How to Make and Use a Pumpkin in Minecraft

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A simple beginner’s guide to making jack-o-lanterns in Minecraft

Co-authored by Janice Tieperman

Last Updated: July 15, 2024 Fact Checked

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How to Carve a Pumpkin

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How to Use

Pumpkins are a natural resource that can spawn in your Minecraft world. With just a set of shears, you can transform this block into a carved pumpkin—and we’re here to show you how. Read on to learn exactly how to carve pumpkins in Minecraft, as well as what you can do with them afterward.

Things You Should Know

Place the pumpkin in front of you in Minecraft. Then, use the shears on the side of the pumpkin to carve it.
Make a jack-o-lantern by placing a carved pumpkin on a crafting table with a torch.
Wear a carved pumpkin as a helmet to protect yourself from Endermen attacks.

Section 1 of 2:

How to Carve a Pumpkin

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1
Find a pumpkin. Search a grassy biome (like a plains, extreme hills, or swamp biome) to find a pumpkin. They spawn on top of grass and are typically found in multiples.^{[1]
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- Pumpkins can also spawn in snowy and sandy portions of the world, but this isn’t very common.
2
Place the pumpkin down in front of you. Keep in mind that pumpkins can only be carved on the sides, not on the top.
- PC/Mac: Right-click
- Xbox: Hit LT
- PlayStation: Hit L2
- Nintendo Switch: Hit ZL
- Mobile: Tap the screen
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3
Cut the pumpkin with shears to carve it. Craft some shears with 2 iron ingots if you don’t have a set already. While holding them, stand in front of the pumpkin and:
- PC/Mac: Right-click
- Xbox: Hit LT
- PlayStation: Hit L2
- Nintendo Switch: Hit ZL
- Mobile: Tap the pumpkin

Section 2 of 2:

How to Use a Carved Pumpkin

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1
Make a jack-o-lantern. Place the carved pumpkin in the center slot of the crafting table. Then, place a torch in the slot beneath the pumpkin to create a jack-o-lantern.^{[2]
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- Jack-o-lanterns can be used as a light source in the game.
2
Wear it as a helmet. Place the carved pumpkin in the helmet slot of your character’s armor. Wearing a pumpkin helmet reduces your visibility, but it does allow you to observe Enderman without being attacked.^{[3]
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- Open up your inventory to access your character’s armor slots.
3
Create an iron golem or snow golem. Carved pumpkins act as the “head” for iron golems and snow golems that you make on your own.
- To make an iron golem: Make 4 iron blocks and stack them in a capital “T” shape. Then, place a carved pumpkin or jack-o-lantern on top of the “T” to bring the golem to life.
- To make a snow golem: Stack 2 snow blocks on top of each other, placing a carved pumpkin or jack-o-lantern on top to animate the snow golem.