Similar to This
View all stencils →About this stencil
A simple, cartoonish scarecrow stands with arms outstretched on this hard pumpkin stencil, wearing a wide-brimmed hat and showing a squiggly grimace for a mouth. The body and hat are solid pumpkin flesh while gaps between the outstretched arms, the ragged tunic slashes, and the stick post below are all cut through. The thin neck post connecting the head to the body is the most fragile element; complete all arm and tunic cuts before touching the area around that connector to keep the head from separating prematurely. This design is rated Advanced and takes most carvers around 150 minutes from trace to glow. Multi-layer cuts with skin-peel shading. Plan your cuts first.
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
- Carve the open background panels flanking the body and under the arms first.
- Cut the individual tunic-slash gaps down the torso, working from the top slash downward.
- Open the gap beneath the hat brim on each side of the head.
- Carve the small hand finger gaps at each outstretched arm tip.
- Score around the thin neck post without cutting it, then free the stick post below the tunic.
- Finish by releasing the neck post area last; handle the completed carving gently as the head is lightly connected.
Tools you'll need
For a advanced carve like this you'll want a linoleum cutter set, x-acto knife, peel tool, and pin transfer wheel. 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.
AdvancedScarecrow Pumpkin Stencil
A friendly scarecrow stands arms-out in classic T-pose: a brimmed hat with a small torn-corner flap, a round face with X eyes and a stitched-line smile, a necktie, straw tufts poking from the sleeves and hem, and a central post below the body. The design uses a mix of open cuts for the background spaces and solid orange bridges that form the straw strands, clothing triangles, and facial features. When lit, the scarecrow appears as a warm silhouette with the straw tufts back-lit individually. Cut the small X-eye shapes and the stitched smile first, as these tiny marks are hardest to control once surrounding material is removed.
Expert / ProFour Woodland Toadstools
Four spotted woodland toadstools cluster among curling leaves and grasses, carved in deep relief so the caps, gills, and stems stand out from the shell in true sculptural layers. Nothing is pierced; the design is built entirely by shaving and sculpting the wall to different depths, with the tall center mushroom's gilled underside as the showpiece. Rough out the deepest background first, then refine the gill lines last with a V-gouge while the ridges are still thick.
Expert / ProFour Spotted Toadstools
Four spotted toadstools of staggered heights grow from a glowing patch of grass, the tallest cap arching over three smaller companions. This expert shading piece uses multiple depths: gills under the big cap are shaved brightest, stems and caps sit mid-tone, and the spots are left as darker raised dots. Map your depth levels before touching a tool, and carve the delicate gill lines with a fine gouge in single confident strokes.
IntermediateEight Petals and Three Seeds
Eight oval petals radiate from a dotted center like a stylized sunflower, with three small seed holes in the middle and a leafy stem opening anchoring the bloom below. Each petal is a pierced oval, and the skin spokes left between them hold the flower together while letting light pour through. Cut opposite petals in pairs, top then bottom, left then right, so the spokes never take uneven strain.
Expert / ProSunflower with a Curled Center
A show-stopping sunflower with two rings of layered petals around a big textured seed head, flanked by veined leaves below. This expert shading piece uses multiple depths: petals shaved smooth, petal shadows cut deeper where layers overlap, and the center stippled with dozens of tiny seed dimples. Rough in all the petal shapes at one shallow depth first, then return to carve the overlaps, saving the seed texture for last.
Expert / ProSunflower with Layered Petals
A lush sunflower filling the pumpkin face, with a densely dotted seed head ringed by two overlapping layers of pointed petals and broad leaves fanning out below. It is carved entirely as continuous-wall relief, shaving the skin at multiple depths so petals overlap realistically with no pierced openings. As an expert project, plan your levels first: deepest around the outer background, shallower between petal layers, and the seed dome nearly untouched.