Halloween Pumpkin Carving Contest Β· Starts October 1st Β· $500 in prizes

20 Kids Pumpkin Designs

20 printable kids pumpkin designs β€” ready to download, trace, and light up the porch.

  1. 1. Snarling Bat Pumpkin Stencil

    Snarling Bat Pumpkin Stencil pumpkin carving stencil

    A wide-winged bat stretches nearly edge to edge in this easy bat pumpkin stencil, its wing panels divided by bold vein lines and a snarling cartoon face centered in the body. The wings are the large pierced areas that glow brightest, while the vein lines and the face details remain as solid orange strips inside the cutout. Carve the small pointed fangs in the face before tackling the big wing panels, so the blade has firm pumpkin wall support when making those fine cuts.

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  2. 2. Wyoming Pumpkin Stencil

    Wyoming Pumpkin Stencil pumpkin carving stencil

    Wyoming's nearly rectangular outline is the entire design in this easy pumpkin stencil, its flat top and bottom edges contrasting with small notches at the upper left and lower left corners that mark the state's actual border jogs. The whole interior is pierced as a single open cutout, producing a bright rectangle of light with just those two characteristic corner indentations to identify the Cowboy State. Score slowly through each interior corner notch: the blade naturally wants to skip past the short jog, so pause and reposition rather than trying to cut both sides of the notch in one stroke.

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  3. 3. Winking Face Emoji Pumpkin Stencil

    Winking Face Emoji Pumpkin Stencil pumpkin carving stencil

    A round emoji face with one eye winking shut and the other squinting in a spiral, a wide grin, and a tongue sticking out fills this easy pumpkin stencil. The large circular face outline, the wink line, the spiral eye, the smile strip, and the tongue are all solid orange wall, while the areas around them are pierced so the whole face glows from within. Carve the tongue's narrow center notch before removing the wide background cuts, since the notch is the tightest detail and easiest to slip on with excess pumpkin removed around it.

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  4. 4. Spider Pumpkin Stencil

    Spider Pumpkin Stencil pumpkin carving stencil

    A large eight-legged spider crouches in full top-down view on this easy Halloween pumpkin stencil, its oval abdomen and round cephalothorax left as solid orange while all the space between the angled legs is pierced through. Eight legs radiate outward and slightly downward from the body, each tapering to a point. The gaps between legs are the cut areas, so work around the spider methodically to avoid accidentally snapping any single leg at its thinnest point near the body junction.

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  5. 5. Virginia Pumpkin Stencil

    Virginia Pumpkin Stencil pumpkin carving stencil

    Virginia's wide, wedge-shaped state outline fills this easy pumpkin stencil, showing the long straight northern border, the ragged mountainous western edge, the sweeping diagonal southern coastline, and the distinctive narrow Eastern Shore peninsula extending to the right. The entire shape is cut as a single open silhouette. The thin Eastern Shore tip is the most fragile point in this carving, so cut toward that peninsula from the main body first and finish with the very tip to prevent it from snapping off mid-cut.

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  6. 6. Volleyball Pumpkin Stencil

    Volleyball Pumpkin Stencil pumpkin carving stencil

    A volleyball fills this easy pumpkin stencil from edge to edge, its circular outline and internal panel lines rendered in the classic three-curved-line pattern that divides the ball into panels. The wide panel sections are cut away, leaving the curved dividing strips as solid pumpkin flesh that forms the seam lines. When lit, the jack-o-lantern glows through the large open panels while the seam lines stay dark. Score along each curved seam line with a detail tool before cutting to keep the thin curved strips from tearing under the blade.

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  7. 7. Dachshund Pumpkin Stencil

    Dachshund Pumpkin Stencil pumpkin carving stencil

    A dachshund in profile fills this easy dog pumpkin stencil, its long low body, short front and back legs, small rounded head, and thin tail all rendered as a single clean silhouette. The entire dog shape is cut away as one open piece, so the lit jack-o-lantern casts a bright dachshund outline against the orange pumpkin wall. The tail tapers to a fine point at the top, so finish that cut last with a single smooth stroke rather than sawing back and forth, which can tear the thin tip.

