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View all stencils →About this stencil
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. 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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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.
IntermediateAnxious Round-Pupil Frown
A hilariously worried pumpkin face with two big round eyes topped by drooping eyebrow arcs and a deep upside-down frown. Each feature is a pierced opening, and the round pupils stay attached as tabs inside the glowing eyes to give it that anxious stare. At medium difficulty the pupil bridges are the key detail; cut toward each tab rather than away so you do not snap them off.
Beginner-friendlyWide Grin with Three Teeth
One enormous sweeping grin and nothing else: a wide crescent mouth interrupted by two blocky upper teeth and a single lower tooth, with no eyes at all for a mysterious, cheeky effect. The whole smile is cut through, so it pours light across the porch. An easy carve that goes quickly; remove the mouth in left and right halves around the teeth so the tooth tabs never take any strain.
Beginner-friendlyTall Oval Surprise Face
Two tall oval eyes hover above one big oval mouth, giving a tall pumpkin a startled, ghostlike gasp that reads perfectly from the street. All three shapes are pierced through, and with no corners or fine details it is about as beginner-friendly as carving gets. Rotate the pumpkin instead of your wrist as you saw each oval so the curves stay smooth and symmetrical.
Beginner-friendlyCrescent Wink and Two Teeth
A playful winking face with one big round open eye, one crescent-shaped winking eye, and a broad open smile showing two square teeth. All the features are simple pierced openings with plenty of solid pumpkin between them, so the face is sturdy and beginner friendly. For this easy carve, cut the large smile first while the wall is strongest, then finish with the crescent wink, angling your blade slightly outward for a clean curve.
IntermediateRound-Eyed Clown With Brows
A cheerful clown face with raised curving brows, big round eyes, a round button nose, small dot cheeks, and a huge sweeping smile. Every feature is a straightforward cut-through opening, and the little cheek dots on each side add extra sparkle at night. At medium difficulty the challenge is spacing: transfer the stencil carefully so the brows sit clear of the eyes, then drill the small dots with a pumpkin drill or apple corer for perfect circles.