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View all stencils →About this stencil
A big glowing paw print built from four oval toe pads arranged above one broad heart-shaped main pad. All five shapes cut cleanly through the wall, and the generous spacing between pads makes the layout very forgiving. Drill a starter hole in the center of each pad and saw outward to the line; the smooth convex curves are ideal practice strokes for young or first-time carvers. This design is rated Beginner-friendly and takes most carvers around 30 minutes from trace to glow. Great for kids and first-timers. Big shapes, short cuts.
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 beginner-friendly carve like this you'll want a paring knife, spoon / scoop, marker, and led pumpkin light. 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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Beginner-friendlyGarden Bench Paw Print
One oversized paw print sits front and center: a broad pad below four oval toes. Nothing is pierced through; you shave away just the skin inside each shape so the pale flesh shows in a soft, even glow. Since this is an easy shading design, use a loop tool or spoon edge and keep your scraping depth consistent so every toe lights up the same.
Beginner-friendlyDog Paw Print
A single oversized paw print sits square on the pumpkin face: one big rounded pad below four oval toe pads. Nothing is pierced through; instead you shave away just the orange skin inside each pad so the flesh glows softly when lit. Because it is an easy shading design, use a loop tool or spoon edge and scrape shallow, even layers, keeping the outlines crisp for a clean silhouette.
IntermediateCat With Curled Muzzle
A sweet cat face fills the pumpkin with big rounded eyes, a tiny triangle nose over a curled smiling muzzle, pointed ears, and three whiskers flaring from each cheek. The large eye openings keep their pupils as attached tabs of skin, which is the trickiest part of this medium carve. Cut around each pupil tab slowly and leave its connecting bridge generous so the eyes keep their expression.
Beginner-friendlyRound-Eyed Cat With Whiskers
A sweet cat face built from simple shapes: two triangle ears cut near the top, round eyes, a small triangle nose, and three thin whisker slits fanning out from each cheek. Everything is a cut-through, so the ears, eyes, and whiskers all glow at night. It is an easy carve overall; save the skinny whisker slits for last and use a narrow saw with short strokes so the slits stay crisp.
Beginner-friendlySitting Cat & Curled Tail
A cat sits in profile with its ears up and its long tail curling around its feet, all rendered as one softly glowing shape. Instead of cutting holes, you shave away the skin inside the outline so the thinner wall lights up while the pumpkin stays sealed. Use a loop tool or vegetable peeler and keep the depth even; this easy shading style is very forgiving for first timers.
IntermediateCat Face & Eight Whiskers
A sweet cat face rendered entirely in surface shading: pointed ears with inner triangles, wide eyes with crescent pupils, a small nose, a curved smile, and eight long whiskers fanning across the cheeks. Nothing is pierced through, so you shave away just the orange skin and let the pale flesh show the design. At medium difficulty, keep your scraping depth even along the thin whisker lines so they all glow with the same brightness.