    See template β†’
  8. 8. Flying Owl Pumpkin Stencil

    Flying Owl Pumpkin Stencil pumpkin carving stencil

    A front-facing owl in full wing spread fills this easy pumpkin stencil, the entire bird rendered as a single solid silhouette with ear tufts visible at the top of the head and feathered wingtips fanning wide on both sides. The whole shape is pierced as one large cutout, so the lit jack-o-lantern throws a bold bright owl outline with no interior detail to worry about. Thin the pumpkin wall evenly behind the wing tips before cutting, since the long feather edges can crack if the wall is too thick when you remove the large central section.

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  9. 9. Spider Emblem Pumpkin Stencil

    Spider Emblem Pumpkin Stencil pumpkin carving stencil

    A stylized spider rendered as a graphic emblem fills this easy stencil: the body is split into a large oval abdomen and a smaller rounded head kept solid as orange pumpkin, while the eight legs radiate outward as broad curved blades that taper to sharp points, all backed by cut-out negative space. The overall silhouette has a bold, almost logo-like quality that glows dramatically when lit. Leave the narrow waist bridge connecting the head to the abdomen until last, since removing adjacent leg gaps early can put stress on that small connector.

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  10. 10. Game Over Pumpkin Stencil

    Game Over Pumpkin Stencil pumpkin carving stencil

    "GAME OVER" fills this easy pumpkin stencil in two stacked rows of chunky 8-bit pixel font lettering, each character built from squared-off rectangular blocks with notched corners that read unmistakably as retro video game text. Every letter interior is cut through, and the negative space between characters is narrow but distinct. The squared notches at the corners of each letter are the trickiest spots to keep clean; use the tip of a narrow blade to score those inside corners before opening the main letter body.

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  11. 11. Velociraptor Pumpkin Stencil

    Velociraptor Pumpkin Stencil pumpkin carving stencil

    A velociraptor in full stride dominates this easy pumpkin stencil, shown in profile with its distinctive upright neck, narrow head, small forelimbs, and long stiffened tail extended behind it. The entire dinosaur silhouette is cut as a single open shape, and a small inner detail near the chest is removed separately to show the bent arm. Lit from behind, it reads instantly as a raptor shadow against the glowing pumpkin. Trace the tail outline before cutting because the long thin tail tip can run outside the pumpkin's curve if not centered.

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  12. 12. Vermont Pumpkin Stencil

    Vermont Pumpkin Stencil pumpkin carving stencil

    Vermont's narrow, elongated state outline is pierced as a single open shape on this easy pumpkin stencil, showing the slightly irregular wavy eastern border, the smoother western edge along Lake Champlain, and the small northern bump where the Northeast Kingdom juts upward. Lit, it glows as a tall vertical window of light. Because Vermont's outline runs close to the top of a typical pumpkin curve, tape the stencil with the northern bump positioned at least an inch below the stem base to leave enough wall thickness.

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  13. 13. Weary Face Emoji Pumpkin Stencil

    Weary Face Emoji Pumpkin Stencil pumpkin carving stencil

    The weary face emoji is recreated here as a jack-o-lantern pumpkin stencil: a large circular face outline holds two sets of drooping curved eyebrow-and-eyelid pairs that express exhaustion, a wide open mouth with squared-off upper teeth, and a small chin sweat drop below. All the interior shapes are cut through as separate pieces nested inside the face circle. Carve the tiny sweat drop below the chin first since it is isolated and easy to lose track of, then work upward through the teeth, mouth, and finally the eye arcs.

    See template β†’
  14. 14. Washington State Pumpkin Stencil

    Washington State Pumpkin Stencil pumpkin carving stencil

    Washington state's broad, nearly rectangular outline is cut as a single open shape on this easy pumpkin stencil, showing the slightly notched upper-left corner where the Olympic Peninsula juts north, the ragged lower-left coastline, and the otherwise straight eastern and southern borders. Lit, it produces a wide glowing window that is instantly readable as the Evergreen State. Because the shape is nearly as wide as it is tall, center it horizontally on the pumpkin face before tracing so the coastline notch does not run off either edge.

