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View all stencils →About this stencil
Three oak-style leaves tumble down the tall face of the pumpkin, each one cut through around its lobed outline while a central vein of rind is kept intact up the middle. Those uncut vein strips split each glowing leaf in two and give the design its realistic structure. The veins are also the fragile part of this medium carve, so cut each leaf as two separate halves on either side of the vein and never pry against the strip itself. 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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A slender trunk rises from a curved ground line and branches into six almond shaped leaves, three on each side, each one a separate glowing opening. The trunk, leaves, and base arc are all cut through while the space between them stays solid, so the tree reads clearly from across the yard. Carve the leaves from the center outward and leave the narrow branch junctions for last on this medium design.
Beginner-friendlyBroad Autumn Leaf
A single broad maple-style leaf glows from the pumpkin's face, its rounded lobes and short stem cut fully through as one connected opening. The design leans seasonal rather than spooky, making it a lovely choice for fall porches from October through Thanksgiving. As an easy one-piece cutout, just poke transfer dots along the lobed outline, saw slowly around each curve, and push the waste piece out from inside in a single pop.
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A single broad-capped mushroom with a sturdy stem glows from the center of the pumpkin in this cozy woodland design. The whole mushroom is removed as one connected cutout, cap and stem together, so there are no fragile bridges to protect. That makes it a great easy project for porch-step decorating; cut the smooth dome of the cap in one continuous pass, then square off the stem base last for a clean silhouette.
AdvancedSixteen-Petal Sunflower
A sixteen-petal sunflower blooms across the whole face of the pumpkin, complete with a dotted seed head, layered leaves, and a curving stem. This is a skin-shave design: you peel the skin inside every petal and leaf while leaving orange outlines and vein lines untouched, so no light shines through. Sharpen your tools before starting and shave the big petals in long strokes from base to tip for smooth, even texture.
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Beginner-friendlyThree-Tier Pine Tree
A stately three-tier pine tree with swooping boughs and a short trunk base, cut fully through so the whole evergreen glows like a lantern. The layered branches create six pointed tips where each tier sweeps upward. Cut from the trunk upward one tier at a time, and slow down at every branch point so the tips stay sharp instead of rounding off.