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A grumpy jack-o'-lantern scowls with slanted, brow-slit eyes, a small triangle nose, angled cheek slashes, and a downturned mouth broken into square gaps. Every element is cut through, with the mouth's rind bridges creating the clenched, gritted-teeth effect. The thin brow and cheek slits earn the medium rating: make each slit with two close parallel cuts and pop the sliver out from inside the pumpkin, since pushing from outside can crack the narrow channel wider. 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
- 1Print it
Download the PDF and print at 100% scale on letter or A4 paper.
- 2Prep the pumpkin
Cut the lid at an angle, scoop the guts, thin the wall to ~1 inch.
- 3Tape it on
Snip darts in the paper so it lies flat against the curve.
- 4Transfer the design
Poke along every line — about one dot every 1/8 inch.
- 5Carve it
Connect the dots with short straight cuts. Center first, work outward.
- 6Light it up
Drop in a battery LED pumpkin light and you're done.
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.
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Community Pumpkin Carving Ideas
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IntermediateAngular Seven-Tooth Grin
A sharp-edged jack-o'-lantern face with slanted triangle eyes, an angular nose, and a wide jagged mouth broken into seven pointed teeth. Every shape is cut straight through the pumpkin wall, making a bright, high-contrast face that reads perfectly from the porch steps. It is a medium pattern because of the many small tooth points, so saw into each corner from both directions instead of twisting the blade to keep the tips sharp.
Beginner-friendlyMenacing Glowing Eyes
Just two fierce, slanted eyes with curled inner corners, glaring out of an otherwise untouched pumpkin. Both eye shapes are cut fully through, and because there is no nose or mouth, the minimalist glare does all the spooky work after dark. This is a true beginner project: trace carefully, cut each eye in two passes following the hooked curve, and the whole carve is done in under twenty minutes.
AdvancedHeavy Brows and Stitched Smile
Sharp slanted eyes glare from under heavy brows above a narrow triangle nose and a long menacing grin lined with thin vertical teeth. The eyes, nose, and mouth are cut through, and the row of skinny tooth bridges is what earns the hard rating. Cut the mouth outline first, then remove the gaps between teeth one at a time so the fragile strips never take sideways pressure.
IntermediateNotched Brows and Jagged Grin
A characterful jack-o'-lantern with heavy notched brows sitting over sly almond eyes, and a huge open mouth whose top edge is a row of jagged zigzag teeth above a broad curling lower lip. Eyes, brow slits, and the mouth are all pierced through for a bright, expressive glow. At medium difficulty, the key move is cutting each zigzag tooth point cleanly; slice into every corner from both directions instead of turning the blade.