Similar to This
View all stencils →About this stencil
A giant tennis ball dominates the pumpkin, its two big panels pierced through and separated by the signature curved seam left as an attached band of shell, with a small star cut on either side. The sweeping seam is the make-or-break piece, so cut both panel edges toward the seam rather than across it and keep the band at least a finger wide for strength. 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
- 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 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 ↗
Community Pumpkin Carving Ideas
Carving ideas that use stencils like this one.
Related stencils
Carvers who liked this one also downloaded these.
AdvancedLeaping Gymnast with Stars
A gymnast soars in a full split leap, one arm reaching skyward toward a trail of stars and a curved comet streak behind her. The whole figure is a shaded carve on a continuous wall, shaving the skin so the silhouette glows without any pierced holes, which preserves the slender arms and pointed toes. Shave the thin limbs in light passes with a small loop tool, since going too deep on those narrow lines risks breaking through.
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 / ProBaseball and Crossed Bats
A trophy-worthy relief of a baseball resting over two crossed bats, all standing out from a recessed panel in true sculpted depth. The ball's curved stitch lines and the bats' grain and knobs are incised details, and nothing pierces the wall. Excavate the background panel to an even depth before rounding the ball, and undercut the bat edges slightly so they cast real shadows in daylight.
IntermediateCrossed Sticks and Three Dots
Two hockey sticks cross in a bold X with their curved blades flaring outward at the bottom, a round puck resting between them, and three small dots arcing above like arena lights. The sticks, puck, and dots are all pierced through, leaving a crisp diamond of pumpkin at the center of the X. At medium difficulty that center diamond is the fragile piece, so cut the four stick channels one at a time and never lever the knife against it.
IntermediateEight Curved Basketball Wedges
Eight curved wedge openings radiate from the center of the pumpkin, separated by ribs of shell that mimic the seams of a basketball. The wedges are all cut through, so the pumpkin itself becomes a glowing ball when lit. Keep the seam ribs a consistent width as you saw each wedge, and remove the wedge pieces gently by pushing from inside so the long curved ribs are not stressed.
IntermediateSix Curving Volleyball Windows
Six long curving windows sweep around a central hub, recreating the swirling panel seams of a volleyball across the pumpkin's face. The curved slots are cut through while the seam lines between them stay as bold ribs of skin, so the lit pumpkin reads as a glowing ball. On this medium carve, remove the slots one at a time and alternate sides as you go, keeping stress on the curved ribs balanced until the last piece comes out.