Teen Pumpkin Carving Party

I highly recommend hosting this party outside if you can, if not use a drop cloth under your table as things can get messy...the good kind! Lay down a Kraft Paper Roll over your table to ensure clean-up is easy. I also laid a Super-Size Gray Creepy Cloth over my table for extra cool creepy points with my teens.

I created a simple backdrop using Black Tissue Hanging Fans and Orange Pumpkin Puree Hanging Tissue Fans. These are easy and quick to put up inside or outside and have a large impact.

I welcomed the boys with an Executioner Axe that I put into one of my flower pots. I added "CARVE IT UP" onto the axe using vinyl, which the boys thought was hilarious.

Next to the flower pot I added more pumpkins and pierced one of the larger ones with a Roman Broadsword.

A few puns were added to pumpkins to encourage guests to "Carve it Up" and "Spill their Guts". I painted Orange Craft Pumpkins black and added the puns using orange vinyl. Incorporate a little dramatic flair into your styling with additional weapons like a Pirate Hook.

Next, get your guests dressed for the part! I hung a row of personalized Butchers Aprons on hooks under my DIY "Chop Shop" sign. These aprons are perfect and allow our carvers to really get messy!

Now to welcome them to the table. I had a lot of fun setting this table up and the boys loved it too! Check out the stack of real pumpkins with a selection of carving weapons for guests to choose from like chains, knives, and Meat Cleavers.

I also painted candle holders black and added more faux pumpkins with puns to keep within the theme.

There were a few clashes between the Titans before they started carving!

Let the carving begin! Here are my essentials...pumpkins and carving kits! Either supply them or make sure guests know it's a BYOP activity before they arrive. Make sure each guest has a Pro Pumpkin Carving Tool Set at their seat, not just the Zombie Hunters Kit!

The boys reported back and their favorite tool hands-down was the colossal carver.

If pumpkin carving is a fall tradition your family loves, these Personalized Birch Cutting Boards are a must-have. I had them engraved with "The Mayhew Pumpkin Carving Party" so they can be brought out every year. I used masking tape and acrylic paint to create a fun, color blocked black handle.

On top of each cutting board I added another essential; a towel wrapped Rusty Barbwire Cord. I also recommend having a bucket of water or hose nearby for hand washing.

Don't forget the seeds....yum! I'm sure you like keeping them to roast as much as we do. I also added Galvanized Metal Pails labeled with the word "seeds" and black color-blocked DIY Unfinished Wood Craft Spoons to each place setting.

I then painted DIY Unfinished Wood Mini Crates black and used them to hold fun candles to light our pumpkins up at night. Include a Mini Galvanized Metal Pail with simple tea lights on your carving table.

Of course, you can't forget to feed the beasts! If you have teens then you know it's like hosting a swarm of locusts. Pizza and soda is the way we go, but there are so many options. These Pumpkin Plates are perfect for all of those food choices! Add a jack-o'lantern face to the Cauldron Cups to make them less cutesy and your teens will love the spooky vibe!

Next, prepare for the guts and gore! Place the largest cauldron from the Black Cauldrons Halloween Decoration set in the center of the table. Add the word "GUTS" to it with orange vinyl and watch as it gets filled to the brim! I also added a chain, small skeleton, and a machete for decoration.

Warning: Guts may cause squeamishness!

Use the smaller cauldron to hold a selection of paints. This is a great option for younger kids who won't be carving their pumpkins. There are also a ton of Pumpkin Decorating Kits available as an option for smaller kids.

I also added a Galvanized Utensil Caddy to the table with a selection of carving tools; everything from more scoops and carvers to etching tools like linoleum cutters.

Another fun way to carve pumpkins is by cutting out shapes using cookie cutters and mallets. Fill another Galvanized Utensil Caddy with options like letters, ghosts, cats and bats.

For the remainder of my carving essentials, I used a DIY Flower Box Centerpiece. I painted it black and added a fun pun before filling it with pails of supplies like baking paper for creating templates, pins, tape, paint brushes, sharpies for drawing faces and googly eyes....I mean who doesn't like googly eyes?

Time to watch them get creative and maybe just a little competitive!

Once they're all done it's time to judge each carved creation! We used siblings as impartial judges in this competition.

I set up an awards station and decorated it with pumpkins, weapons and added a few sweet treats for the awards ceremony.

Although they all wanted to "Squash the Competition", I used categories rather than 1st, 2nd, 3rd place etc. Rest assured they had their own views of the winners!

I used DIY Ceramic Trophies to create the awards. I painted them black and added jack-o'-lantern faces and award categories using orange vinyl. Then I glued a Fall Foam Pumpkin into each trophy after painting them bright orange.

After the ceremony we had a lot of fun adding smoke balls to their pumpkins and seeing how the smoke came out of their carved pumpkins. Then, as the lights went down, we lit them up with candles. This party was such a great way for teens to spend an afternoon and evening! I hope this inspires you to carve up some fun with your teens this Halloween!