Similar to This
View all stencils →About this stencil
A comically startled face made of just three openings: two slightly unequal oval eyes and a tall oval mouth frozen mid-gasp, like a pumpkin that just saw a ghost. All three shapes are cut straight through, with the ovals set high and the mouth low for maximum surprise. This easy pattern also works beautifully on craft pumpkins; use a fine serrated saw for smooth oval curves. 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.
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.
Related stencils
Carvers who liked this one also downloaded these.
IntermediateCrossed Eyes and Buck Teeth
Huge crossed googly eyes sit under raised brow slots while a gaping oval mouth shows off two goofy buck teeth, with freckle dots on each cheek. The eyes, brows, mouth, and dots are all pierced through, and the dark pupils and teeth are rind left attached inside the openings. Those attached pupils and teeth are the tricky bit; cut around them slowly and leave their connecting bridges generously wide.
IntermediateWide Eyes and Eight Cheek Dots
Raised eyebrow slivers arc over two huge oval eyes, while a big O shaped mouth gasps below and four round dots freckle each cheek. All the openings are simple pierced shapes, but their sheer number bumps this into medium territory. Drill or core the eight cheek dots first while the wall is still strong, then cut the large eyes and mouth so the face keeps its comic shocked stare.
Beginner-friendlyThree Eyes and Wide Oval Mouth
A delightfully weird mutant face with three round eyes arranged in a triangle above one huge wide oval mouth. All four shapes are pierced through, and the extra eye instantly turns an ordinary pumpkin into a little alien visitor. This is an easy carve with no fragile parts; leave at least an inch of rind between the eyes and the mouth rim so the bridge stays strong.
Beginner-friendlyUneven Eyes and Tall Mouth
A comically startled face built from two round eyes set at slightly uneven heights and one tall oval mouth frozen in an open gasp. The three openings are pierced through, and the design shines on bumpy or warty pumpkins where the texture adds to the goofy shock. As an easy carve with only three shapes, the tip is to embrace the asymmetry: keep the eyes deliberately offset rather than trying to level them perfectly.
Beginner-friendlyRaised Brows and Oval Surprise
Two wide oval eyes topped with arched eyebrows hover above a tall oval mouth frozen mid-gasp, giving the pumpkin a permanently astonished expression. The eyes, brows, and mouth are all clean cut-through openings with generous spacing between them. Easy carvers should cut the thin eyebrow arcs first while the wall is strongest, then remove the big ovals; angle the knife slightly outward so each plug pops free without bruising the edges.
Beginner-friendlyThree-Opening Surprised Face
A hilariously startled face built from just three openings: two round wide-open eyes and one big oval gasping mouth. All three shapes are cut clean through, making this one of the fastest faces you can carve. With no sharp corners anywhere, it is perfect for first-timers; drill a starter hole in each shape and saw outward to the traced line for smooth, even circles.