Hello Kitty Pumpkin Carving Tutorial

If you’re a procrastinator like me, you’ve probably waited until the last minute to pick up a pumpkin to carve for Halloween this year.

I ended up finding one of the last good pumpkins in town yesterday, and as I was trying to decide what to carve on said pumpkin, one thing kept popping into my head: Hello Kitty! Because who says Halloween has to be all scary and spooky? Why not have a little bit of girly fun, too?

So, if you’re still trying to decide what to carve on your last-minute pumpkin, here’s how to do a Hello Kitty pumpkin carving:

1. Pick a pumpkin and clean out all the seeds and gross stuff from inside. This is my least favorite part.

2. Find a design you like. For me, simplicity is key. But if you’re up for a more intricate design, go for it. I found the stencil below right here.

3. Tape the stencil on your pumpkin–try to make it as flat as possible. Using a sharp tool, dot along the interior and exterior of the pattern (all the black lines).

4. Once you’ve dotted all around the stencil, remove the paper. Your pumpkin should look a little like this:

5. Get carving! Don’t be afraid to take your time! And you may need to use several different kinds of tools/knives. A small, serrated knife works well on the curves of this pattern.

6. Once you’ve cut all the way around the pattern, feel free to go back and fix any areas that may not be right. Your pumpkin should look a bit like this: