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View all stencils →About this stencil
This free Triceratops pumpkin stencil is a printable PDF pattern you can print at home, tape to your pumpkin, and trace. A chubby cartoon triceratops in a walking pose fills this hard pumpkin stencil: a large frilled head with three prominent horns, two small oval nostril dots and a crescent eye below the frill, a round body, four chunky legs with pointed toe claws, and a short upturned tail. The frill at the back of the head is an open silhouette that glows as a scalloped arc. Cut the three horn outlines and the two small nostril dots first before the broader body and leg cutouts, as the nostril dots are isolated and easiest to control while the pumpkin is still intact. Use it as a carving template for your Halloween jack-o'-lantern. It is rated Advanced. Estimated time: 90-150 minutes. 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
This is a cut-through stencil: the gray areas on the printable pattern are the pieces you remove, and everything white stays attached. The steps below give you the safest carving order. Plan on about 90-150 minutes from print to candle.
Set up first. Print the PDF at 100% scale on letter or A4 paper. Cut the lid at an angle, scoop the pumpkin clean, and thin the carving wall to about 1 inch where the design will sit. Tape the pattern on (snip small darts in the paper so it hugs the curve) and transfer every outline by poking dots along the lines, about one every 1/8 inch. Peel the paper away and carve dot to dot with short, straight strokes.
Carving order
- Cut the small face details. Start with the crescent eye, the tiny dots on the frill and body, and the small nostril mark. These enclosed shapes are fragile neighbors to bigger cuts, so clear them while the wall is strongest.
- Carve the horns. Cut the two curved brow horns above the face and the shorter nose horn. Each tapers to a point; saw from the wide end toward the tip and never force the blade around the curve.
- Cut the frill and jaw lines. Remove the scalloped strip that outlines the neck frill and the strips that define the beak and jaw. Work in short sections and keep the white areas between strips untouched; they hold the head together.
- Cut the body and leg strips. Carve the long sweeping strip along the back and belly, then the strips that shape the front and rear legs. Alternate sides so no area of the wall carries all the stress at once.
- Finish with the tail. The tail is the largest piece, edged with pointed spikes. Cut into each spike notch from both directions, leave a small tab where the tail meets the body until the rest is free, then support the plug and finish the cut.
Clear loose fibers out of each opening as you go, and never twist or pry the blade against the shell; back it out and recut instead. When every piece is out, wipe the cut edges dry and drop in a battery LED puck.
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 ↗
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