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View all stencils →About this stencil
Five curved galaxy arms swirl around a solid dark core, each tapered blade cut fully through so the design spins like a glowing cosmic pinwheel, with five small round star holes drilled between the arms. The center circle stays as untouched shell, anchored by the skin between the arms. At medium difficulty, the keys are the tapered arm tips; saw from the wide end of each arm toward its point, and drill the star holes before cutting the arms nearby. 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.
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Beginner-friendlyLightning Bolt and Three Dots
A jagged lightning bolt zigzags down the center of the pumpkin, flanked by three round dots that glow like sparks of static. All four shapes are pierced through, and the small count of cuts makes this a fast, satisfying easy carve with a bold graphic punch. Cut the bolt's long diagonals first, then finish the sharp inner angles from each direction so the points stay crisp instead of tearing.
AdvancedCompass Star & Moon Phases
An eight-pointed compass star anchors the center while a ring of moon phases and beaded dots circles around it, from thin crescents to a full glowing disc. The star's facets and the ring are shaved at varying depths into the skin, with only the deepest moon discs approaching full brightness, giving the design a layered lantern glow. Map your depths first: shallow for the star facets, deeper for each moon as it waxes.
IntermediateSix-Point Starburst
A bold six-pointed starburst fills the front of the pumpkin, with slim rays shooting out from a hexagonal core. The entire star is a single pierced opening, so the light pours through the center and tapers into each sharp point. Use slow, shallow saw strokes as you approach the ray tips, since those narrow points are the easiest spots to overcut.
Expert / ProSaturn Pumpkin Stencil
Saturn's ringed profile rendered in a loose, sketchy style fills this expert space pumpkin stencil, with the planet body shown as a series of jagged horizontal band cuts and the elliptical ring system sweeping through as two curving arcs, all separated by thin skin bridges that suggest atmospheric cloud layers. The ring bands are the trickiest element: each arc is a narrow, isolated strip that connects to the planet body only at two small points. Cut the planet body bands first, working from the equator outward toward the poles, then carefully score the ring arcs from their inner connection points toward the outer tips.
Beginner-friendlyFour Diamonds and Eight Dots
Four diamonds run in a straight column down the front of the pumpkin, flanked by a staggered row of round dots on each side, turning a tall pumpkin into a modern lantern. All twelve openings are cut through, and their regular spacing is what sells the design. Mark the vertical centerline first and measure each diamond's position before cutting, since even spacing matters more here than fancy knife work.