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Two sharply slanted triangle eyes glare above a wide jagged mouth lined with seven pointed fangs, giving this face a classic menacing snarl. Every element is cut fully through, and the zigzag mouth does most of the work, so accuracy there pays off. Cut each tooth as two separate straight strokes meeting at the point instead of dragging the saw around the corner, and the grin stays razor sharp. This design is rated Intermediate and takes most carvers around 75 minutes from trace to glow. Comfortable knife handling required. Small details and curves.
Pumpkin size guide
- 🎃 Small (5–7") — print at 80%
- 🎃 Medium (7–10") — print at 100% (recommended)
- 🎃 Large (11–13") — print at 130%
- 🎃 Giant (14"+) — print at 150% on tabloid paper
Frequently asked questions
Can I resize this stencil?▾
Yes. The PDF is vector so it scales cleanly. Print at 100% for a 7–10 inch pumpkin, 130% for 11–13 inch, or 150% for a giant. Use your printer's "Fit to page" or "Custom scale" setting.
What kind of paper works best?▾
Standard 20 lb letter or A4 printer paper is fine. Heavier paper is harder to bend around the pumpkin curve. If your printer supports it, set the quality to 'best' so the lines are crisp.
How long will the carved pumpkin last?▾
Usually 5–10 days. Coat all cut surfaces with petroleum jelly and store the pumpkin somewhere cool overnight. Avoid direct sun. Battery LED pumpkin lights produce no heat and double the lifespan.
Can I sell pumpkins carved with this stencil?▾
Yes, the carved pumpkin you make is yours. The license covers personal and small-scale commercial carving (selling carved pumpkins, photographing them, posting on social). You may not resell the PDF file itself.
What if my printer doesn't print the whole stencil?▾
Set 'Page scaling' to 'Fit' in the print dialog and uncheck 'Auto-rotate'. If it still cuts off, the design includes 0.25" of safe-area margin so a small crop won't ruin it.
How to carve this stencil
This is a cut-through stencil: the dark numbered regions on the printable pattern are the pieces you remove, and everything white stays attached. The numbers give you the safest carving order, and the steps below walk through them one by one. Plan on about 60-90 minutes from print to candle.
Set up first. Print the PDF at 100% scale on letter or A4 paper. Cut the lid at an angle, scoop the pumpkin clean, and thin the carving wall to about 1 inch where the design will sit. Tape the pattern on (snip small darts in the paper so it hugs the curve) and transfer every outline by poking dots along the lines, about one every 1/8 inch. Peel the paper away and carve dot to dot with short, straight strokes.
Carving order
- Cut the sharply angled eyes. Cut both regions marked 1. Preserve the broad left triangle and taller narrow right triangle, with their inward-pointing corners. Keep the wide white bridge between the eyes intact.
- Follow the upper zigzag. Begin region 2 around the four upper teeth: three long pointed fangs and the smaller tooth near the right corner. Preserve each attachment and the raised right corner.
- Keep the three lower fangs. Continue around the three pointed teeth rising from the lower lip. Keep their unequal heights and the deep mouth valleys between them. Support the plug while finishing the last edge without prying against any fang.
Clear loose fibers out of each opening as you go, and never twist or pry the blade against the shell; back it out and recut instead. When every region is open, wipe the cut edges dry and drop in a battery LED puck.
Tools you'll need
For a intermediate carve like this you'll want a x-acto knife, poker tool, ribbon scoop, and painter's tape. Here's the kit we reach for — start with whatever you already own.
Elmchee Pumpkin Carving Kit
13-piece kit with carrying case
Saws for the larger cutouts, plus a scoop for hollowing. Covers both jobs in one kit.
View on Amazon ↗
HOME MOST LED Pumpkin Lights
4-pack, battery operated, with remote + timer
Orange glow made for jack-o'-lanterns. The remote and timer light the pumpkin every evening without reaching inside.
View on Amazon ↗
Speedball 4131 Lino Cutter Set
Handle + 5 interchangeable cutters
Interchangeable cutters for peeling and shading the face. Useful for the finer details.
View on Amazon ↗
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A mischievous scowling face with arched eyebrows over round glaring eyes, small wrinkle slits fanning from each eye's outer corner, diamond accents dotting the cheeks, and a sweeping smile packed with uneven square teeth. Every cut pierces through, so light streams from all the details at once. A hard carve where the wrinkle slits are the fussy part; cut those hairline slivers with a detail saw before opening the large eye holes beside them.
AdvancedLeering Eyes and Crooked Nose
Slanted leering eyes with attached round pupils glare above a crooked off-center nose and a jagged sneer packed with pointed fangs, while scattered diamond scars glint across both cheeks. The eyes, nose, mouth, and diamonds are pierced with pupils and fang points left as shell. The hard part is the web of narrow fangs; cut each tooth gap from tip to base and never twist the blade mid-cut.
IntermediateUnequal Eyes and Six Slashes
A menacing sneer built from two uneven glaring eyes, a small skull-like nose, a crooked mouth of jagged teeth, and three claw-slash marks raking each side of the face. All shapes pierce through, and the mismatched features do the intimidating. A medium carve; cut the six narrow slashes first with single confident strokes, then work the mouth teeth before opening the larger eye shapes.
Beginner-friendlySloping Eyes and Two Teeth
Two steeply sloping eyes scowl above a crooked grin holding two chunky square teeth, one notched into the top lip and one into the bottom. The eyes and mouth are pierced through, with the blocky teeth left as shell inside the mouth opening. Cut the outline of each tooth before clearing the rest of the mouth, and the asymmetry of the design means small wobbles only add to the attitude.
Beginner-friendlySlanted Eyes and Jagged Grin
A fierce horror face made of three bold shapes: two sharply slanted eyes that hook downward like angry slashes, and a wide zigzag mouth full of jagged points. Everything is cut through, so the whole face blazes with candlelight and reads clearly from the street. It is an easy carve despite the menacing look; use long straight cuts for each zigzag segment and the aggressive angles practically draw themselves.
IntermediateSix-Slot Grin and Cheek Slits
Two arched, angry eyes glower above a huge crescent grin broken into a row of glowing tooth slots, with small slits flaring at each cheek. All the features are pierced through the wall, and the strips of rind left between the tooth openings become the dark teeth of the smile. Cut the mouth slots from the center outward and leave the narrow rind bridges at full thickness so the grin holds its shape.