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View all stencils →About this stencil
Three nested rainbow arcs stretch across the pumpkin, each end tucking into a puffy little cloud at the bottom corners. The arcs and clouds all cut through the wall, and the thin ribs of skin left between the arcs are what give the rainbow its striped look. Cut the innermost arc first and work outward, supporting each rib with your free hand so those curved strips do not snap. 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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An irresistibly cute kawaii face: two tall oval eyes, a tiny curved smile, a heart-shaped blush on each cheek, and eight little sparkle dots scattered around the edges. Every element is a small pierced opening, and the wide spacing across a squat pumpkin gives it that classic sticker-art charm. At medium difficulty the hearts and dots demand patience; use a drill bit or apple corer for the round sparkles to keep them perfectly circular.
Beginner-friendlyOval Eyes and Round Cheeks
Two big oval eyes glow above a tiny curved smile, with a small round blush circle on each cheek that lights up like a bashful glow. All five features are pierced through, and the shapes are large and simple, making this one of the sweetest easy carves for kids to help with. Cut the little smile last with a fine blade, since that short curve is the only delicate stroke in the whole design.
IntermediateRainbow and Two Clouds
A four-band rainbow arches across the top of the design, with two puffy clouds floating beneath its ends. Each rainbow band and both clouds are cut fully through, so the concentric arcs glow in bright stacked stripes separated by thin ribs of rind. This medium pattern lives or dies by those ribs, so cut the innermost arc first and work outward, supporting each rib with your free hand as you remove the waste.
Beginner-friendlyRound Eyes and Heart Cheeks
A kawaii-style face made of two big round eyes, a gentle crescent smile, and a glowing heart on each cheek like a blush. All five shapes cut cleanly through the wall, and their simple outlines make this one of the easiest patterns in the collection. Start each heart at its top notch and cut down both lobes toward the point so the little cheeks come out in one neat piece.
AdvancedTriangle Crown Face
A tiny wide-eyed face with a sweet smile sits low on the pumpkin beneath a crown of triangles and diamond sparkles arching overhead. All the shapes are pierced through, from the big round eyes down to the small candy corn style points. The hard part is spacing; transfer the pattern carefully and carve the little crown pieces with a detail saw so each point stays sharp.
Expert / ProStar Border and Heart Cheeks
A sweet kawaii face with big lashed eyes, heart cheeks, and a tiny smile sits inside a lavish border of stars, hearts, teardrops, and dots that rings the whole pumpkin front. Every one of those dozens of little shapes is pierced through, which is what earns the expert rating despite the friendly look. Carve the face first while the wall is strongest, then work the border outward in sections, resting between rounds.