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Download the Jesus Fish pumpkin stencil as a free printable PDF, then tape the pattern to your pumpkin and trace the lines. This pumpkin stencil renders the Christian ichthys fish symbol horizontally across the pumpkin face: the fish body outline is formed by pierced dashes along the top and bottom edges, the word JESUS is cut in open block capitals inside the body, and a small cross sits at the tail junction on the right. The letters and outline dashes are all negative space, so the finished jack-o-lantern glows with JESUS framed inside the fish. Carve the outer dash segments first to establish the fish outline, then work each letter from E inward to avoid flexing the narrow skin strips between characters. It works as a carving template for a Halloween jack-o'-lantern or a fall porch display. It is rated Advanced. Actual time varies with preparation, pumpkin size and experience. Fine details and narrow supports need careful planning. Follow the cutting and shading key in this design’s PDF.
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
- Thin the pumpkin wall to about 3/4 inch across the wide horizontal design area.
- Carve the pointed left arrowhead of the fish first, then the dash segments along the top edge from left to right.
- Repeat the dash segments along the bottom edge, keeping each gap between dashes equal.
- Cut the tail-cross on the right side, preserving the small X intersection as solid pumpkin skin.
- Inside the fish body, carve each letter of JESUS separately: J, E, S, U, S, working from left to right.
- For each letter, cut the outermost strokes before any interior counters (the interior of E's arms, the inside of U) to keep the letter intact while you work.
Tools you'll need
For a advanced carve like this you'll want a fine-detail pumpkin saw, spoon / scoop, pin transfer tool, and small gouge 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.
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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.
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Speedball 4131 Lino Cutter Set
Handle + 5 interchangeable cutters
Interchangeable cutters for peeling and shading the face. Useful for the finer details.
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The word COEXIST is spelled out in large block letters where each letter is formed by a different world symbol: a crescent and star, a peace sign, an equals sign, a Star of David, the Eye of Providence, a yin-yang circle, and a Christian cross. All seven symbols are cut through the pumpkin wall so candlelight illuminates each one independently. Because the circular peace sign and yin-yang contain floating interior pieces, press a toothpick through the interior disk of each from the inside after cutting to hold it in place.
IntermediateMorning Light Cross Pumpkin Stencil
A plain cross stands at the center while nine tapered rays of light fan outward around it, like a sunburst breaking through. This shaded design is carved on a continuous wall, shaving the skin away so the cross and rays glow warmly with no pierced openings, which suits a reverent, softer look. Shave the cross to an even depth first, then taper each ray shallower toward its tip so the light appears to fade outward.
IntermediateRadiant Cross Pumpkin Stencil
A bold cross anchors the center of the design while ten tapered rays burst outward around it like beams of light. The cross and every ray are pierced through, leaving dark shell between them that frames the radiating pattern. Cut the large cross first to relieve pressure on the wall, then work each ray from its wide outer end toward the narrow tip so the points finish clean.
IntermediateChapel Windows Pumpkin Stencil
Two crosses stand side by side, each framed beneath its own tall rounded arch like twin chapel windows. The arch outlines and the crosses are cut through the wall as narrow channels, so light traces the frames while the solid rind inside each arch makes the crosses read boldly. At medium difficulty the slim arch bands are the fragile part, so cut them in short segments and leave the interior panels firmly attached.