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View all stencils →About this stencil
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. 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.
View on Amazon ↗
Community Pumpkin Carving Ideas
Carving ideas that use stencils like this one.
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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.
IntermediateSix-Point Starburst
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.
IntermediateFive Star Band and Ten Circles
Designed for a long pumpkin lying on its side, this pattern runs a band of five bold stars across the middle with ten round holes scattered above and below like floating orbs. Every star and circle is a simple cut-through, and the sideways layout makes it a fun tabletop centerpiece instead of an upright face. At medium difficulty the stars are the focus: poke each star's five points before cutting so the angles meet sharply.
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.