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A bold crescent moon sits at the center of a decorative halo made of alternating circle and diamond openings. Everything is cut fully through, and the ring of small shapes scatters points of light around the big central glow for a celestial, almost boho look. Carve the crescent first, then work around the halo one shape at a time, spacing your cuts so the rind bridges between openings stay sturdy. This design is rated Intermediate and takes most carvers around 75 minutes from trace to glow. Comfortable knife handling required. Small details and curves.
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 70-105 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
- Open the six round holes. Cut all six regions marked 1 around the crescent. Preserve the uneven oval shapes, with two high, two beside the moon and two below.
- Trace the six diamonds. Cut the six regions marked 2 alternating between the round holes. Keep their distinct slants and unequal tips, leaving the white shell between every neighboring pair intact.
- Finish the broad crescent. Cut region 3 along the wide crescent and its pointed right ends. Keep the inward white area joined to the background. Support the curved plug as it is released, retaining the gaps to the low holes.
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 intermediate carve like this you'll want a x-acto knife, poker tool, ribbon scoop, and painter's tape. 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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Beginner-friendlyTwo Curves Around a Round Core
Two sweeping comma-shaped curves swirl around a round central core, suggesting a spiral galaxy spinning across the pumpkin. Just three openings are cut through the wall, so the design comes together quickly yet looks striking and modern when lit. Keep the tapered tails of each curve narrow as you saw; cutting from the wide end toward the thin tip gives you the most control over those graceful points.
IntermediateCrescent and Four-Ray Sun
A tall crescent moon pairs with a four-ray sun whose points frame a solid circle of rind at its center, creating a striking celestial emblem. The crescent and the four triangular rays are pierced through, while the sun's middle disc stays attached as a floating island of pumpkin skin. At medium difficulty, cut the four rays individually and avoid nicking the center circle's edge, since that untouched disc is what makes the sun read.
IntermediateFour Trailing Stars and Dots
Four five-pointed stars in descending sizes sweep diagonally across the pumpkin, joined by a few small round dots that read like distant sparkles. Each star and dot is cut fully through, so the cluster twinkles convincingly once a candle goes in. The star points are what make this a medium carve; drill a starter hole at the center of each star and always saw from the middle out toward each tip to keep the points sharp.
IntermediateCrescent and Seven Teardrops
A tall crescent moon anchors the left side of this celestial design while a fan of seven teardrop rays arcs around its open curve like scattered moonbeams. Every shape is pierced through, so the crescent throws a big wash of light and the teardrops sparkle around it. Cut the crescent first for this medium design, then do the teardrops smallest to largest; angling your saw slightly outward makes each little petal pop out cleanly.
IntermediateThree Crescents and Six Dots
Three crescent moons of different sizes climb diagonally across the pumpkin, trailed by six small round dots like distant stars. Every crescent and dot is pierced fully through, giving a modern, almost tattoo-style celestial arrangement once the candle is lit. The medium rating comes from the crescents' thin inner horns, so drill or poke each dot first for practice, then cut the crescents starting at the fat middle and working out toward each narrow tip.
IntermediateBridged Peace Sign
A bold peace symbol fills the face of the pumpkin, its glowing ring and spokes formed by cutting away the four wedge-shaped spaces between them. Thin uncut bridges hold the outer ring to the pumpkin wall, which is exactly what makes this a medium carve. Cut each wedge slowly and leave the connecting bridges at least a finger-width wide; if a spoke feels wobbly, shave it thinner from the inside rather than recutting the front.