Rejoice, Pandas! Spooky season is in full swing and we’re watching Halloween decorations pop up everywhere we go. Though some of them are looking a bit suspicious. Was that decorative bat always there in the corner of the office or did it fly in through the window when your back was turned? Did your neighbor always have so many skeletons in their yard or did they crawl out from the basement when everyone went to sleep? But nothing screams Halloween more than jack-o’-lanterns—carved pumpkins, lit from within by hellfire (or candles if you’ve run out of the former).

Pumpkin carving is a lot of fun, and it grants a ton of creative freedom. All you need is whatever root vegetable you think looks the best, a sturdy set of tools, the ability to use Google and YouTube, and a bit of patience. To get you in the mood for Halloween and to inspire you to up your decorative game, our team at Bored Panda has collected pics of the most impressive and imaginative carved pumpkins from all over the net.

Check out the coolest jack-o’-lanterns you’ve probably ever seen below, Pandas. Don’t forget to upvote the ones you liked, and be sure to let us know which of these really wowed you the most. Got any carving tips or pumpkin pics? Be sure to drop by the comment section.

Oh, and if you’d love some more masterful orange-colored art, check out Bored Panda’s previous two pumpkin-flavored lists here and here. We promise you, the designs don’t bite… hard.

Bored Panda wanted to learn more about the art of pumpkin carving, so we reached out to award-winning artist Alex Wer, better known online as The Pumpkin Geek. We’re also sharing a couple of his designs in this article. Check out our full interview with him below.

#1 Halloween Ver

Image credits: CRONA7DO

Artist Alex’s, aka The Pumpkin Geek’s, work has been featured in hundreds of blogs and major news publications, and he himself has done projects for Sony, Legendary Entertainment, and Paramount. What’s more, he has carved over 100 celebs in pumpkin form, from Gene Simmons and Stan Lee to Ming-Na Wen and Jeri Ryan, to name just a few. As far as Alex knows, he’s the only pumpkin carver that has been touring Comic-Cons full-time for the past decade. We’ve also featured his designs in a previous article.

Bored Panda was very interested to find out how Alex had started carving pumpkins in the first place. “I basically wanted to be the cool neighbor on the block at Halloween when I bought a house!” The Pumpkin Geek said.

#2 These Pumpkins

Image credits: thepumpkingeek

#3 Happy October! This Is My Submission To A Pumpkin Carving Contest At Work. The First Image Is A Meyda Tiffany Glass Lamp, Which Was My Inspiration. Took Me About 8 Hours

Image credits: rikkarikka

“I had become a bit ‘obsessed’ about pumpkin carving and my wife asked me to carve a logo for a company she worked at that was having a Grand Opening in October, about 12 years ago. I decided to try the artificial pumpkins I had seen at Michael’s, so her boss could keep it from year to year. I got 35 orders that night and The Pumpkin Geek was born!” Alex opened up about how his pumpkin art project was born.

He explained to us a bit about his work process. The pumpkins he actually works on are artificial (made from polyurethane), so they pretty much last forever.

“Since I hand carve on artificial pumpkins, I use Dremel tools and rotary carving bits. Basically, a handheld drill. I developed a ‘5-layer’ carving technique to really make my work life-like and as realistic as possible. One section is cut all the way through, and then 4 different layers of depth to the surface.”

#4 Have You Ever Seen A 1,000 Lb Plus Pumpkin?

Image credits: villafanestudios

#5 My Dad Next To A Pumpkin Carved At A Competition In My Town

Image credits: TheZetaMonster

#6 Grandma Sent Us This Photo Of Her Beautiful Grand Baby Aria. She Had Created A Pumpkin With Our Vine Arms And Legs

Yesterday we received one of the most special emails we’ve ever gotten. Grandma also thanked us for the joy that was brought to this little girl.

Image credits: VillafaneStudios

Alex shared with us that each pumpkin takes between 4 to 6 hours to carve. However, despite his dedication to his craft and his popularity, not everyone is a fan of his work.

“Sadly, I am always accused online of simply posting ‘photoshopped’ images. [It is] quite frustrating,” he said that the same people don’t question other professionals like tattoo artists.

The Pumpkin Geek had this advice for those of us hoping to get our hands orange carving pumpkins for the very first time this Halloween. “Start with the Halloween kits you can find at stores. They give you an introduction to more intricate carving. Then, search online for sites and patterns, there are many out there to help you take it to the next level!”

