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A bold six-pointed starburst fills the front of the pumpkin, with slim rays shooting out from a hexagonal core. The entire star is a single pierced opening, so the light pours through the center and tapers into each sharp point. Use slow, shallow saw strokes as you approach the ray tips, since those narrow points are the easiest spots to overcut. 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 60-90 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 upper pair. Cut the two regions marked 1. Keep the tall white upper ray and the diagonal white rays intact. They connect the center star to the surrounding shell.
- Carve the side openings. Cut both regions marked 2. Work along the edges beside the central white star, supporting the wall from inside. Do not join these openings to either neighboring cut.
- Finish the lower pair. Cut both regions marked 3 last. Support each plug while releasing it. Preserve all six white rays and the solid center; the star is retained material, not a piece to remove.
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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Beginner-friendlyTwo Curves Around a Round Core
Two sweeping comma-shaped curves swirl around a round central core, suggesting a spiral galaxy spinning across the pumpkin. Just three openings are cut through the wall, so the design comes together quickly yet looks striking and modern when lit. Keep the tapered tails of each curve narrow as you saw; cutting from the wide end toward the thin tip gives you the most control over those graceful points.
IntermediateCrescent and Seven Teardrops
A tall crescent moon anchors the left side of this celestial design while a fan of seven teardrop rays arcs around its open curve like scattered moonbeams. Every shape is pierced through, so the crescent throws a big wash of light and the teardrops sparkle around it. Cut the crescent first for this medium design, then do the teardrops smallest to largest; angling your saw slightly outward makes each little petal pop out cleanly.
IntermediateThree Crescents and Six Dots
Three crescent moons of different sizes climb diagonally across the pumpkin, trailed by six small round dots like distant stars. Every crescent and dot is pierced fully through, giving a modern, almost tattoo-style celestial arrangement once the candle is lit. The medium rating comes from the crescents' thin inner horns, so drill or poke each dot first for practice, then cut the crescents starting at the fat middle and working out toward each narrow tip.
Expert / ProGalaxy with Three Planets
A sweeping spiral galaxy wraps across the entire pumpkin face, its curved arms shaved in graduated depths so the core glows brightest, while three ringed planets and scattered stars orbit the edges in raised relief. Nothing is pierced; every effect comes from continuous-wall shading at different thicknesses. Expert-level patience pays off here: establish the spiral arms as broad shallow bands first, then deepen toward the center in passes to build the luminous gradient.
Expert / ProSpiral Galaxy and Four Stars
A sweeping spiral galaxy with two luminous arms curling around a bright core, surrounded by four-point stars and a scatter of small stardust dots. The entire scene is skin-shave work with no pierced holes: the arms are shaved wide and shallow while the dots and stars are picked out individually. An expert pattern because of its long tapering curves; keep your gouge moving in smooth continuous strokes along each arm.
IntermediateEight Teardrops Around Circle
Eight teardrop petals radiate around a central circle cutout, like a glowing daisy or sunburst wheel. Every teardrop and the center are pierced clean through, turning the pumpkin into a lantern that throws petal-shaped light across the porch. Cut the center circle first as your anchor point, then work around the ring, alternating sides so the wall stays balanced as you go.