Similar to This
View all stencils →About this stencil
A single billowy ghost with two raised arms and a wavy hem ending in three uneven points, carved as one big glowing cutout. The entire ghost silhouette is pierced through, so candlelight fills the friendly specter from arms to tail. This easy one-piece design suits squat pumpkins with plenty of front surface; cut the smooth outer curves first and finish with the scalloped bottom points, which are the only fiddly bits. This design is rated Beginner-friendly and takes most carvers around 30 minutes from trace to glow. Great for kids and first-timers. Big shapes, short cuts.
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 beginner-friendly carve like this you'll want a paring knife, spoon / scoop, marker, and led pumpkin light. 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.
AdvancedCurled-Hand Ghost & Round Glow
A wide-eyed little ghost with curled hands and a wavy hem floats in front of a big round glow, its startled O-shaped mouth mid-boo. The circular background is cut through around the ghost, so the figure stays as connected rind while light floods the disc behind it. Those slim connector bridges at the hands and hem are the whole design; cut the large background sections first and save every bridge for careful final passes.
IntermediateWaving Wispy Ghost
A friendly ghost with trailing wisps waves from the pumpkin, its oval eyes and mouth left as darker raised skin against the pale shaved body. There are no pierced openings; you peel the skin away inside the ghost outline so the flesh glows gently when lit. Shave in smooth, overlapping strokes and stop at the eye and mouth outlines so those features stay dark and crisp.
Beginner-friendlyWaving Ghost with Four Lobes
A friendly little ghost lifts one stubby arm in a wave, its four-lobed hem trailing below round eyes and a happy open mouth. The whole figure is shaved shading: you remove skin inside the body so it glows softly, then leave the eyes and mouth as raised uncarved pumpkin. Even, shallow shaving is all it takes, which makes this a forgiving introduction to etching.
IntermediateBent Hat with Nine Sparkles
A tall witch hat with a jauntily bent tip glows from the pumpkin, its wide oval brim carved as a separate opening beneath the crown so the solid hatband reads as a dark stripe between them. Around the hat, small circles and diamonds sparkle like scattered magic. This medium design hinges on that hatband bridge; cut the crown and brim as two independent openings and never saw across the band, then finish with the little sparkle shapes using a drill and detail knife.
Beginner-friendlyCauldron and Three Bubbles
A round-bellied witch's cauldron with side handles and little legs, carved as one big glowing cutout, while three round bubble holes rise above the rim like escaping brew. Everything cuts fully through, so the pot blazes and the bubbles float as bright dots. One of the easiest spooky designs going; punch the three bubbles first, then saw the cauldron body in sections, leaving the handle nubs attached to the main opening.
IntermediateRising Bat and Four Stars
A bold bat rises with scalloped wings spread wide while four small stars twinkle around it. The bat and every star are cut completely through the wall, turning the pumpkin into a glowing night-sky scene. The bat is one large connected opening, so it carves fast; poke a starter hole in the middle of the body and saw outward toward the wing scallops, finishing the little stars last.