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View all stencils →About this stencil
Inspired by the heart-eyes emoji, this lovable face pairs two big heart-shaped eyes with a broad crescent smile. All three openings are cut fully through, so the hearts beam bright pink-orange light after dark. The gentle notch at the top of each heart is the only fiddly spot in this easy carve; poke a starter hole in the middle of each heart and saw up into the notch from inside so the point stays sharp. This design is rated Beginner-friendly and takes most carvers around 30 minutes from trace to glow. Great for kids and first-timers. Big shapes, short cuts.
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 beginner-friendly carve like this you'll want a paring knife, spoon / scoop, marker, and led pumpkin light. 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.
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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.
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Speedball 4131 Lino Cutter Set
Handle + 5 interchangeable cutters
Interchangeable cutters for peeling and shading the face. Useful for the finer details.
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Community Pumpkin Carving Ideas
Carving ideas that use stencils like this one.
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A folk-art beauty: two heart-shaped keyhole eyes crowned with leafy sprigs, sprays of leaf cutouts fanning across both cheeks, diamond accents down the brow, and a huge grin filled with neat rectangular teeth. Every heart, leaf, diamond, and tooth gap is pierced through, creating a lacework of light. This is an expert pattern with many close-set openings, so work from the center outward and rotate the pumpkin often to keep your cutting angle comfortable.
AdvancedHeart Eyes and Seventeen Gems
The heart-eyes emoji comes to life with two big heart-shaped eyes, arched brows, and a wide toothy smile, all surrounded by seventeen small hearts and diamond accents scattered across the shell. Every heart, brow, tooth gap, and diamond is pierced through, so the whole pumpkin twinkles. Carve the large central face first while the shell is strongest, then work outward through the border hearts from biggest to smallest.
IntermediateLovestruck Heart Eyes Face
This lovestruck face beams with two big heart-shaped eyes under curved brows, a wide open smile showing three square teeth, and playful dot dimples on each cheek. All the features are cut through the wall, so the hearts glow brightest and instantly read as the classic heart-eyes expression. Cut the notch at the top of each heart carefully with short strokes, since that little dip is what makes the shape.
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.
IntermediateHeart Cheeks and Eight Dots
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.