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View all stencils →About this stencil
A crescent moon hangs over rolling hills dotted with pine trees, while dozens of stars and pinprick lights scatter across the sky above the treeline. The entire scene is shaved at varying depths into the pumpkin wall, with the moon and hilltops thinned the most so they glow brightest, and the trees left as dark raised skin. Rough in the hills first, then refine tree silhouettes, and finish with the star pricks last. This design is rated Expert / Pro and takes most carvers around 240 minutes from trace to glow. Sculpting-grade work. Three or more depth layers, fine detail.
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 expert / pro carve like this you'll want a full ribbon tool set, clay sculpting loops, x-acto knife, and dremel (optional). 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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IntermediateSaguaro with Desert Sun
A tall saguaro cactus with two upraised arms stands over a desert floor of scrub grass, scattered stones, and a distant ridge, with a round sun hanging in the sky. The whole southwestern scene is skin-shave shading: each element is peeled to pale flesh while the pumpkin wall stays sealed. At medium difficulty, peel the big cactus trunk in long vertical strokes to mimic its natural ribs, then add the small ground details last.
AdvancedCloudy Moon Campsite
A cozy campsite spreads across the pumpkin: a striped A-frame tent between pine trees, a crackling campfire, and a full moon drifting behind wispy clouds. The scene is shaved into the skin rather than pierced, so light glows softly through the thinned areas at different strengths. For this hard shading job, carve the brightest spots like the fire and moon deepest, and keep the trees and clouds shallower to build a layered nighttime look.
IntermediateMoonlit Tent & Campfire
A cozy campsite scene: a peaked tent with an open door flap, a crackling campfire on crossed logs, two pine trees, and a full moon overhead. It is all continuous-wall shading, so you shave each shape down to glowing flesh while the orange skin between them stays untouched. Etch the largest areas like the tent walls first, then refine the flame tips and pine branches with a small gouge for clean edges.
IntermediateMoon & Stars Over Hills
A crescent moon hangs over a band of rolling hills while four small stars dot the sky above. Nothing is pierced: you shave away only the skin inside the moon, stars, and hill line, leaving a thin wall that glows soft amber when lit. Keep your shaving depth even, about a quarter inch, so the moon and hills light up at the same brightness across the whole scene.
Expert / ProCrossed Sticks at Forest Rink
Two crossed hockey sticks with taped blades dominate a full outdoor rink scene, complete with a puck at center ice, board fencing, evergreen trees, and distant peaks behind. It is carved entirely by shading: skin is shaved to different depths so the sticks, boards, and treeline glow in layered tones with no pierced holes. Map out three depth levels before you start and shave the brightest areas thinnest, checking often with a light inside.
Expert / ProGalaxy with Three Planets
A sweeping spiral galaxy wraps across the entire pumpkin face, its curved arms shaved in graduated depths so the core glows brightest, while three ringed planets and scattered stars orbit the edges in raised relief. Nothing is pierced; every effect comes from continuous-wall shading at different thicknesses. Expert-level patience pays off here: establish the spiral arms as broad shallow bands first, then deepen toward the center in passes to build the luminous gradient.