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Medusa's face stares out from this expert pumpkin stencil, her features rendered as thin-cut channels forming almond-shaped eyes, a small nose, and full lips against a solid oval face. The hair is replaced by dozens of writhing snake bodies, each carved as an interlocking mass of curved shapes with heads visible at the perimeter, open mouths and coiling bodies creating a dense web of negative space around the face. When lit, the snake-hair region glows with a complex, shifting pattern while the face remains a composed solid island. Work the snake-hair sections in quadrants, finishing each area before moving to the next, so no large unsupported skin islands shift mid-carve. 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 tea 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
- Transfer the stencil precisely; many snake bodies share thin walls and a misplaced cut removes a bridge permanently.
- Divide the snake-hair region into four quadrants: top-left, top-right, bottom-left, bottom-right. Carve each quadrant fully before moving on.
- Within each quadrant, cut the snake bodies from the outer edge inward toward the face, leaving the inner wall of each snake as the boundary of the next shape.
- Remove the eye cutouts and nostril next; these are small isolated ovals inside the solid face mass.
- Cut the lip shape carefully: the upper and lower lips are separated by a thin sliver of solid pumpkin that must stay intact.
- Light with a single centered candle; the solid face will read as a dark, composed mask floating within a glowing web of serpents.
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 ↗
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 ↗
Homemory LED Tea Lights
24-pack of battery-operated lights
Battery-operated, flickering lights for a candle-like glow inside your finished pumpkin.
View on Amazon ↗
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