#7 Eddie Foam Pumpkin Carved By Me

Image credits: drewbert2000

#8 Balrog (Durin’s Bane) vs. Gandalf Pumpkin Carving 2.0

Image credits: ebrad77

#9 Stuffed Pumpkin I Did

Image credits: C00li012345

We have the utmost respect for all the artists who are showing off their awesome pumpkin carving skills online. While the activity itself, essentially carving a root veggie, can sound incredibly simple, the truth is very different.

Those of you Pandas who have ever tried to turn a pumpkin or turnip into a work of art to spook and impress your friends probably know what we’re on about. Getting the darn design to look like you want it to is way harder than it seems. And at the end of the day, some of us (cough, cough) end up with something goofy, haphazard, and totally unInstagrammable.

However, those creators who have the patience and humility to learn from their mistakes can end up with some fabulous designs that capture the hearts and minds of millions around the globe.

#10 Little Buddy Posing Next To The Racc-O’-Lantern Hubby And I Carved Tonight

Image credits: MammothElderberry628

#11 Fish Skeleton, Carved Pumpkin

Image credits: ktownpark

#12 Paleman 3D Pumpkin Carving

Image credits: Ronnyandfriends

Let’s be frank, carving pumpkins is an art form, and we’re darn glad that it is. If we could, we’d have (at least) two Halloweens each year so that these artists can get the attention and adoration they deserve more often.

Halloween and jack-o’-lanterns have been intertwined, literally, for ages. Halloween is based on the Celtic festival Samhain, which was celebrated in Britain and Ireland, in the ancient past. The festival marked the end of summer and the start of the new year, falling on November 1.

#13 My Girlfriend’s Halloween Pumpkin This Year

Image credits: CloudOoT

#14 My Pumpkin This Year

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#15 Halloween Season Busting Out All Over. First Live Carve Of The Season In The Books

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Those celebrating Samhain believed that the souls of those who’d died that year traveled to the otherworld that night. Meanwhile, other souls would return to visit their homes, according to Encyclopedia Britannica.

In the 8th century, the Catholic Church moved All Saints’ Day to November 1, meaning that Halloween fell on October 31. This meant that some traditions from Samhain remained, including wearing disguises to hide from the souls that were wandering around your house.

#16 I Was Told My Pumpkin Carving From This Year Belongs Here

Image credits: DoggieDoc83

#17 Every Halloween For 50 Years, My Dad Carved A Story Into A Pumpkin. This Year It’s The Man-Against-Machine Tale Of John Henry

Image credits: juliagalef

#18 It’s The Night Before Halloween

Image credits: thepumpkingeek

Meanwhile, the tradition of carving pumpkins and turnips with demonic faces remained as well. Pumpkin carving was meant to frighten away Stingy Jack, a figure from Irish mythology, who’d tricked the devil for money. After he’d died, Jack wasn’t allowed to go either to heaven or hell, so he was doomed to roam the earth for all eternity. Though few people know about Jack, pumpkin carving has become a staple of Halloween.

Last Halloween, Bored Panda spoke to psychologist Lee Chambers about why we’re so fascinated by the holiday and why we love horror so much. He said that it’s all about testing to see where our limits lie, as people.

 “The whole ethos of Halloween and the flirting with evil and death is fascinating because it is a place we rarely go as humans, especially in today’s safe and sanitized world,” the psychologist said.

#19 This Two-Face Was Carved For Dc Comics Many Years Ago. I Think It Took A Solid 8 Hours To Carve It

Image credits: andy_bergholtz

#20 I Decided To Carve A Self-Portrait

Image credits: TeaTimeAtThree

#21 A Pumpkin For A Competition At Work

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“We can get the adrenaline rush of being scared, all while knowing we are in control and can exit the situation if it’s too much. We also cognitively know it’s not real, so we can trigger ourselves and test how we respond to threats, giving us the ability to practice coping mechanisms for difficult times in life,” the mental health expert said why Halloween and horror resonate with people so much.

#22 Water, Earth, Fire, Air… Pumpkin? Louisville, KY, Jack-O’-Lantern Festival

Image credits: garebear1993

#23 May Have Gone A Little Overboard On My Pumpkin This Year

Image credits: DeCurt1998

#24 Forgot To Post A Picture Of The Pumpkin I Carved. Hope Everyone Had A Happy Halloween

Image credits: Burgleroid

“We can explore the taboos of negative emotions like fear in a playful way, see where our limits lie, and do it in a supportive environment with other people. Getting scared and mastering our fear with scary entertainment and curated shocks can make us feel like we can take on all sorts of challenges, and can even feel like therapy when we take into account the physiological rush we get and the feeling of having survived.”

