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View all stencils →About this stencil
An elaborate theatrical face with knowing eyes whose pupils hang from the upper lids, framed by ornate teardrop flourishes across the brow and temples, above a huge grin packed with long individual teeth. Dozens of small cut-through openings build the pattern, with slim rind bridges holding every tooth and swirl in place. Number your openings and remove the smallest flourishes first, saving the big mouth bays for last so the web of bridges keeps its strength. This design is rated Expert / Pro and takes most carvers around 240 minutes from trace to glow. Sculpting-grade work. Three or more depth layers, fine detail.
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
This is a cut-through stencil: the dark numbered regions on the printable pattern are the pieces you remove, and everything white stays attached. The numbers give you the safest carving order, and the steps below walk through them one by one. Plan on about 3-4 hours from print to candle.
Set up first. Print the PDF at 100% scale on letter or A4 paper. Cut the lid at an angle, scoop the pumpkin clean, and thin the carving wall to about 1 inch where the design will sit. Tape the pattern on (snip small darts in the paper so it hugs the curve) and transfer every outline by poking dots along the lines, about one every 1/8 inch. Peel the paper away and carve dot to dot with short, straight strokes.
Carving order
- Cut the two broad brows. Cut both regions marked 1. Follow their tall outer arches, sweeping inner tips and wide white eye rims.
- Keep both hanging pupils. Cut both eye regions marked 2 around the round pupils hanging from their upper rims. Preserve both attachments and the long pointed inner corners.
- Add the ornamental mask. Cut all thirty-two regions marked 3. Preserve the three center nose diamonds, ten under-eye diamonds, four forehead plumes, twelve side accents, two bottom commas and one bottom diamond. Keep every white separator intact.
- Open eight separate grin bays. Cut all eight regions marked 4. Preserve the white ribs between these openings. Follow their unequal sizes, rounded lower ends and sharply rising outer corners.
Clear loose fibers out of each opening as you go, and never twist or pry the blade against the shell; back it out and recut instead. When every region is open, wipe the cut edges dry and drop in a battery LED puck.
Tools you'll need
For a expert / pro carve like this you'll want a full ribbon tool set, clay sculpting loops, x-acto knife, and dremel (optional). 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 ↗
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Expert / ProDouble Bars and Zigzag Teeth
An elaborate jack-o'-lantern face built from layered geometry: triangle eyes barred with double rind strips, arched claw-like brows, diamond accents down the cheeks, and a wide zigzag mouth of interlocking teeth flanked by curling flame flourishes. The many openings are cut through around a lattice of thin surviving rind. This expert design demands a sharp fine-tooth saw and a plan: cut from the center outward, finishing the outer flourishes last while the wall is still strong.
AdvancedWrinkled Eyes and Uneven Teeth
A mischievous scowling face with arched eyebrows over round glaring eyes, small wrinkle slits fanning from each eye's outer corner, diamond accents dotting the cheeks, and a sweeping smile packed with uneven square teeth. Every cut pierces through, so light streams from all the details at once. A hard carve where the wrinkle slits are the fussy part; cut those hairline slivers with a detail saw before opening the large eye holes beside them.
Beginner-friendlySloping Eyes and Two Teeth
Two steeply sloping eyes scowl above a crooked grin holding two chunky square teeth, one notched into the top lip and one into the bottom. The eyes and mouth are pierced through, with the blocky teeth left as shell inside the mouth opening. Cut the outline of each tooth before clearing the rest of the mouth, and the asymmetry of the design means small wobbles only add to the attitude.
IntermediateAngled Eyes and Seven Fangs
Two sharply slanted triangle eyes glare above a wide jagged mouth lined with seven pointed fangs, giving this face a classic menacing snarl. Every element is cut fully through, and the zigzag mouth does most of the work, so accuracy there pays off. Cut each tooth as two separate straight strokes meeting at the point instead of dragging the saw around the corner, and the grin stays razor sharp.
IntermediateSix-Slot Grin and Cheek Slits
Two arched, angry eyes glower above a huge crescent grin broken into a row of glowing tooth slots, with small slits flaring at each cheek. All the features are pierced through the wall, and the strips of rind left between the tooth openings become the dark teeth of the smile. Cut the mouth slots from the center outward and leave the narrow rind bridges at full thickness so the grin holds its shape.
Beginner-friendlySneering Fangs and Slanted Eyes
A sinister face with narrow slanted eyes, a slim angled nose, and a wide sneering mouth bristling with pointed fangs top and bottom. Eyes, nose, and mouth are pierced clean through, with the fang shapes left as solid teeth jutting into the glowing opening. Even though it rates easy, the fang tips are fragile; cut each tooth from base to point and let the waste fall away instead of pulling it free.