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This free I Love Tennessee pumpkin stencil is a printable PDF pattern you can print at home, tape to your pumpkin, and trace. Tennessee's pumpkin stencil delivers "I [heart] TN" in two rows with wide rounded caps. The letter "T" is a horizontal bar sitting atop a vertical stem, while the "N" has a diagonal stroke creating a narrow internal wedge. The "T" crossbar is the thinnest structural element in this stencil, so carve it near the end of the session: cut the two open spaces on each side of the vertical stem first, then free the crossbar in a single left-to-right pass with a sharp blade tip. Use it as a carving template for your Halloween jack-o'-lantern. It is rated Beginner-friendly. Estimated time: 45-60 minutes. Actual time varies with preparation, pumpkin size and experience. Larger shapes and shorter cuts. An adult should handle sharp carving tools.
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
This is a cut-through stencil: the gray areas on the printable pattern are the pieces you remove, and everything white stays attached. The steps below give you the safest carving order. Plan on about 45-60 minutes 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 letter I. Start with the serif capital I in the top row. Cut the flared top and bottom serifs first, then connect them along the straight sides.
- Cut the heart. Remove the big heart next. Start at the bottom point, cut up and around each lobe, and meet at the center notch. Leave a small tab on one side, then slice it and push the large plug through with support.
- Cut the T. Cut the wide crossbar of the T in one steady pass on each side, then the vertical stem. The junction where bar meets stem is the tightest turn, so work into that corner from both directions.
- Cut the N last. The N is the biggest letter; cut its two vertical strokes, then the diagonal. The narrow white wedges inside the N must stay intact, so keep the blade on the traced line and support the plug as you free the final edge.
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 piece is out, wipe the cut edges dry and drop in a battery LED puck.
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, 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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Beginner-friendlyI Heart Mississippi
This hometown tribute stacks I heart on the top line and MS below in thick block letters, with a plump heart doing the talking. Each letter and the heart are pierced as separate bold shapes with plenty of shell between them, keeping the wall strong. For this easy design, cut the S from the center outward in two hooked passes so its curves stay even, then finish with the heart.
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Show some Garden State love with this bold lettering design: the word I, a big glowing heart, and the letters N and J stacked in a classic two-row layout, all pierced fully through the pumpkin wall. The chunky serif letters are forgiving for an easy carve; cut each letter stroke as its own piece rather than one big chunk, and save the J's curved hook for last since its tail is the thinnest part.
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Beginner-friendlyI Heart South Carolina
State pride spelled out plainly: a bold serif I, a big glowing heart, and the letters SC stacked in two rows across the pumpkin face. Each letter and the heart cut fully through, and the thick strokes make this an easy lettering carve with no fragile pieces. Cut the heart's top notch first to set its shape, then saw each letter stroke in straight runs, squaring the serifs from inside the openings.