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This free Butterfly pumpkin stencil is a printable PDF pattern you can print at home, tape to your pumpkin, and trace. A large open-winged butterfly with patterned inner wings and gracefully pointed outer wing tips fills this hard animal pumpkin stencil. The wings feature multiple elongated oval cutouts radiating from the central body like veins, with each oval surrounded by a narrow pumpkin-skin bridge. Cut the smallest interior oval slots in the lower hind wings first before opening the larger upper-wing ovals, so the fine bridges between them are still backed by solid wall when the blade goes in. Use it as a carving template for your Halloween jack-o'-lantern. It is rated Advanced. Actual time varies with preparation, pumpkin size and experience. Fine details and narrow supports need careful planning. Follow the cutting and shading key in this design’s PDF.
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
- Transfer the stencil and identify all individual oval voids in both upper and lower wings before cutting.
- Carve the small lower hind-wing ovals first, working from the body center outward.
- Cut the larger upper-wing ovals next, following the same center-to-tip direction.
- Remove the narrow gaps between the wing tip points last, using a single smooth stroke per gap.
- Leave the central body as a solid raised strip throughout since it is the key structural spine.
- Backlight with a bright LED: the radiating oval pattern creates a stained-glass effect when lit.
Tools you'll need
For a advanced carve like this you'll want a fine-detail pumpkin saw, spoon / scoop, pin transfer tool, and small gouge if the pattern includes shading. 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.
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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.
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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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A detailed butterfly with open wings, slender body, and curled antennae, its wing panels divided by intact rib lines into a stained-glass pattern of glowing cells. Each wing cell is shaved down to pale flesh while the ribs and outline stay as raised skin, and nothing is pierced. Shave every cell to a matching depth so the wings light evenly, checking with a candle as you work.
AdvancedGeometric Butterfly Pumpkin Stencil
A geometric butterfly pumpkin stencil showing a symmetrical butterfly with four wings divided into bold sections: two large upper wings each containing a full circle and a pointed outer blade shape, and two lower wings each with a scalloped half-circle cutout. A slim segmented body runs down the center axis with small antennae at the top. The large wing sections and the lower scalloped openings glow brightly when lit, while the solid center body and the wing-division lines keep the butterfly shape crisp. Cut the two round upper wing circles first, since they are isolated islands that must be scored from the surrounding wing before anything else is removed.