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  15. 15. Rocket and Stars Pumpkin Stencil

    Rocket and Stars Pumpkin Stencil pumpkin carving stencil

    A retro rocket ship blasting diagonally upward through a field of five-pointed stars fills this easy pumpkin stencil. The rocket body is a large solid pierce-through with a small circular porthole cut from its center, and two swept fins angle beneath it; six stars of varying sizes are scattered across the field. Lit from within, the rocket and stars all glow as bright cut-out shapes. Cut the small circular porthole in the rocket body before removing the rocket silhouette itself, since that circle is far easier to score cleanly while the surrounding wall has full support.

    See template β†’
  16. 16. Haunted House Pumpkin Stencil

    Haunted House Pumpkin Stencil pumpkin carving stencil

    Two stacked haunted house facades make up this easy pumpkin stencil: an upper story with a steep peaked roofline and a tall arched window topped by a smaller rectangular pane, then a lower story with its own peaked roof, a grid window, and a rounded arch doorway, all sitting on a narrow uneven ground strip. The cut sections are the rooflines, windows, door, and ground strip, while solid pumpkin bridges between them keep the tiers separate. Cut the smallest window panes first so the surrounding structure stays rigid while the larger roofline panels are removed.

    See template β†’
  17. 17. Thumbs Down Emoji Pumpkin Stencil

    Thumbs Down Emoji Pumpkin Stencil pumpkin carving stencil

    A thumbs-down hand emoji is the subject of this easy pumpkin stencil: a clenched fist with four horizontal oval finger cutouts stacked on the right side, a large curved palm-and-back-of-hand mass pierced by a banana-shaped opening on the left, and a downward-pointing thumb teardrop at the bottom. The lit result shows the negative space of the knuckles and palm glowing while the solid pumpkin skin traces the finger outlines. Cut the four finger ovals first while the surrounding skin is still rigid, then remove the larger palm opening.

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  18. 18. Two Sharks Pumpkin Stencil

    Two Sharks Pumpkin Stencil pumpkin carving stencil

    Two sharks overlap in a dramatic diving composition for this easy pumpkin stencil: a large shark lunges forward with serrated teeth exposed, and a smaller shark curves below it. The negative space between the two bodies is cut away, leaving the sharks as solid orange pumpkin forms. The jagged row of teeth on the large shark is the most detailed edge in the design. Cut the teeth line with individual short plunge-cuts per tooth point rather than sawing along the jagged edge, which reduces the risk of tearing the tips.

    See template β†’
  19. 19. Surprised Ghost Pumpkin Stencil

    Surprised Ghost Pumpkin Stencil pumpkin carving stencil

    A ghost face with two large oval eyes, a small heart-shaped nose, and a wide rounded mouth with a tiny tooth bump stares out from this simple pumpkin stencil. All four features are individual pierce-throughs floating in the pumpkin surface. When lit, the glowing eyes and mouth give the jack-o-lantern a look of wide-eyed astonishment. Since the four cutouts are widely spaced with generous pumpkin wall between them, cut the small heart nose last: its concave top curve requires care and the surrounding rigid wall makes it easiest to score clean inward curves.

    See template β†’
  20. 20. Tears of Joy Emoji Pumpkin Stencil

    Tears of Joy Emoji Pumpkin Stencil pumpkin carving stencil

    This emoji pumpkin stencil captures the classic tears-of-joy face: a large circular outline frames squinting crescent eyes, a wide open-mouth smile, and two teardrop shapes streaming from the outer eye corners. Most of the interior is pierced through, leaving thin curved bridges for the eyes, brow shapes, and a tongue strip inside the mouth. When lit, the laughing face reads instantly from across a porch. Keep the two small teardrop cutouts for last, as they are isolated from the main body and can shift if the stencil loosens.

    See template β†’

That's our list of 20 kids pumpkin designs. Print your favorite and tag us when you're done.

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