Similar pumpkin stencils
View all stencils →About this stencil
Download the Rat and Moon pumpkin stencil as a free printable PDF, then tape the pattern to your pumpkin and trace the lines. A large aggressive rat crouches in front of a semicircular moon arch in this pumpkin stencil, its shaggy fur rendered in dozens of fine radiating cut lines while the long serrated tail curves up behind it. Small star-burst marks scatter near the snout. The moon background is the main large negative-space cut-out, while the rat body itself is an intricate network of fur-line slots with solid orange between them. Cut the moon arch first as a single clean sweep, then work the fur lines from the rat's back inward toward the belly. 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
- Cut the large semicircular moon arch first in one continuous pass to establish the main glow area.
- Score and remove the star-burst accent marks near the snout using a narrow detail blade.
- Begin the fur lines along the rat's back, cutting each short radiating stroke individually from the outline edge inward.
- Continue fur lines across the flanks and belly, working in sections; leave thin orange bridges between adjacent strokes.
- Cut the long tail last: follow its curve in a single sweeping pass, keeping the serrated edge detail by making small alternating angled cuts along one side.
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.
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 ↗
Reviews from carvers
Every rating comes from a written review by someone who downloaded this stencil.
Carved this one?
Reviews are open to carvers who downloaded the stencil. Grab the free PDF, then come back and tell everyone how it went.
Community Pumpkin Carving Ideas
Carving ideas that use stencils like this one.
Related stencils
More patterns with a related subject. Compare their skill levels before you choose.
AdvancedSewer Snarl Pumpkin Stencil
A detailed rat rearing up on its hind legs fills this hard pumpkin stencil, posed with clawed front paws raised, mouth open in a snarl, and a long curling tail sweeping around the lower body. Unlike the simpler silhouette rat in this collection, this design uses internal cut lines to carve fur texture, claw separations, and an open mouth, leaving thin pumpkin ridges that define the anatomy when lit. Cut the individual claw slots in the front paws first so those delicate tips are still surrounded by solid pumpkin.
AdvancedThe Mystic Gaze Pumpkin Stencil
Two huge almond eyes stare straight out, each ringed by fanned lash bars above and a spray of teardrop cuts below, with attached pupils floating in the centers. The eye whites, brow strokes, and roughly twenty teardrops are all pierced, leaving the pupils and lash ribs as connected shell. This one earns its hard rating on the thin lash bars, so cut every slot outward from the eye and support the wall with your palm.
AdvancedThe Serrated Smile Pumpkin Stencil
This wicked traditional face stacks barred triangle eyes with heavy slanted brows above a huge serrated grin, then flanks the mouth with rows of small wedge and diamond accents across both cheeks. Everything is cut through, and the eye bars are thin strips of shell left inside each triangle. Cut on both sides of each eye bar before removing the surrounding pieces, and save the tiny cheek diamonds for last.
AdvancedThe Bone Warden Pumpkin Stencil
This menacing bony mask glares through huge slanted eye sockets, flares a split skeletal nose, and bares a wall of long vertical teeth framed by curved fangs at each corner, with angular temple slashes radiating from the sides. The sockets, nostrils, tooth gaps, and slash marks are all cut through, leaving thin ribs of skin as the teeth. Hard-level advice: carve the eight narrow tooth slits with a fine blade and leave the outer fangs until the very end.
AdvancedThe Stitched Stare Pumpkin Stencil
Two enormous wide eyes with hanging pupils stare beneath crackling zigzag brows, while small skull nostrils sit above a long stitched grin that stretches nearly ear to ear. The eyes are cut through around the drooping pupil tabs, the nostrils are pierced, and the mouth is one thin line crossed by vertical stitch slits. Those dangling pupils and skinny stitches make this a hard carve; keep every stitch cut short and support the pupil tabs while you saw around them.
AdvancedOld Mischief Pumpkin Stencil
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.