9 Clever Pumpkin Carving Tricks to Try This Halloween

Instead of carving your pumpkin from the top, like in the above photo, make your main hole at the bottom of the pumpkin. This will keep the moisture inside the pumpkin longer, make the guts come out easier, and make it easier to light a candle inside as you can place it in the hole from the bottom.

To get a good grip on your pumpkin while carving it, forgo the table for your lap! According to Costello's social media page, you'll have a much steadier grip on the pumpkin while carving the candle hole and designs.

You're probably already planning on using a marker to sketch spooky designs into the surface of your pumpkin, but you'll still want to listen up for this handy hack! Costello recommends using a red dry-erase marker rather than any old pen for the initial sketch, as you can rub any mistakes out easily. Plus, the red hue blends into the pumpkin more easily than a black marker!

Taking it back to the original hack that took the pumpkin carving community by storm, whip out your handy hand mixer to easily excavate the guts of your pumpkin! The hand mixer will help loosen the strings and seeds so you can scoop them out more easily.

Another handy hack to remove the guts from your pumpkin is by using an ice cream scoop, says TikTok user @ovviawellness. In her pumpkin carving tutorial, Leigh explains that the ice cream scoop, rather than a regular spoon or your hand, makes it much faster to scoop out all of the pumpkin seeds and flesh.

Not so confident in your freehand sketching skills? Use some festive Halloween cookie cutters to trace designs onto your pumpkin's face! Simply secure the sharp edge of the cutter into the surface of the pumpkin and tap the edges with a rubber mallet until it cuts through the pumpkin.

If you want your jack-o'-lantern to last the entirety of the spooky season, pull out your nearest Vaseline tub! By covering the cut surfaces with petroleum jelly, you can ensure the pumpkin stays moist even after carving.

Pumpkin and cinnamon? Sounds more like a dessert than a carving hack! But according to Costello's TikTok, sprinkling this simple spice on the inner top of your pumpkin will cause it to emit a sweet, cozy scent when the candle is lit.

Instead of using a real candle to light your pumpkin, try twinkle lights! That way, you won't have to worry about any fire hazards from using a flame. Plus, with their glittering glow, they'll add a whimsical flair to your jack-o'-lantern that a typical battery-operated candle couldn't.