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View all stencils →About this stencil
Two crescent-moon eyes glance slyly to the side above a small triangle nose and a mouth packed with a fence of narrow, uneven teeth. All openings cut through, and the row of skinny tooth gaps is what makes this a hard carve. Pierce and remove the little slots between teeth first, while the surrounding wall still supports them, then finish the big eye crescents and the mouth outline last. 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
- 1Print it
Download the PDF and print at 100% scale on letter or A4 paper.
- 2Prep the pumpkin
Cut the lid at an angle, scoop the guts, thin the wall to ~1 inch.
- 3Tape it on
Snip darts in the paper so it lies flat against the curve.
- 4Transfer the design
Poke along every line — about one dot every 1/8 inch.
- 5Carve it
Connect the dots with short straight cuts. Center first, work outward.
- 6Light it up
Drop in a battery LED pumpkin light and you're done.
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
Carving ideas that use stencils like this one.
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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.
AdvancedRound-Eyed Dripping Grin
A gleefully sinister face with huge round eyes topped by curling, hooked brows, a small skull-style nose, and an enormous crescent grin edged with thin dripping tooth spikes. Every element is cut through, and the narrow drip slits along the mouth are what earn the hard rating. Carve the big eye and mouth openings first, then cut the fragile tooth drips last with a fine saw so they do not snap.
AdvancedWrinkled Eyes and Uneven Teeth
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.
AdvancedFour Teeth and Notched Tongue
Arched brows curve over squinting eyes while a huge open mouth shows four top teeth and a notched tongue lolling below, with short laugh lines radiating from each cheek. The face is all pierced cuts, and it rates hard because the tongue and teeth stay attached by narrow tabs inside the big mouth opening. Cut the mouth outline first, then carefully notch around the tongue tab last so it does not break free.
AdvancedUnequal Eyes and Tongue Grin
This mischievous face pairs one big round eye with a smaller sly one under arched brows, above a sprawling grin full of gapped teeth and a tongue-shaped opening lolling out below. Clusters of drilled dots frame each cheek like a glowing gridwork of freckles. It is all cut-through work with many narrow tooth bridges, so use a fine saw, cut the dots first, and support each bridge as you free the mouth pieces.
AdvancedArched Pupils and Twelve Rays
This pumpkin is absolutely thrilled to see you: arched eyes with hanging pupil tabs sit above a giant grin packed with separated square teeth, while short rays burst from each cheek like cartoon sparkle lines. All the shapes cut through, and the many thin bridges between teeth and rays are why it rates hard. Cut the small ray slits first while the wall is strongest, then do the teeth, always sawing away from the narrow bridges.