Similar pumpkin stencils
View all stencils →About this stencil
Download the Swooping Bald Eagle pumpkin stencil as a free printable PDF, then tape the pattern to your pumpkin and trace the lines. A bald eagle swoops down with wings fully spread in this striking pumpkin stencil, its feathers rendered as a fan of elongated oval cutouts radiating from the body while the torso, tail, and talons are larger open shapes. The mosaic of separate feather pierces makes the wings blaze with light and gives the design a dramatic stained-glass quality. Cut the smallest outer wing-tip feathers first while the wall is firmest, then work inward toward the body to avoid weakening the center before the delicate tips are done. It works as a carving template for a Halloween jack-o'-lantern or a fall porch display. It is rated Advanced. Actual time varies with preparation, pumpkin size and experience. Fine details and narrow supports need careful planning. Follow the cutting and shading key in this design’s PDF.
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
- Transfer all outlines carefully; the feather fan has many small shapes that must align precisely.
- Begin at the outermost wing-tip feathers, cutting each oval piercing from smallest to largest moving inward.
- Cut the left-side wing feathers the same way before touching the body.
- Carve the head, open beak, and eye area as a connected group, preserving the thin bridge between beak and head.
- Remove the large body-cavity shapes and the talon sections last.
- Use a candle rather than an LED puck so warm light fills the many narrow feather slots evenly.
Tools you'll need
For a advanced carve like this you'll want a fine-detail pumpkin saw, spoon / scoop, pin transfer tool, and small gouge 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.
AdvancedEagle of Liberty 250 Pumpkin Stencil
Create a glowing bald eagle for America’s 250th anniversary. This advanced shaded pumpkin stencil includes two scrape depths and a printable carving guide.
AdvancedLiberty Torch 250 Pumpkin Stencil
Carve a raised Liberty torch with stars and 250 lettering. This advanced America 250 pumpkin stencil includes a printable PDF and detailed cutting instructions.
AdvancedUnited States Mainland
The entire continental United States glows as one big cut-through window, from the Pacific Northwest corner down around Florida's dangling peninsula and Texas's southern point. All the interior is removed while the national border stays crisp in the surrounding skin. This one earns its hard rating on the coastlines: take the Gulf inlets, Great Lakes bumps, and the narrow Florida peninsula in small careful cuts to keep the outline true.
AdvancedMaryland State Shape
Maryland glows inside a carved rectangular window, its straight northern border on top and the deeply notched Chesapeake Bay splitting the eastern shore from the mainland. The bay itself is left as standing pumpkin wall, so the two glowing landmasses frame it dramatically. That narrow bay peninsula is what makes this a hard carve; cut away from it on both sides, keep the strip at least a finger wide, and brace it from inside if needed.
AdvancedNew York State Shape
The Empire State glows in full detail, from the straight Pennsylvania border to the jagged Adirondack edges and the skinny finger of Long Island trailing off the bottom right. The entire state interior is one pierced opening. Long Island is the trickiest part, so cut that narrow strip last with the tip of your saw and support the surrounding shell with your free hand as you work.
AdvancedNorth Carolina State Shape
North Carolina stretches across the pumpkin as one long glowing cutout, from the pointed western mountain tip to the fringed Outer Banks coastline on the right. The entire state interior is removed so the distinctive wedge shape reads clearly at night. Rated hard because of the fine barrier-island fingers along the coast; cut the smooth northern border first, then work the ragged eastern edge slowly with a detail saw, leaving the thinnest points for last.