How to Carve a Pumpkin in Minecraft

Guide Java Bedrock

Quick answer: Place a pumpkin down and use shears on it - it becomes a carved pumpkin and drops pumpkin seeds (4 in Java, 1 in Bedrock). The face appears on the side you clicked.

What you need

1 pumpkin
Shears (2 iron ingots)

Step by step

Find pumpkins in grassy patches in most Overworld biomes or in taiga villages - or grow your own from pumpkin seeds on farmland.
Craft shears from 2 iron ingots placed diagonally.
Place the pumpkin on the ground. You cannot carve it in your inventory.
Use the shears on the pumpkin: it turns into a carved pumpkin and drops 4 pumpkin seeds in Java or 1 in Bedrock. The face appears on the side you clicked.
Break the carved pumpkin to pick it up. Wear it as a helmet to avoid angering endermen, or use it to build golems and craft jack o'lanterns.

Java vs Bedrock

Carving works the same in both editions, but the seed drop differs: 4 pumpkin seeds per carve in Java, only 1 in Bedrock. Wearing a carved pumpkin protects you from enderman eye contact in both.

Versions: Pumpkins have been around since the 2010 Halloween update, but the shears carve mechanic arrived with Java 1.13 (17w47a), when plain pumpkins became the natural variant.

Frequently asked questions

Why can't I carve a pumpkin in my inventory?

Carving only works on placed pumpkins - put it on the ground first, then use the shears on the side where you want the face.

What are carved pumpkins for?

Three main uses: wear one to look at endermen safely, place it as the head of a snow, iron or copper golem to bring it to life, and craft jack o'lanterns with a torch.

Do I lose the pumpkin when I carve it?

No - carving converts the placed pumpkin where it stands and drops some seeds on top. Break the carved pumpkin with anything to pick it back up.