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Two big blank circle eyes stare out beneath short angled brow slits, while the wide mouth is broken into six upright rectangular slots that glow like stitched or fenced-off teeth. Everything is cut through, and the plain round eyes with no pupils give the face its unsettling, vacant charm. The vertical mouth bars keep this an easy carve; cut every slot top-down in the same direction so the strips between them stay straight and even. 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 45-70 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
- Cut the sloping brows. Cut both regions marked 1. Preserve their rectangular ends and opposite slopes. Keep both brows separate from the round eyes below.
- Open both blank round eyes. Cut both regions marked 2, preserving the slightly taller right eye and uneven round contours. Keep the broad white bridge between them.
- Open all six mouth slots. Cut the six separate regions marked 3. Keep the central pair lowest and widest, with outer slots slanting upward. Preserve every white separator; do not connect the slots into one opening.
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 ↗
Community Pumpkin Carving Ideas
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IntermediateStaring Eyes and Eight Wedges
Two enormous staring eyes dominate this design, each with a pupil tab left attached at the bottom rim, a curved brow arcing above, and short wedge-shaped rays radiating around the outside like a nervous twitch of light. There is no mouth, which makes the gaze even more unsettling. In this medium carve the pupil tabs are the key detail; cut around each pupil carefully so its bridge to the lower eyelid stays at least a half inch wide.
IntermediateUnequal Eyes and Crooked Teeth
This lovably lopsided face pairs one round eye with one droopy crescent eye, a triangle nose, and a huge crooked grin full of uneven square teeth, plus a pair of dot dimples on each cheek. The eyes, nose, mouth, and dots are pierced while the mismatched tooth bars stay attached. It suits odd-shaped pumpkins perfectly; cut the tooth gaps in random sizes and the wonkier it looks, the better.
Beginner-friendlyDrooping Eyes and Crooked Oval
Two drooping teardrop eyes sag above a tall crooked oval mouth, giving the pumpkin a permanently startled, wailing expression. Just three pierced openings make up the whole face, so it carves quickly while still looking delightfully unsettling after dark. Since the design relies on its lopsided character, transfer the pattern loosely and do not worry about symmetry; the wobble is the point.
AdvancedWide-Eyed Hairy Monster
A wide-eyed shaggy monster stares out with round googly eyes, a snub nose, and a jagged fanged smirk, all framed by tufts of wild fur around the edges. The face and fur spikes are cut through in many separate openings, which is where the hard rating comes from. Carve the small fur tufts and eye rings before the large mouth, and leave the skin bridges between shapes untouched so the face holds together.
IntermediateSwept Eyes and Melting Grin
A wicked jack-o'-lantern with two swept, flame-like eyes, a small notched nose, and an enormous melting grin whose edges drip and ripple across the lower half of the pumpkin. All features are pierced through, and the wavy mouth throws dramatic, uneven light. This is medium work with one long tricky opening, so carve the mouth in sections from the center out and leave the drippy lower points attached until the very end for support.