Pumpkin carving 2026: step-by-step guide, free templates and safety tips

Know the risk first

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) reported an average of 3,200 Halloween-related emergency room injuries a year over three years. Pumpkin carving caused 55% of them.

CPSC’s rule: adults do the carving. Children can draw the face with a marker and scoop out the inside with a spoon.

Step by step

• 1. Pick: choose a pumpkin with a flat side for the face and a base that sits without rolling.
• 2. Prep: cover the table, wash and dry the pumpkin, and work on a dry, steady surface.
• 3. Lid: cut a circle around the stem with the blade angled inward so the lid will not fall in. Some carvers cut an opening in the back or bottom instead.
• 4. Scoop: remove seeds and strings. Scrape the face-side wall thinner so light glows through.
• 5. Transfer: tape your paper template to the pumpkin and poke holes along the lines, or trace with a marker.
• 6. Carve: start with the smallest, center details and work outward. Cut slowly, away from your hands.
• 7. Clean up: push out the cut pieces from the inside and wipe the edges.

Make your own template

You do not need a printed pattern pack. Three free browser tools on this site can help:

• Grid Paper Generator: print a square grid (for example 10 mm on Letter) and sketch a face that fits your pumpkin. The grid makes it easy to keep eyes symmetrical.
• Pixel Art Maker: design a blocky 8×8 or 16×16 face. Square cuts are easier than curves for beginners. Export a PNG and print it at the size you need.
• Drawing Board: draw a face with the pen, line and shape tools, then export PNG or SVG to print.

Carving with family? Take a photo of the pumpkin, open it in the Image Annotator and add numbered markers to show which piece to cut first.

Jobs for kids

• Draw the face on the pumpkin with a washable marker.
• Scoop seeds with a spoon.
• Design the template on paper or in the Pixel Art Maker.
• Decorate a no-carve pumpkin with paint or stickers.

Lighting and display

• Light it with a battery-operated candle or glow stick, as CPSC suggests, rather than a real flame.
• If you use a real candle, the U.S. Fire Administration says to keep it at least 12 inches from anything that can burn.
• Place pumpkins where costumes will not brush against them and where they do not block steps.
• Keep lit pumpkins out of reach of pets, who can knock them over (AVMA).

Injury data: CPSC news release (averages for 2019–2021, published Oct. 2022). Participation: NRF 2026 survey (in 2025, 46% planned to carve). Last checked 2026-10-23.