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View all stencils →About this stencil
Two big round eyes and one broad crescent smile make up this whole cheerful design, glowing warm amber against the shell. All three shapes are cut cleanly through with no teeth or interior details, so the face works on any pumpkin color, and it looks especially striking on a blue or white heirloom variety. As an easy carve, use a round cookie cutter or drill bit to keep the eyes perfectly circular, then saw the wide grin in two relaxed passes. This design is rated Beginner-friendly and takes most carvers around 30 minutes from trace to glow. Great for kids and first-timers. Big shapes, short cuts.
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 30-50 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
- Open the two round eyes. Cut both regions marked 1. Preserve the lower broader left eye and higher right eye, including their gently uneven oval edges. Keep the wide white bridge between them.
- Cut the broad crescent smile. Cut region 2 along the shallow upper curve and deeper rounded bottom. Retain the higher right corner and broad white strip below the eyes. Support the wide plug before its last cut.
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 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 — 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-friendlyTall Oval Eyes and Small Smile
Two tall oval eyes and a small curved smile make up this cheerful minimalist face. All three shapes are cut fully through the wall, so the design carves in minutes and beams warm light from every opening. It is an ideal first pumpkin for young carvers with supervision; drill or poke a starter hole inside each eye so the saw can enter without stressing the surrounding rind.
AdvancedBarred Eyes, Fourteen Leaves
Big round eyes split by vertical rind bars sit over a button nose and a huge grin packed with square teeth, while clusters of petal shaped leaves fan out from each cheek. Everything is cut through, and the fourteen petals plus the tooth gaps are why this rates hard. Carve from the center of the face outward so the delicate petal clusters are handled last, when the wall is lightest.
Beginner-friendlyCrescent Eyes and Broad Smile
Two upswept crescent eyes squint with joy above an enormous open smile that stretches nearly the full width of the pumpkin, curling up into playful points at each corner. Just three cut-through openings make the whole face, with no nose, teeth, or fragile bits anywhere. This easy design is pure beginner fun; carve the big smile first while the wall is strongest, then the two eye crescents, angling your blade slightly outward so the pieces push free cleanly.
IntermediateOval Eyes and Crescent Cheeks
This delighted face beams with two big oval eyes, a small triangle nose, crescent-shaped cheek accents, and an open grin showing a pair of stubby teeth, all dusted with tiny freckle holes. Every shape is pierced through, with the teeth left attached to the upper lip. Cut the delicate crescent cheeks with the tip of your saw only, since their thin curves are the easiest pieces to crack.
Beginner-friendlyOval Eyes and Round Cheeks
Two big oval eyes glow above a tiny curved smile, with a small round blush circle on each cheek that lights up like a bashful glow. All five features are pierced through, and the shapes are large and simple, making this one of the sweetest easy carves for kids to help with. Cut the little smile last with a fine blade, since that short curve is the only delicate stroke in the whole design.
IntermediateOval Eyes and Eight Cheek Dots
Big oval eyes sit under arched brows above a round button nose and a broad smile showing four blunt square teeth, with four freckle dots sprinkled on each cheek. The eyes, brows, nose, mouth, and dots are pierced through while the tooth bridges stay connected. Poke the eight small cheek dots first, then cut the large features, leaving the tooth bars until the end so they keep support.