How to Host a Pumpkin Carving Party

Fall is probably my favorite season. I can’t help myself when it comes to crisp, cool mornings, delicious pumpkin spice everything, football games, scarves, soft Patagonia vests, brown boots, and more. One of our favorite autumn family traditions is pumpkin picking. We have gone annually since my girls were itty bitty. Even the year that our youngest was four weeks old, we did not skip dressing them up in homemade pumpkin shirts to trek through hundreds of orange gourds.

But don’t be fooled that my love affair with all things autumn began post-mommy when those memory-making hormones and FOMO triggers came out. Nope! I have always had a sweet spot for all things pumpkin. Ten years ago, we hosted our first annual pumpkin carving party.

Because we love a good party, we invited our friends and family to share in creating the spooky masterpieces. And there you have it—a tradition was born, and now we host this festive affair annually. Follow these steps, tricks, and tips to host your fabulous Pumpkin Carving Party.

1. No experience needed.

My family takes all holidays pretty seriously. My father would create elaborate goblin faces and ghoulish masterworks, and this was way before Halloween Wars or those step-by-step guides you can buy at CVS. But here is the thing: we welcome all skill levels. I love to print out design inspirations, and Pinterest has tons of fun and simple ways to create amazing works of art. My husband still prefers the CVS pumpkin guidebooks.

2. Bring your own pumpkin.

Pumpkins are expensive and heavy, so our rule is that everyone has to provide their own pumpkin. As hosts, we provide all the carving paraphernalia. We have collected several tools over the past couple of years. There is no need to purchase special pumpkin tools. However, those can be quite handy, especially for smaller hands. In addition to the orange plastic knives that come in the pumpkin kits, I also always put out a melon baller, some sharp kitchen knives (for adults only), pencils, sharpies, toothpicks, and long spoons (for scooping out the innards).

3. Seeds.

One of the main reasons I love hosting a pumpkin carving party is the plethora of seeds I can obtain. Those little gems are tasty, so don’t throw them in the compost pile. I put out large bowls for seed collection stations. Kids love this part because you get all messy from scooping out the insides. After your party, you should have a large bowl or two of pumpkin seeds. Bring those babies inside and thoroughly wash off all the pumpkin guts in a colander. Then, I mix the seeds with butter, oil, salt, pepper, and honey. I have no official quantities because I am Italian, and we go by feel. Thoroughly coat the seeds with your tasty salty-sweet concoction and spread them in an even layer on a rimmed foiled baking sheet. Roast the seeds for an hour or two in a low 250-degree oven, BUT watch those suckers because they can turn from golden brown perfection to black carbon yuck in two hot seconds.

4. Food and bevies.

What is a party without some yummy accouterments? Because you are going to be busy carving (or trying to keep your toddler away from the knives), the name of the game is to keep it simple. We have dined on everything from an already-prepped lasagna to takeout pizza. I also like to keep it classy with disposable paper goods. My husband is in charge of ensuring we have a large selection of pumpkin-flavored adult beverages.

5. Make a teal pumpkin.

This cause is near and dear to our hearts, and our girls have loved making the Teal Pumpkin Project part of our tradition. Last year, we painted ours while the littlest was napping because she tends to try to eat paint or paint herself. However, our older daughter LOVED painting the pumpkin teal to be prominently displayed with our Jack-o-Lanterns on Halloween night. She also enjoyed picking out the Halloween tattoos we offered to Trick-o-Treaters.

6. Bring it OUTDOORS.

Let’s say I have a slight obsession with keeping our house on the mess-free side. That said, we have always kept our pumpkin parties outside. Now, if you are one of those cool families that embrace orange guts smashed into your carpet, by all means, go ahead. I am knocking on wood here, but we have truly lucked out with good weather for our pumpkin party. We like to host our pumpkin party on the back deck with lots of plastic tablecloths covering the tables. You can even bring the TV outside so that you can enjoy football. Just imagine a cool autumn breeze; your fantasy team scored 20 points, a tasty pumpkin bevy in one hand and a pumpkin carving tool in the other; it is perfection.

So what are you waiting for? Pick a date (we seriously picked ours in August because the October calendar fills up faster than our Holiday party rotation), and text your BFFs and neighbors to bring over their pumpkins and join in the fun of a Pumpkin Carving Party!