Becky Luigart-Stayner for Country Living

Pumpkin season has finally arrived, and I couldn’t be more excited. As the Food and Crafts Director at Country Living , I’ve carved more pumpkins than I can count, and along the way, I’ve learned all the best tricks for success. Whether you’re picking up a carving knife for the first time or defending your title as the neighborhood jack-o’-lantern champ, these easy tips will help you create your best pumpkin yet. Be sure to explore our gallery of carving ideas for plenty of step-by-step inspiration to put your new skills to work. Happy carving—and BOO!

Open Pumpkins from the Bottom

This maintains the pretty pumpkin shape and stem. Also, a lot of the gunk inside the pumpkin settles at the bottom overtime, so when you remove the opening much of

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