Similar to This
View all stencils →About this stencil
This design carves the full outline of Arkansas straight through the pumpkin wall, leaving one big glowing state shape complete with the jagged eastern border traced by the Mississippi River and the small notch at the northeast corner. The overall form is simple, but those wiggly river edges bump it to a medium carve; work the eastern side in small sawing bites and do not worry about perfection, since the irregular edge is the whole point. 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.
View on Amazon ↗
Community Pumpkin Carving Ideas
Carving ideas that use stencils like this one.
Related stencils
Carvers who liked this one also downloaded these.
IntermediateRhode Island Stylized Shape
A tall, flowing take on Rhode Island glows as one large cut-through opening, with a sweeping curved western edge and a notched coastal bite carved into the bay side. The stylized silhouette keeps the state recognizable while smoothing the fussiest shoreline detail into bold shapes. Carve the big outer curve in long confident strokes, then slow down for the inward bay notch so its point stays sharp.
Beginner-friendlyWyoming State Shape
Wyoming's famously rectangular border becomes one big luminous panel in this ultra-simple state cutout. The entire shape is removed through the wall, giving you a broad, even wash of candlelight with crisp square corners. It is about as beginner-friendly as carving gets; tape the stencil level, score the four sides with a ruler as your guide, and take the big slab out in two halves so it releases without cracking the surrounding wall.
Beginner-friendlyNorth Dakota State Shape
North Dakota's near rectangle is opened up as one wide glowing panel, with the gently wavy Red River border on the east side breaking the straight lines. The full state interior is cut through and the rind around it stays put, so the shape shines bright at night. This is one of the easiest state maps to carve; keep your knife vertical so the long edges stay clean.
IntermediateAlabama State Shape
Alabama's tall, boxy outline gets cut clean through the pumpkin so the whole state shines as one bright window, from the straight northern border down to the little Mobile Bay tail at the southwest corner. Most of the perimeter is long straight runs, but that skinny coastal notch is what earns the medium rating; cut the tail last with a fine saw and support it with your free hand so the narrow strip does not tear.
Beginner-friendlyUtah State Shape
Utah's blocky outline, with its signature notch taken out of the upper right corner, is removed as a single large opening. The whole state interior is cut through so it glows like a lantern window, while the surrounding rind frames the shape. With only straight lines and square corners, this easy design carves fast; mark the edges with a ruler before you cut for extra crisp results.
Beginner-friendlyColorado State Shape
Colorado keeps things wonderfully simple: the state is one clean glowing rectangle cut straight through the pumpkin wall. With just four long cuts you get a bright window of light that any Coloradan will recognize on sight. Score the corners first with the tip of your saw so each straight side meets crisply, and the whole carve comes together in minutes.