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A single broad maple-style leaf glows from the pumpkin's face, its rounded lobes and short stem cut fully through as one connected opening. The design leans seasonal rather than spooky, making it a lovely choice for fall porches from October through Thanksgiving. As an easy one-piece cutout, just poke transfer dots along the lobed outline, saw slowly around each curve, and push the waste piece out from inside in a single pop. 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
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 35-55 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
- Trace the upper leaf lobes. Begin region 1 at the tall upper point. Follow its curved shoulders, then the two outward side points. Keep the white notches between the lobes attached to the surrounding shell.
- Shape the lower lobes and stem. Continue around both short lower lobes and the narrow stem. Preserve the white bays on either side of the stem and support its plug while cutting.
- Release the broad leaf opening. Leave a short tab on a broad curved edge until the entire outline is cut. Support the plug, sever the tab and lift it free without pushing against the pointed lobes.
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 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 ↗
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IntermediateTwo Unequal Oak Leaves
Two oak leaves of different sizes drift diagonally across the pumpkin, their lobed edges captured in crisp detail. Both leaves are cut fully through the wall, so each one glows like a lantern-lit leaf caught mid-fall. This medium design's challenge is the wavy lobed outline, so use a fine-tooth saw and pivot at every lobe notch, removing each leaf in two or three pieces instead of forcing out one large chunk.
IntermediateEight Petals and Three Seeds
Eight oval petals radiate from a dotted center like a stylized sunflower, with three small seed holes in the middle and a leafy stem opening anchoring the bloom below. Each petal is a pierced oval, and the skin spokes left between them hold the flower together while letting light pour through. Cut opposite petals in pairs, top then bottom, left then right, so the spokes never take uneven strain.
IntermediateFifteen Sweeping Almond Leaves
Fifteen almond-shaped leaves sweep upward in two mirrored arcs, curving around the pumpkin's face like a laurel wreath opening toward the stem. Each leaf is cut fully through, so the whole design becomes an elegant pierced lantern with no face at all. Alternate sides as you cut, removing one leaf on the left and then its mirror on the right, to keep the wall's strength balanced throughout.
IntermediateThree Maple Leaves and Dots
Three maple leaves drift diagonally down the pumpkin, each one cut fully through with its stem, and small round holes scattered between them like floating seeds. The pierced leaves throw crisp, recognizable maple silhouettes of light, making this a lovely all-autumn design rather than a strictly Halloween one. Saw each leaf point from the tip inward and remove the waste in sections so the notched edges stay sharp.
IntermediateThree Leaves With Kept Veins
Three oak-style leaves tumble down the tall face of the pumpkin, each one cut through around its lobed outline while a central vein of rind is kept intact up the middle. Those uncut vein strips split each glowing leaf in two and give the design its realistic structure. The veins are also the fragile part of this medium carve, so cut each leaf as two separate halves on either side of the vein and never pry against the strip itself.
IntermediateMaple Leaf and Twelve Diamonds
A big pointed maple leaf glows at the center while twelve small diamonds ring it like sparks, giving the design a festive burst of fall energy. The leaf and every diamond are cut completely through, so the whole arrangement shines as one radiant cluster. At medium difficulty, carve the maple leaf's deep notches with straight relief cuts into each valley, then finish the diamonds last since their small size makes them quick and forgiving.