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View all stencils →About this stencil
A grinning jack-o-lantern face carved onto a jack-o-lantern makes this a pumpkin-within-a-pumpkin design: a wide ovoid pumpkin shape with a stubby stem has a furious face of angled triangular eyes, heavy brow cuts, and two rows of large zigzag teeth separated by a thick horizontal lip band. All the face features are cut through as open shapes. Carve the inner tooth gaps first, since they sit between two rows that span the widest open area, then release the eye triangles and brow cuts last to keep the upper face stable. This design is rated Advanced and takes most carvers around 150 minutes from trace to glow. Multi-layer cuts with skin-peel shading. Plan your cuts first.
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
- Transfer and confirm all tooth gaps are clearly outlined on both upper and lower jaw rows.
- Cut the gaps between lower teeth first, working left to right across the bottom row.
- Cut the upper row tooth gaps in the same sequence.
- Carve the thick horizontal lip band opening between the two tooth rows.
- Move to the brow cuts and angled eye triangles, releasing them from the center of the face outward.
- Finish by freeing the small stem shape at the top if it is a separate cut zone.
Tools you'll need
For a advanced carve like this you'll want a linoleum cutter set, x-acto knife, peel tool, and pin transfer wheel. 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.
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Community Pumpkin Carving Ideas
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Beginner-friendlyTriangle Eyes and Deep Frown
Two fierce slanted triangle eyes glare above a deep downturned crescent frown, turning the whole pumpkin into one magnificent scowl. All three shapes are clean cut-throughs, with the eyes angled sharply inward to sell the anger. This easy carve lives or dies on those angles: keep the inner eye points low and sharp, and cut the frown in one steady arc so the grump reads clearly from across the street.
IntermediateAngular Seven-Tooth Grin
A sharp-edged jack-o'-lantern face with slanted triangle eyes, an angular nose, and a wide jagged mouth broken into seven pointed teeth. Every shape is cut straight through the pumpkin wall, making a bright, high-contrast face that reads perfectly from the porch steps. It is a medium pattern because of the many small tooth points, so saw into each corner from both directions instead of twisting the blade to keep the tips sharp.
IntermediateNotched Brows and Jagged Grin
A characterful jack-o'-lantern with heavy notched brows sitting over sly almond eyes, and a huge open mouth whose top edge is a row of jagged zigzag teeth above a broad curling lower lip. Eyes, brow slits, and the mouth are all pierced through for a bright, expressive glow. At medium difficulty, the key move is cutting each zigzag tooth point cleanly; slice into every corner from both directions instead of turning the blade.
Beginner-friendlySplit-Nose Zigzag Frown
A classic angry jack-o'-lantern face with two sharp slanted eyes, a split two-part nose, and a jagged zigzag frown of pointed teeth. All five openings are cut straight through the wall, leaving the rest of the pumpkin untouched for maximum contrast. It is an easy pattern with only a handful of pieces, so take your time on the zigzag mouth and cut each tooth point cleanly before pushing the waste piece out.
IntermediateHeavy-Brow Angry Face
This scowling jack-o'-lantern glares out through heavy slanted brows, a small triangle nose, and a snarling mouth ringed with sharp fangs top and bottom. Every feature is a pierced opening, leaving thick pumpkin wall between the angry eyes and the jagged mouth for strength. At medium difficulty the narrow inner brow points are the fragile spots, so cut the eyes from the center outward and save the thin corners for last.
IntermediateAngry Sawtooth Grin
A fierce take on the traditional jack-o'-lantern, this design pairs sharply slanted triangle eyes with a long sawtooth mouth that zigzags across the lower face. Both eyes and the jagged grin are pierced completely through the wall so the whole snarl blazes with candlelight. The narrow zigzag points make this a medium carve; cut each tooth with short strokes toward the point so the tips stay crisp instead of snapping off.