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View all stencils →About this stencil
Download the Bear Silhouette pumpkin stencil as a free printable PDF, then tape the pattern to your pumpkin and trace the lines. A stocky bear strides to the right in pure silhouette for this easy animal pumpkin stencil, with a broad humped back, small rounded ears, and four stubby legs all merged into one solid cutout shape. The entire figure is carved open, so candlelight pours through the outline and throws a bear-shaped shadow behind the jack-o-lantern. When scoring the outline, cut the concave gap between the front and rear legs first so the blade has a clean starting point before you trace the longer body curves. It works as a carving template for a Halloween jack-o'-lantern or a fall porch display. It is rated Beginner-friendly. Estimated time: 30-45 minutes. Actual time varies with preparation, pumpkin size and experience. Larger shapes and shorter cuts. An adult should handle sharp carving tools.
Pumpkin size guide
- 🎃 Small (5 to 7"): print at 80%
- 🎃 Medium (7 to 10"): print at 100% (recommended)
- 🎃 Large (11 to 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 the pattern at 100% for a 7 to 10 inch pumpkin, 130% for 11 to 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 to 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 help it last longer.
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 gray areas on the printable pattern are the pieces you remove, and everything white stays attached. The steps below give you the safest carving order. Plan on about 30-45 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
- Start between the legs. Pierce the narrow white gap between the front and rear legs and cut carefully up into it from both sides; that white strip stays on the pumpkin.
- Cut the head details. Work around the two small rounded ears and the muzzle. Cut into the notch between each ear and the head from both directions.
- Release the body last. The bear is one big plug. Cut the long back and belly lines, leave a small tab under the belly, support the piece with your free hand, then finish the tab and push the plug out from inside.
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 piece is out, wipe the cut edges dry and drop in a battery LED puck.
Tools you'll need
For a beginner-friendly carve like this you'll want a paring knife, spoon / scoop, marker, and led pumpkin light. Here's the kit we reach for, but 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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Beginner-friendlyBear and Cub Pumpkin Stencil
A bear silhouette pumpkin stencil showing a large adult bear in full profile stride, head slightly lowered, four legs planted mid-walk, with a small bear cub silhouette tucked between two of the adult's legs. Both figures are carved through as a single connected cut-out that glows solidly when lit. The narrow gap between the cub and the adult bear's belly is the most delicate section; cut around the cub's outline with a thin blade before opening the larger bear body to avoid accidentally removing the cub when you pull out the big piece.
IntermediateWalking Bear Silhouette
A bear strides across the pumpkin in full profile, head lowered slightly and all four legs mid-step. This is a shading pattern with no pierced holes: you shave the skin away inside the bear so the lighter flesh forms the whole animal in warm relief. Work from the spine outward in long strokes, and shave a touch deeper around the legs and muzzle so the outline stays well defined.
AdvancedBright-Eyed Bear Cub Pumpkin Stencil
A round-eared bear face grins from the pumpkin, with big circular eyes holding attached pupil tabs, a shiny nose, two little teeth, and a crown of twelve teardrop openings fanning above like fur tufts. The eyes, muzzle, teardrops, and ear rings are pierced while pupils and outlines stay connected. Rated hard for the hanging pupil tabs, so leave their bridges thick and cut them dead last.