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A slender trunk rises from a curved ground line and branches into six almond shaped leaves, three on each side, each one a separate glowing opening. The trunk, leaves, and base arc are all cut through while the space between them stays solid, so the tree reads clearly from across the yard. Carve the leaves from the center outward and leave the narrow branch junctions for last on this medium design. This design is rated Intermediate and takes most carvers around 75 minutes from trace to glow. Comfortable knife handling required. Small details and curves.
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 55-80 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 six pointed leaves. Cut the six regions marked 1 in three unequal pairs. Follow each tilted leaf from its rounded shoulder to its pointed tips. Keep the white gaps between neighboring leaves intact.
- Trace the tapered central trunk. Begin region 2 along its narrow pointed top and widening sides. Preserve the separate white bands between the trunk and all six leaves; do not connect these openings.
- Finish the curved ground line. Continue region 2 around the low curved base attached to the trunk. Support its long thin ends and finish the central broad area last. Leave the surrounding white pumpkin shell untouched.
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 intermediate carve like this you'll want a x-acto knife, poker tool, ribbon scoop, and painter's tape. 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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Two oak leaves of different sizes drift diagonally across the pumpkin, their lobed edges captured in crisp detail. Both leaves are cut fully through the wall, so each one glows like a lantern-lit leaf caught mid-fall. This medium design's challenge is the wavy lobed outline, so use a fine-tooth saw and pivot at every lobe notch, removing each leaf in two or three pieces instead of forcing out one large chunk.
IntermediateThree Maple Leaves and Dots
Three maple leaves drift diagonally down the pumpkin, each one cut fully through with its stem, and small round holes scattered between them like floating seeds. The pierced leaves throw crisp, recognizable maple silhouettes of light, making this a lovely all-autumn design rather than a strictly Halloween one. Saw each leaf point from the tip inward and remove the waste in sections so the notched edges stay sharp.
IntermediateMaple Leaf and Twelve Diamonds
A big pointed maple leaf glows at the center while twelve small diamonds ring it like sparks, giving the design a festive burst of fall energy. The leaf and every diamond are cut completely through, so the whole arrangement shines as one radiant cluster. At medium difficulty, carve the maple leaf's deep notches with straight relief cuts into each valley, then finish the diamonds last since their small size makes them quick and forgiving.
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A single broad maple-style leaf glows from the pumpkin's face, its rounded lobes and short stem cut fully through as one connected opening. The design leans seasonal rather than spooky, making it a lovely choice for fall porches from October through Thanksgiving. As an easy one-piece cutout, just poke transfer dots along the lobed outline, saw slowly around each curve, and push the waste piece out from inside in a single pop.
Expert / ProFour Woodland Toadstools
Four spotted woodland toadstools cluster among curling leaves and grasses, carved in deep relief so the caps, gills, and stems stand out from the shell in true sculptural layers. Nothing is pierced; the design is built entirely by shaving and sculpting the wall to different depths, with the tall center mushroom's gilled underside as the showpiece. Rough out the deepest background first, then refine the gill lines last with a V-gouge while the ridges are still thick.