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View all stencils →About this stencil
A friendly turtle ambling along in profile, its domed shell divided into a mosaic of eleven plates, with a lifted head, dot eye, and stubby legs. This is a shading design: you shave the skin inside each shape so the pale flesh shows, leaving thin dark rind lines between the shell plates. Work plate by plate and keep the dividing ridges at least a knife-width wide. 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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AdvancedTurtle with Raised Shell Seams
A gentle box turtle strolls across the pumpkin, its domed shell divided into raised seams and its legs dotted with rounded scale spots. The whole design is skin-shave work with no pierced holes; you strip the skin inside each shell panel and body section while leaving the seam lines dark and raised. Vary your shaving depth slightly between panels to give the shell dimension, and save the tiny scale dots for last.
IntermediateSmiling Sea Turtle
A smiling sea turtle paddles across the pumpkin, its patterned shell divided into glowing plates while thin ribbons of skin stay in place to draw the head, flippers, and shell segments. This is a shading-style design carved on a continuous wall, so you shave away the skin rather than piercing holes, letting the whole turtle glow softly. Shave in thin layers and test with a light often until the flippers and shell panels shine evenly.
Expert / ProMoonlit Seal and Water Bands
A harbor seal rests on the shore with its head raised and tail curled up, backed by a huge full moon, drifting clouds, and bands of rippling water below. The entire scene is skin-shaved shading with no pierced holes, so the moon glows brightest behind the seal's darker sculpted body. Expert carvers should establish the moon's deep, even shave first, then build the seal with shallower graded layers so its whiskered face keeps crisp contrast.
IntermediateSeated Rabbit with Split Ears
A seated rabbit in profile with two tall split ears, a rounded back, and tucked front paws, cut through as a nearly single silhouette with slim gaps defining the ears and feet. The shell around the bunny stays whole so the glowing shape reads crisply from a distance. Carve the narrow gap between the ears first; it is the finest cut on an otherwise smooth outline.
Beginner-friendlyLong Dog, Bone and Four Ovals
A long-bodied dachshund trots across the pumpkin as one big glowing silhouette, with a dog bone floating above and a row of four oval accents below like little paw steps. The dog, bone, and ovals are all pierced through, so the whole scene lights up brightly with just a handful of cuts. Start with a hole in the dog's belly and saw outward, taking the thin legs and tail slowly so they stay crisp.
Beginner-friendlySeated Dog with Bone and Dots
A patient pup sits in profile, ears perked and tail resting, while a bone floats nearby with a trail of small dream-bubble dots connecting them. The dog's body, the bone, and the dots are all cut fully through as bold, separate openings, so the scene reads instantly from the street. This easy design has no fragile interior bridges; just cut the large dog body in two or three sections and pop the bone and dots out last for a tidy finish.