Creative Halloween Pumpkin Carving Design Ideas for 2008

While ghouls and goblins, wicked witches and the classic Jack-O-Lantern designs will be popping up in your neighborhood for another season, you can stand out from the rest with a unique pumpkin carving of your own - or even win a competition. Halloween 2008 costumes are capturing some of the year's top themes including Batman the Dark Knight, Star Wars and even candidates from the Presidential Election. Whether you're setting up a pumpkin carving event for the kids or just want to tap into your creative talents, here are some unique pumpkin carving design ideas for 2008:

Sarah Palin or Barack Obama Pumpkin Carving Design
You'll find dozens of cartoon renditions of this political candidate in magazines like The New Yorker and several blogs online, so it's fairly easy to sketch yourself a design for a creative pumpkin. Look for any bold and simple designs that capture Palin's facial contours, glasses and hairstyle for an eye-catching pumpkin that's sure to win votes in any competition; or show your support for Obama with his facial silhouette.

Star Wars Themed Pumpkin Carving Designs
Star Wars mania lives on in 2008, and you can capture the theme with a Princess Leia-inspired masterpiece, or any of the other characters from the Star Wars lineup. From Darth Vader to R2-D2, you have dozens of unique Halloween pumpkin carving designs to choose from. Need inspiration? Take a look at the works of this Wisconsin-based fan who has created an entire collection of Star Wars themed pumpkins.

Ugly Betty Inspired Pumpkin Carving Design
With another season of high ratings, Ugly Betty has become an iconic character who makes a good candidate for a pumpkin carving design. Create your own stencil by sketching out key features including her glasses, goofy smile and hair; you can find several cartoon renditions of the star online as a starting point.