this week 🙂 xx
That’s fantastic Natalie! Did you use my tips? I hope they helped. Its great to get excited about your own masterpieces. I loved how ours turned out.
Wow, your pumpkins look really great and done so simply too, i’d never have thought to poke holes through a template! Fantastic #sharewithme
Thank you. It’s really simple and it’s so helpful I am no artist and need all the help I can get for sure. Glad you like it and hope it helps you the next time you want to carve fancy pumpkins.
We will have to try this, just about to buy our pumpkins for the boys to enjoy – we absolutely love it and with these tips we will have some scary looking ones this year
Thats fantastic. I am so glad to helo. Tweet me a photo would love to see it. Thanks for stopping by and commenting.
Genius pumpkins! Isn’t it always the way that the best ideas are often the easiest!?
Exactly. it’s so easy as I am no artist. If I can do it anyone can for sure. Thanks for stopping by and commenting. I hope it helped you make some lovely pumpkins.
Looks great, pumpkin carving is an art!
Definitely but this really makes it so very easy. I promise. I am no artist and I did these.
Love the pumpkins! Are you able to share where I may find the Olaf stencil? My daughter would love that! Thank you. 🙂
No problem Lauren. I literally just google images olaf stencil and hundreds came up. I think it was the fifth one. There are so much. Then I used picmonkey.com to resize to my small pumpkin as they print out I think A4 size. Enjoy.
We also google for images, often owls or cats.
Oh yes you can google any image for your pumpkins even words. LOL thanks for stopping by and commenting.
I used a template, but couldn’t work out what to use for the holes (durr, I have skewers I could have used!) so ending up cutting out the relevant parts of the paper then drawing round it. I should really do as people advise. The carving kit I bought had a useless bendy knife in it too, so I used N’s kiddy cutter knife I used last year, but this year managed to break it. Oops.
Next year, I shall buy a decent kit!
Hahaha well hopefully my tutorial will make next year so much easier darling. Good luck. Happy halloween.
Fab carvings.Great giveaway
Just linked to your fab tutorial in my latest post, hun! x
Oh thank you so much that’s so very sweet of you. I look forward to having a peak at it. 🙂 Appreciate the share.
Please put me into the draw xx