Jack Skellington & Oogie Boogie Pumpkin Carving: DIY Halloween Tutorial (Part 1)

Looking for Halloween pumpkin carving ideas for 2026? This year, I'm creating a full-body Jack Skellington for my son's daycare pumpkin carving contest, and I also drew and carved Oogie Boogie from The Nightmare Before Christmas! I'm sharing the carving process in this first part of the project, with Part 2 coming soon.

This year, my son discovered The Nightmare Before Christmas and absolutely fell in love with it. He's watched it so many times, and along the way, we've all come to appreciate this movie, its story, and its meaning. So when I started thinking about what to create for his daycare's pumpkin carving contest, Jack Skellington felt like the perfect choice!

I love carving real pumpkins, too, but in Florida, the heat can make it hard to keep them around long. This time, I'm using craft pumpkins to create decorations we can bring out for many Halloweens to come.

I thought I'd take you along for the process and share how I carved these characters, along with the supplies I used in case you'd like to try something similar.

Check out the video Tutorial here

🎃 SUPPLIES I USED

-Craft pumpkins (So I can reuse them for next Halloween decorations!)

I used 9” for Jack and Oogie Boogie’s carving- like this one: https://link.amazon/B04MXNCs7 

-Hot knife carving tool like this one: https://link.amazon/B06YWwc7d

A quick note: This page contains affiliate links. If you buy through them, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. I only recommend products I would personally use, have used, or believe would benefit you.

There's something about Halloween that brings out so much creativity and self-expression. I love finding purposeful creative projects like this because they give me a chance to step away from the everyday routine and do something that lifts my spirits. 

I hope this inspires you to make something of your own this Halloween, too. 

Happy creating!

Karina Morales-Hines

Purposeful Dreamer