A pumpkin carving kit is your best bet, but you can also find most of the stuff in it around your house.

Good kits include a serrated saw, for cutting off the top or bottom of the pumpkin. You can use a serrated knife with a sharp end. You also need a scraper tool, to remove all the seeds and innards and smooth the inside walls. A big spoon will work, although the scraper tool in the kit is awesome. I recommend spending the extra few bucks and going for the metal one.

You need a poking tool to trace the pattern you want to make, and for that matter, you need a pattern. I sometimes do designs freehand, with a pencil, right on the pumpkin before cutting, but it's way easier to get a pattern and use that. Patterns can be purchased in books or online, or you can make your own from pictures or ideas. There are several sites online that can show you how to do that. Either way, you'll need a sharp poker, like a thumbtack, to poke holes threw the pattern and into the skin of the pumpkin, essentially tracing it.

You'll need another small knife to cut out the pattern. If you're cutting a chunky pattern, and you're going all the way through the pumpkin, the same serrated knife tool will probably work. For patterns that are skin deep only, I use an X-acto knife. Any small, sharp knife you can hold easily will work. It all depends on how much detail you want your pumpkin to have.

As for what type of pumpkin- I've used everything. A traditional orange pumpkin that you can find at any patch or supermarket is the easiest choice. Just find one with a flattish face, large enough for your pattern. The white lumina pumpkins also work well and are just as easy to carve.