The Best Pumpkin Carvings EVER

Now that you've seen the best of the past, get to voting, or just get inspiration for your Halloween decoration, from the 99 wild pumpkins in this year's TOH Pumpkin-Carving Contests

• 1. Grinning Gourd

  

  William H. in Stone Ridge, New York, carved this tribal-mask pumpkin at three different transparency levels, giving it a magnificent—and menacing—glow. "I mainly use X-Acto knives and other long, thin blades to create my pumpkins," William said. Vote on this year's TOH Pumpkin Carving Contest entries

• 2. Favorite by a Nose

  

  "My daughter Lily and I carved this using a set of X-Acto knives," said Paul L. of Wethersfield, Connecticut. Aside from the fact that Paul made this a family project, we love that they played with the orientation of how a traditional Jack-o'-lantern sits. By turning the gourd on its side, Paul scores points for creativity—and for making the carving process safer for little Lily, since they didn't have to hack away at nostrils. Vote on this year's TOH Pumpkin Carving Contest entries

• 3. Kansas Carving

  

  Robby J. of Ringgold, Georgia, followed the Yellow Brick Road right into our gallery of top picks with this Dremel-carved masterpiece. His 2008 submission didn't place in the competition, but the detailed profiles of Judy Garland as Dorothy and the rest of the cast of The Wizard of Oz are breathtaking all the same. For the rest of TOH's editors' picks, go to thisoldhouse.com Vote on this year's TOH Pumpkin Carving Contest entries