This is a cut-through stencil: the gray areas on the printable pattern are the pieces you remove, and everything white stays attached. The steps below give you the safest carving order. Plan on about 90-150 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

1. Cut the face details first. Start with the small pieces of the face: the eye shape under the brow, the triangular muzzle, and the narrow jaw piece with its fang points below it. These are the most fragile cuts; use short strokes and back the saw out at every point.
2. Cut the ear tufts and brow spikes. Cut the pointed ear and the spiky tufts above the head, easing into each thin tip from both sides. The white slivers separating the tufts must stay attached.
3. Cut the front and rear legs. Cut the lower leg pieces with their claw notches, then the pieces along the haunch. Keep the white channels between the legs and the body intact; they define the crouching pose.
4. Cut the flowing mane. Work through the large curved mane sections sweeping over the back, freeing one section at a time. The long thin white streaks inside the mane are bridges; cut up to them and stop.
5. Release the body last. Cut the remaining large body piece, leaving a small tab attached along a thick section of the back. Support the plug with your free hand, cut the tab, and ease the piece out so the surrounding thin walls are not stressed.

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 piece is out, wipe the cut edges dry and drop in a battery LED puck.