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View all stencils →About this stencil
Download the Gargoyle pumpkin stencil as a free printable PDF, then tape the pattern to your pumpkin and trace the lines. A detailed gargoyle face stares out from this expert pumpkin stencil, with swept-back horns, pointed ears, arching eyebrows, a broad flat nose, and wide wings that flare to either side like a cathedral guardian. Dozens of separate cut-out pieces form the facial features and wing feathers, leaving solid bridges of pumpkin skin to hold each island in place. Work from the smallest interior details outward: cut the eyebrow slashes, nostril notch, and tiny chin dimple first, then the larger wing panels last, to keep the fragile facial bridges stable while you carve. It works as a carving template for a Halloween jack-o'-lantern or a fall porch display. It is rated Expert / Pro. Actual time varies with preparation, pumpkin size and experience. Intricate details and fragile supports need patience. Technique depends on the design; follow its PDF rather than assuming multiple depth layers.
Pumpkin size guide
- 🎃 Small (5 to 7"): print at 80%
- 🎃 Medium (7 to 10"): print at 100% (recommended)
- 🎃 Large (11 to 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 the pattern at 100% for a 7 to 10 inch pumpkin, 130% for 11 to 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 to 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 help it last longer.
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
- Tape the stencil securely and pin-transfer every line; note that interior islands are surrounded by pumpkin skin on all sides.
- Cut the smallest facial details first: the curled eyebrow slashes, the brow-line notch, and the tiny mouth/chin pieces.
- Move to the eye socket openings and the triangular nose cutout, using a fine detail blade.
- Carve the body chest panel, keeping the two small shoulder-tab bridges above and below it intact until last.
- Work outward to the large wing panels on each side, making long steady strokes along the curved feather lines.
- Light with a bright LED pillar candle set close to the back wall so every small detail illuminates clearly.
Tools you'll need
For a expert / pro carve like this you'll want a fine-detail pumpkin saw, spoon / scoop, pin transfer tool, and detail gouges if the pattern includes shading. Here's the kit we reach for, but 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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Expert / ProThe Hypnotist Pumpkin Stencil
Two enormous hypnotic eyes built as spoked wheels, each iris divided by radial spokes around a glowing hub, ringed by halos of small diamond and teardrop cutouts with arched brow fans above. Every spoke gap, diamond, and teardrop is pierced individually, creating a mesmerizing lace of light. An expert carve with dozens of tiny openings; use a fine detail saw and rotate the pumpkin, not your wrist, on the curves.
Expert / ProThe Antlered Horror Pumpkin Stencil
A tall, unsettling monster mask stares out of the pumpkin: long upright ears branching like antlers, hollow ringed eyes, a skeletal snout, and a mouthful of pointed fangs, all drawn in thin interlocking cutouts. The entire face is pierced through as a network of narrow slots that leaves delicate pumpkin bridges between every glowing line. This expert design demands a fine-detail saw; carve from the center outward so the fragile bridges keep support as long as possible.
Expert / ProMoonlit Hag Pumpkin Stencil
A wicked witch in profile fills a glowing full-moon circle, her pointed hat, hooked nose, jutting chin, and two gnarled clawed hands all left in silhouette against the light. The moon disc is cut through around her, so every detail depends on the pumpkin you leave behind. This expert design demands patience: remove the background in small wedges and never lever your blade against the thin fingers, which are the most fragile part.
Expert / ProThe Scarred Snarl Pumpkin Stencil
A nightmare grin stretches ear to ear, packed with dozens of jagged interlocking fangs, beneath two mismatched eyes, one wide and wild and one narrowed and crossed by scar lines, with flame like spikes radiating outward and diamond accents above and below. Nearly all of it is pierced through, leaving a web of thin rind spikes that demands real patience. Work from the center of the mouth outward with a fine saw, supporting each fragile spike as you free it on this expert carve.
AdvancedThe Mystic Gaze Pumpkin Stencil
Two huge almond eyes stare straight out, each ringed by fanned lash bars above and a spray of teardrop cuts below, with attached pupils floating in the centers. The eye whites, brow strokes, and roughly twenty teardrops are all pierced, leaving the pupils and lash ribs as connected shell. This one earns its hard rating on the thin lash bars, so cut every slot outward from the eye and support the wall with your palm.