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View all stencils →About this stencil
A classic witch hat fills the pumpkin face, its tall crown bending over at the tip above a broad, gently curved brim. The whole hat is removed as one pierced piece, making a big bright silhouette with no interior details to fuss over. As an easy single-cut design, just keep your blade angled slightly inward as you saw so the large panel pulls free without wedging. This design is rated Beginner-friendly and takes most carvers around 30 minutes from trace to glow. Great for kids and first-timers. Big shapes, short cuts.
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 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 — 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.
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Expert / ProWitch Profile & Clawed Hands
A wicked witch in profile fills a glowing full-moon circle, her pointed hat, hooked nose, jutting chin, and two gnarled clawed hands all left in silhouette against the light. The moon disc is cut through around her, so every detail depends on the pumpkin you leave behind. This expert design demands patience: remove the background in small wedges and never lever your blade against the thin fingers, which are the most fragile part.
IntermediateRising Bat and Four Stars
A bold bat rises with scalloped wings spread wide while four small stars twinkle around it. The bat and every star are cut completely through the wall, turning the pumpkin into a glowing night-sky scene. The bat is one large connected opening, so it carves fast; poke a starter hole in the middle of the body and saw outward toward the wing scallops, finishing the little stars last.
IntermediateCat Head With Curled Hat
A cat's head wearing a floppy witch hat, carved as one connected glowing shape with the hat brim flaring wide and the tip curling over. Pointed whisker cuts flick out from each cheek, and the whole silhouette is cut through so it lights up as a single bold window. A manageable medium carve; the curl at the hat tip is the trickiest sliver, so saw it slowly and support the rind with your free hand.
AdvancedThree-Plume Steaming Cauldron
A bubbling witch's cauldron sends three curling plumes of steam up the pumpkin's face, all rendered in carved shading rather than pierced holes. You shave the skin to different depths so the pot, bubbles, and smoke glow in layered tones while the wall stays fully intact. Work the steam swirls shallow and the cauldron mouth deepest to get that lit-from-within brew effect.
AdvancedMoonlit Cat & Six Stars
A sitting cat gazes up at a crescent moon while six small stars scatter across the night sky, its long tail curling into an elegant spiral. This is a shading design, so the moon, stars, and cat outline are shaved into the skin and glow as luminous grooves rather than open holes. Rated hard for its long unbroken curves, carve the tail spiral in one slow continuous pass and keep your groove depth consistent so the glow stays even.
AdvancedCrescent Moon & Small Bat
A small bat with scalloped wings glides across a big crescent moon in a classic Halloween night scene. Both shapes are shaved rather than pierced: the moon is peeled into a bright smooth crescent, the bat's wings are etched at a lighter depth, and its body stays as raised rind. A hard shading pattern that rewards patience; keep the moon's inner curve clean since that long sweep frames the entire design.