#25 We Worked Our Magic Together Last Year For Maniac Pumpkins And Had A Blast

Image credits: lennycalvincreations

#26 Happy Halloween, Donnie

#27 The Level Of Detail That Artists Put Into Carving Thousands Of Pumpkins At The MN Zoo Is Incredible

Image credits: DjentleCries

So, Pandas, which of these pumpkins did you enjoy looking at the most? Did any of these scare the bejesus out of you? Do you have any plans for what you’re going to carve this Halloween? Got any hard-earned artistic carving tips to share with the other Pandas? Be sure to help them out!

We’d love to hear your thoughts, so don’t be shy, tell us all about your Halloween traditions and how much you love pumpkins in the comments.

#28 Beehive Pumpkin Carving

Image credits: ktownpark

#29 This Was My First Attempt About 10 Years Ago. Uncle Creepy Based On The Classic Portrait By Frank Frazetta

Image credits: andy_bergholtz

#30 Carved A Night King Pumpkin

Image credits: ktownpark

#31 Custom Made

Image credits: David-Davis1

#32 My Demogorgon Pumpkin

Image credits: calm–clam

#33 Evil Eye, Me, Pumpkin Carving, 2019

Image credits: ktownpark

#34 Nosferatu Carved Pumpkin

Image credits: VillafaneStudios

#35 It’s Been A While Since I’ve Carved A Pumpkin That’s More On The Simple Side, But This Was A Fun One

For anyone wondering, the tongue is a carved sweet potato and the staples are carved pumpkin painted to look like metal. The eyes and teeth are potatoes/ carrots.

Image credits: the_pumpkin_artist

#36 Got To Carve An 853-Pound Pumpkin

Image credits: dannykissel88

#37 As I Reflect Over The Past Month, I Have To Smile Because It Has Undoubtedly Been One Of The Lightest “Carving” Seasons I Have Done In Decades

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#38 Sir, They’re Carving You Into Pumpkins Now

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#39 Helped My Wife Carve A Pumpkin For Our Pregnancy Announcement

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#40 Lazy Pumpkin Carving

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#41 My Entry Into The Pumpkin Carving Contest At My Job. Wish Me Luck

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#42 We Did A Minecraft Pumpkin This Year, It Was A Hit

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#43 Accidentally Walked In On My Pumpkin This Morning

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#44 Yes, I’m A Total Amateur At Carving, But There’s Something So Satisfying About Scraping Away At The Flesh Of A Pumpkin

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#45 What A Lovely Side

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#46 Shoutout To The Neighbors With The Goat Pumpkin

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#47 Husband And I Carved LOTR Pumpkins This Year

Image credits: Your_pal_Fal

#48 Just Keep Smiling Whatever It Takes. I Always Have To Take Time For At Least One Pumpkin Carving This Time Of Year

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#49 I Carved A Pumpkin

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#50 My Jack-O’-Lantern This Year

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#51 My Pumpkin King Celebrating His 10th Birthday Today

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#52 These Are Some Of The Most Beautiful, Creative Pumpkins I’ve Seen

Image credits: Discokitty14

#53 Hail To The King. Portrait Of Godzilla (King Of Monsters Era). I Carved This By Hand On A 14″ Funkin Artificial Pumpkin

Image credits: babysmash3r

#54 This Year’s Pumpkin

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#55 Spy vs. Spy. Hand Carved Pumpkin By Me About 20 Minutes Ago

Image credits: McFrazzlestache

#56 Made A Honeycomb Umbrella Pumpkin

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#57 50-Year-Old Pumpkin, He Is

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#58 Carved This Squid Game Pumpkin

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#59 Every Year A Lady From My Hometown Carves Pumpkins Into Horrifying Works Of Art And Then Auctions Them Off For Halloween. This Is One Of The Highlights From This Year

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#60 Thinking Of The Countless Folks, Their Friends, And Families, I Carved The Most Dangerous Scary Thing I Could Think Of Today In My Pumpkin. The Victim Of Misinformation

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#61 This Year’s Carvings (Better Late Than Never)

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#62 I Carved Myself A Pumpkin Today

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#63 Pumpkin Who Carved A Home Out Of A Pumpkin

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#64 Here Are A Few Snaps From An Event And A Rotating Pumpkin Carving Workshop I Did Yesterday At The Riverstone International Private School Fall Festival

Image credits: the_pumpkin_artist

#65 I Carved A Pumpkin Inside Out Today

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#66 I’m So Proud Of My Pumpkin

