The best Halloween pumpkin carving ideas and advice for a spooktacular display

Directions

1. Choose a pumpkin with firm flesh and a flat side for your design.
2. Cut out the top of the pumpkin to hollow it out and clean the inside.
3. Use a pumpkin scraper to remove seeds and thin down the walls to about a quarter of an inch.
4. Tape your stencil onto the pumpkin and use a transfer tool to mark the design with tiny holes.
5. Carve the pumpkin starting from the centre of the design and working outward, cutting away from your body.
6. Leave the carved pieces in place until you have finished carving to maintain stability.
7. Remove the pieces carefully and re-cut if necessary.
8. Light the pumpkin with tea-lights or battery-operated tealights.
9. Display the pumpkin with hay bales, autumn leaves, and berries for a seasonal look.
10. Rub petroleum jelly along the cut lines to help preserve the pumpkin and prevent wilting.