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View all stencils →About this stencil
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. 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
- 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 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.
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Community Pumpkin Carving Ideas
Carving ideas that use stencils like this one.
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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.
IntermediateAngled Eyes and Seven Fangs
Two sharply slanted triangle eyes glare above a wide jagged mouth lined with seven pointed fangs, giving this face a classic menacing snarl. Every element is cut fully through, and the zigzag mouth does most of the work, so accuracy there pays off. Cut each tooth as two separate straight strokes meeting at the point instead of dragging the saw around the corner, and the grin stays razor sharp.
IntermediateSix-Slot Grin and Cheek Slits
Two arched, angry eyes glower above a huge crescent grin broken into a row of glowing tooth slots, with small slits flaring at each cheek. All the features are pierced through the wall, and the strips of rind left between the tooth openings become the dark teeth of the smile. Cut the mouth slots from the center outward and leave the narrow rind bridges at full thickness so the grin holds its shape.
Beginner-friendlySneering Fangs and Slanted Eyes
A sinister face with narrow slanted eyes, a slim angled nose, and a wide sneering mouth bristling with pointed fangs top and bottom. Eyes, nose, and mouth are pierced clean through, with the fang shapes left as solid teeth jutting into the glowing opening. Even though it rates easy, the fang tips are fragile; cut each tooth from base to point and let the waste fall away instead of pulling it free.
AdvancedNarrow Eyes and Barbed Smile
A sinister jack-o'-lantern face with hooked, narrowed eyes, a small heart-shaped nose, and an enormous crescent smile lined with dozens of needle-thin barbed teeth. The eyes, nose, and grin are cut through, and the tiny spikes along the smile are what push this into hard territory. Carve the long crescent first, then nick each barb outward from the opening with a fine blade so the delicate points do not tear.
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.