Image credits: KhalMartinn

#67 This “Venom” Jack-O’-Lantern

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#68 Blessed Jack-O’-Lantern

Image credits: AnActualPairOfPants

#69 My Mario Pumpkin

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#70 I Carved The “This Is Fine” Dog Into A Pumpkin

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#71 My David Rose Pumpkin

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#72 My Pumpkin Carving Of The Witch King Of Angmar. I Love His Character Design So Much

Image credits: LongFineArt

#73 2021 Pumpkin Carving

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#74 Carved A Fitting Pumpkin To Get In The Mood This Year

Image credits: EricArtr

#75 This Jack-O’-Lantern Will Give Me Nightmares For Years

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#76 My Attempts At A 3D Pumpkin Carving

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#77 I’m 33 Years Old And Third Time Ever Carving A Pumpkin In My Entire Life. Was Ambitious, Very Happy With It

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#78 My Sister And I Worked Together To Try To Win Her Dorm Pumpkin Carving Competition

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#79 “The Kid Comes With Me”. My 2021 Pumpkin Carving

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#80 Another Pumpkin

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#81 This Jack Nicholson Carved Pumpkin In A Local Park

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#82 The Mold Aged Well. Happy Halloween

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#83 Carving My Dad Did For Halloween

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#84 A Look Back At The Life And Times Of Beloved Mr. Long Stem, RIP

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#85 Did Fleshtaker By Kev Walker This Year

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#86 My 6-Year-Old’s Pumpkin This Year. He Is A Big Fan Of Venom Although Not Old Enough To Actually Watch Any Of The Movies

YouTube advertising does not have very good age filters…

Image credits: BigMacDaddy73

#87 It’s Not Perfect But I Carved A Minecraft Pumpkin

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#88 I Carved A Pumpkin

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#89 Smile

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#90 If 2020 Was A Pumpkin

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#91 I Carved The Front Man Into A Pumpkin

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#92 Even The Pumpkins Are Getting Sick

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#93 These Dilation Pumpkins. It Was Set Up By Midwives At The Royal Oldham Hospital In Lancashire, England As Part Of A Pumpkin Decorating Competition

Image credits: pregnantchicken

#94 My Sister Made This Pumpkin Today

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#95 What Came First? The Pumpkin Or The Seed?

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#96 The Batman Pumpkin Carving Done By Me

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#97 My First Pumpkin Of The Season

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#98 My “Signs” Pumpkin

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#99 Boo! Sorry If I Startled You Guys, But Tonight I Made A Rentoid Jack-O’-Lantern To Get Me In The Spooky Halloween Spirit

Honestly, I am kind of scared just looking at it, it feels like it will come alive and fill my room with those funko pops! Happy Halloween, landchads and queens! 

Image credits: xWinterPR

#100 My Pyro Jack-O’-Lantern Won Our Carving Contest

Image credits: andmonske

#101 My Rotting Goomba Pumpkin Looks More Like Goomba Now Than It Did When It Was Freshly Carved

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#102 Stark/Targaryen Jack-O’-Lantern With Dragon Projection In A Craft Pumpkin

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#103 Reality Can Be Whatever I Want

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#104 Happy Halloween From Max Verpumpkin

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#105 I Give You… Usopp Pumpkin

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#106 Gnarly Pumpkin Made Gnarlier By Mold

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#107 My Pumpkin’s Deteriorating Nicely

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#108 Small Carved Pumpkin Munching On Tangerine

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#109 My Guildie Reckeva Made A Twilight Archmage Carved Pumpkin, And It Looks Amazing

Image credits: WhyV77

#110 Such A Bright Smile

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#111 The Grabber. Hand-Carved Pumpkin By Me 30 Minutes Ago

Image credits: McFrazzlestache

#112 It’s Corn! Hand-Carved Pumpkin By Me In 2022

Image credits: McFrazzlestache

#113 My Phantom Pumpkin

Image credits: Orange_Tortoise

#114 This Pumpkin Had Just The Perfect Shape To Turn Into A Jog-O’-Lantern

Image credits: Ashirogi8112008

#115 Our Persona 5 Inspired Pumpkins

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#116 Me (Left) And My Wife (Right) Carved Some Pretty Sweet Pumpkins

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#117 Welcome To The Pumpkin, Pal

Image credits: ZombiePumpkins

#118 A Very Talented Son

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#119 My Disney-Themed Carved Pumpkins

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#120 Deep Pumpkin Value

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Source: boredpanda.com