How to Host a Pumpkin-Carving Party the Whole Neighborhood Will Love

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

You know it’s October once the crooked, warm smiles of jack-o’-lanterns begin to appear on porches and windowsills around your neighborhood. Kick off this Halloween tradition in style by inviting people over for a good old-fashioned jack-o’-lantern carving party. These decorations and ideas are sure to raise your guests’ spirits this Halloween.

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Pumpkin-carving party invitations

Before you start carving pumpkins, you’ll need your guests to carve out some time on their calendars. Send out these enchanting pumpkin-carving party invites to build anticipation and get everyone excited. It also plants a seed in their heads to begin imagining what kind of jack-o’-lantern they’re going to make.

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Name badges for pumpkin carvers

When your guests arrive, hand out custom-printed name badges so that everyone can quickly introduce themselves. You can even have an extra set for each guest to label their jack-o’-lantern. This will make it easier for everyone to match each pumpkin to its creator when it’s time to vote for the best of show.

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Candy jar label ideas

Before everyone starts getting their hands dirty, set aside some time at the beginning for people to enjoy some Halloween candy and refreshments. It’s also a great way for everyone to mingle and give people time to get excited about their pumpkin-carving ideas.

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Halloween soda bottle labels

Add some festive fun to the drink table with clever Halloween-inspired labels. Customize each label with your own spooky names, puns, and references to get everyone into the Halloween spirit.

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Candy corn guessing game ideas

Also, try to think of some fun games to keep your guests engaged and entertained. Halloween-themed guessing games, riddles, and jokes are easy ways to keep the party going.

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Tags for pumpkin-carving tools

The two basic tools your guests will need to carve their pumpkins are a scoop and a serrated knife. There are definitely more advanced tools for experts, but most people will work fine with a single knife and a large enough scoop. But you can also provide an advanced pumpkin-carving kit (including tools like sculpting blades, melon ballers, and precision knives) for guests who are feeling fancy.

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Stick-on pumpkin-carving stencils

Removable labels are also handy tools for creating instant pumpkin-carving stencils. Print out a variety of Halloween designs and cut out the ones you want to use. Stick the design you want on your pumpkin and trace around it with a marker or cut around the label. Once you’re done, just peel the label away and start working on the finer details.

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Pumpkin seed collection buckets

When it comes to cleaning out pumpkin seeds and guts, there’s no such thing as overprotecting your work area. Establishing a carving area outside is the best option, but you can also carve indoors by covering tables and floors with a very large amount of plastic

Also, make sure to have buckets and containers ready for all of the sticky pumpkin bits that will be scooped out. You can even toast those pumpkin seeds later to create a tasty treat.

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Alternatively, choose “Let Us Print for You” after customizing to order custom-printed removable labels.

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Marshmallow ghost party favors

Small gifts, like bags of marshmallows made to look like ghosts, are sweet and easy for guests to take home. But you can also spellbind your guests with their very own boo bags filled with candy.