This year, treat your gang of goblins to a jack-o'-lantern tricked out with creative carvings. Inspired by paint-by-numbers kits, our carve-by-color technique uses color-coded templates to show you how much and where to cut, shave, or scrape your pumpkin to create a jack-'o-lantern that looks richly textured, multitonal -- and terrifying in the best way possible. Be sure to look for a pumpkin that fits your chosen template and is firm all over -- soft spots near the stem or base can indicate premature rot.

Make an artistic autumn scene filled with vines and ginkgo leaves that can go well beyond Halloween -- this would make a beautiful centerpiece for Thanksgiving.

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This owl stands out against a night sky, complete with stars and a full moon. Opt for a pale Lumina pumpkin; When lit from within, the exterior surface becomes multicolored.

Print the Night Owl Template

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See More Scary Pumpkin Templates

To create a row of spooky houses, scrape up the rind in an up-and-down motion with an linoleum cutter on tall, oblong pumpkins.

Print Haunted House Template 1 
Print Haunted House Template 2 
Print Haunted House Template 3

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Elevate your pumpkin with this bewitching design complete with evil eyes and a malicious mouth. Cut through the pumpkin only in those few spots and then scrape away the skin to create her creepy complexion and the full moon.

Print the Witch Clip-Art Template

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See More Designer Pumpkin Templates

Trick-or-treaters will love this fierce feline, grabbing at "yarn" made from candy-filled plastic balls wrapped with twine.

Print the Fierce Feline Template

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Trace our knot templates onto a pumpkin in several spots, scrape the rings with a linoleum cutter, and then make free-form lines to fill in the design.

Print Faux-Bois Template 1
Print Faux-Bois Template 2

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Set these toothsome little guys on small plates or sauces, and then arrange them on a leaf-strewn table to let these goofy jack-o'-lanterns enliven the whole room.

Print the Jack-'o-Lantern Templates

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See More Funny-Face Pumpkin Templates