Yes, I know I carved my pumpkins way too early, but I did it so I could make mistakes so you don’t have to! (Also, the first week of October was the only time my siblings’ schedules lined up).

Here’s the video of our some of our process:

Tips for Carving Pumpkins

1. Don’t carve them too early!
2. If you do carve them too early, Vaseline helps preserve them. My pumpkin (carved October 8th) is still kicking! The others did not make it. I think mine made it because it had a small design (back middle in the video)
3. Get some special carving knives! They’re cheap at any store and regular knives are tough to cut with.
4. Print out your design in advance like my husband did and it makes it easier
5. Make sure when you’re cutting the top off, you don’t go straight down or the top will fall inside your pumpkin. Do it at an angle!
6. If you don’t want to use a spoon to scoop out the gunk, get this special glove. It was one of the best purchases I’ve made. (not an ad)!
7. When you’re cooking pumpkin seeds, douse them in melted butter before you try to stick seasoning on them or the seasoning won’t stay on!
8. Play music (preferably our radio station), have fun, and don’t take it too seriously!