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A single giant eye dominates this friendly monster face, with a dark round pupil left in place at its center and a curved brow arched above. Below, a huge grin sweeps ear to ear with pointed dimples at each corner. The eye ring, brow, and smile are cut through while the pupil stays as an island of shell, which is what earns the medium rating; anchor that pupil with a toothpick from behind if it feels loose. This design is rated Intermediate and takes most carvers around 75 minutes from trace to glow. Comfortable knife handling required. Small details and curves.
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 55-80 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
- Keep the lower round pupil. Open region 1 around the large round eye and white lower pupil. Preserve the widened attachment at the bottom of the pupil. Support the eye plug while cutting the curved inner edge.
- Add the arched eyebrow. Cut region 2 above the eye. Keep the white band between eyebrow and eye intact, and work toward the slender brow ends with short strokes.
- Finish the capped smile. Cut region 3 including the short raised corner caps. Follow the shallow upper curve and deeper lower curve, then release the supported plug. This face has no nose or teeth.
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 intermediate carve like this you'll want a x-acto knife, poker tool, ribbon scoop, and painter's tape. 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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Beginner-friendlyBarred Cyclops Eye and Teeth
One huge round eye crossed by a vertical skin bar stares out above a stubby grin with two blocky teeth, giving this little cyclops a comically startled expression. The eye and mouth are cut through, with the center bar and both teeth left as standing strips of shell. It is an easy carve suited to smaller pumpkins; cut the eye as two half-circles on either side of the bar instead of one big circle, and the bar will never be at risk.
IntermediateCyclops Eye and Five Teeth
A goofy cyclops with one giant round eye under a curly brow, a small triangle nose, freckle dots on each cheek, and a huge laughing mouth with five stubby teeth. The features are cut through, and the pupil stays in place as an attached tab hanging inside the enormous eye. That pupil bridge is the medium-level test; cut both sides of the tab before freeing the rest of the eye circle.
IntermediateThree Eyes and Rounded Teeth
Three round eyes line up across the brow of this cheerful monster, above a wide grinning mouth with four rounded teeth hanging from the top lip and a small diamond accent cut on each cheek. The eyes, diamonds, and mouth are cut through, with the teeth left attached to the upper mouth edge. At medium difficulty, the main care point is those hanging teeth: cut around each one gently, and try it on a green or warty pumpkin for extra monster energy.
IntermediateOne Eye and Two Upper Teeth
A goofy one-eyed jack-o'-lantern with a huge round eye topped by a dark pupil circle, a small triangle nose, and a wide smile broken by two chunky upper teeth. The big eye, nose, and mouth are cut through, while the pupil area keeps a disc of skin attached at the top for contrast. Support the teeth by cutting away from their narrow roots, since those two tabs carry the whole grin.
Expert / ProPetal Border and Button Nose
A whimsical folk-art face with pupil-in-eye ovals, arched lash brows, a button nose, and a scalloped grin full of rounded teeth, all surrounded by a lush border of petals, leaves, and teardrops. Dozens of small openings cut through, which is what earns the expert rating despite the friendly look. Work from the center of the face outward to the border so early cuts never weaken the wall around later ones.
AdvancedGoofy Pupils and Twelve Dots
A freckle-faced goofball with lifted eyebrow cuts, big eyes crossed by full-width pupil tabs, a round nose, twelve freckle dots, and a huge open grin with mismatched teeth. The openings are cut through while the pupil bars, teeth, and surrounding freckle rind stay intact. It rates hard because those wide pupil tabs span the entire eye: cut each eye as separate top and bottom windows, drill the freckles with a small round bit, and save the eyebrows for last.