Similar pumpkin stencils
View all stencils →About this stencil
This free Spooky Tree Face pumpkin stencil is a printable PDF pattern you can print at home, tape to your pumpkin, and trace. A gnarled, bare tree with an angry face carved into its trunk fills this expert pumpkin stencil. Dozens of branching limbs spread across the upper half, tapering into fine tips, while the lower trunk reveals a grimacing face with heavy brow, sunken eye sockets, and a roaring open mouth. The many thin branch tips and the narrow spaces between limbs make this one of the most demanding cuts in any tree pumpkin stencil design. Start from the outermost branch tips and work inward toward the trunk so the fine ends are cut while the wall is still fully supported. Use it as a carving template for your Halloween jack-o'-lantern. It is rated Expert / Pro. Actual time varies with preparation, pumpkin size and experience. Intricate details and fragile supports need patience. Technique depends on the design; follow its PDF rather than assuming multiple depth layers.
Pumpkin size guide
- 🎃 Small (5 to 7"): print at 80%
- 🎃 Medium (7 to 10"): print at 100% (recommended)
- 🎃 Large (11 to 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 the pattern at 100% for a 7 to 10 inch pumpkin, 130% for 11 to 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 to 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 help it last longer.
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
- Thin the pumpkin wall evenly to about 3/8 inch before transferring, thin walls are critical for the fine branch tips.
- Transfer all branch outlines carefully; use a stylus rather than a pin to avoid tearing the paper.
- Begin carving at the outermost branch tips on both sides, working from the very ends back toward the main limb junctions.
- Cut the secondary and primary branch spaces progressively inward, always preserving the connecting bridges between forks.
- Cut the eye sockets and brow lines on the trunk face.
- Finish with the open mouth and the ground baseline, which are the largest openings and are saved last for structural stability.
Tools you'll need
For a expert / pro carve like this you'll want a fine-detail pumpkin saw, spoon / scoop, pin transfer tool, and detail gouges if the pattern includes shading. Here's the kit we reach for, but 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 ↗
Reviews from carvers
Every rating comes from a written review by someone who downloaded this stencil.
Carved this one?
Reviews are open to carvers who downloaded the stencil. Grab the free PDF, then come back and tell everyone how it went.
Community Pumpkin Carving Ideas
Carving ideas that use stencils like this one.
Related stencils
More patterns with a related subject. Compare their skill levels before you choose.
Expert / ProThe Grumbling Oak Pumpkin Stencil
A gnarled, bare-branched haunted tree with an angry face hidden in its trunk dominates this expert-level pumpkin stencil, its dozens of thin branch tips and the snarling mouth and eye details forming an intricate web of cuts. When lit, the branching silhouette glows against the pumpkin's skin with dozens of narrow passages of light. Work from the outermost branch tips inward toward the trunk face so the stencil sheet holds its shape while you cut the trickiest inner details last.
Expert / ProThe Hypnotist Pumpkin Stencil
Two enormous hypnotic eyes built as spoked wheels, each iris divided by radial spokes around a glowing hub, ringed by halos of small diamond and teardrop cutouts with arched brow fans above. Every spoke gap, diamond, and teardrop is pierced individually, creating a mesmerizing lace of light. An expert carve with dozens of tiny openings; use a fine detail saw and rotate the pumpkin, not your wrist, on the curves.
Expert / ProMandala Smiler Pumpkin Stencil
A mischievous crescent-eyed grin packed with individual teeth sits inside a full ring of diamond and leaf-shaped cutouts, with dozens of small dots sparkling between them. Every element is pierced through, and the sheer number of tiny openings is what earns the expert rating. Drill all the dots first, then saw the border shapes, saving the big fragile mouth for the very end.
Expert / ProThe Ember King Pumpkin Stencil
Hooked, furious eyes glare beneath a crown of flame-shaped cutouts that climb the pumpkin's forehead, while a jagged mouth bristles with rows of interlocking fangs and a diamond nose burns at the center. Nearly a hundred small pierced shapes surround the face, so this is a marathon of careful knife work. Cut from the center outward and rest often; the narrow skin bridges between flames and fangs cannot take rushed strokes.
Expert / ProThe Scaled Fury Pumpkin Stencil
A ferocious mask of a face with slanted furious eyes, a flared nose, and a jagged mouth full of interlocking fangs, all framed by dense rows of diamond and wedge cutouts that cover the cheeks and brow like scales. Every diamond, wedge, and fang is pierced through, turning the whole front into a lattice of fire. This expert pattern demands order: carve from the center outward so surrounding cuts never weaken your working area.
Expert / ProThe Antlered Horror Pumpkin Stencil
A tall, unsettling monster mask stares out of the pumpkin: long upright ears branching like antlers, hollow ringed eyes, a skeletal snout, and a mouthful of pointed fangs, all drawn in thin interlocking cutouts. The entire face is pierced through as a network of narrow slots that leaves delicate pumpkin bridges between every glowing line. This expert design demands a fine-detail saw; carve from the center outward so the fragile bridges keep support as long as possible.