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View all stencils →About this stencil
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. 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
This is a cut-through stencil: the dark numbered regions on the printable pattern are the pieces you remove, and everything white stays attached. The numbers give you the safest carving order, and the steps below walk through them one by one. Plan on about 35-55 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
- Trace the huge curved mouth. Cut the region marked 1, beginning along the broad curved sides. Follow the high pointed corners and rounded bottom, keeping the entire white upper lip intact.
- Preserve all three teeth. Leave two square teeth hanging from the upper lip and one square tooth rising from the lower lip. Follow their unequal sides without narrowing their attachments. Support the large mouth plug as you release the final 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 region is open, wipe the cut edges dry and drop in a battery LED puck.
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 ↗
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One eye is a jaunty upswept crescent wink while the other stays a wide triangle, set over a small diamond nose and a lopsided grin broken into five rounded gaps by chunky teeth. The eyes, nose, and mouth gaps are cut through, leaving the tooth shapes as attached skin between them. A medium carver should cut the five mouth gaps individually rather than one big mouth, which keeps every tooth solidly connected and the crooked smile intact.
IntermediateLopsided Zigzag Grin
A cheerfully lopsided jack-o'-lantern face with one big round eye, one slanted triangle eye, and a wide zigzag grin stretching across the pumpkin. All three features are pierced fully through so candlelight pours out, while the surrounding skin stays untouched. The zigzag mouth is the trickiest part at this medium level, so cut each tooth point in two short strokes that meet at the tip instead of dragging one long sawing pass.
Beginner-friendlyGoofy Three-Tooth Grin
A lovable goofy face with two big round eyes, a small triangle nose, and a wide smile broken up by three blocky teeth. Every shape is a full cut-through opening, so the eyes, nose, and mouth glow while the rest of the pumpkin stays untouched. It is a great first stencil; start with the smallest tooth cuts before opening the large mouth so the wall stays sturdy.
AdvancedFour Teeth and Notched Tongue
Arched brows curve over squinting eyes while a huge open mouth shows four top teeth and a notched tongue lolling below, with short laugh lines radiating from each cheek. The face is all pierced cuts, and it rates hard because the tongue and teeth stay attached by narrow tabs inside the big mouth opening. Cut the mouth outline first, then carefully notch around the tongue tab last so it does not break free.
AdvancedUnequal Eyes and Tongue Grin
This mischievous face pairs one big round eye with a smaller sly one under arched brows, above a sprawling grin full of gapped teeth and a tongue-shaped opening lolling out below. Clusters of drilled dots frame each cheek like a glowing gridwork of freckles. It is all cut-through work with many narrow tooth bridges, so use a fine saw, cut the dots first, and support each bridge as you free the mouth pieces.
IntermediateWinking Seven-Tooth Grin
A goofy winking jack-o'-lantern with one wide round eye, one squinting wink, a triangle nose, and an enormous grin broken up by a jumble of square and pointed teeth along both lips. Every feature is cut clean through so the mismatched expression beams from the whole face. At medium difficulty the mouth is the main event; cut the grin outline first, then shape each tooth individually, alternating sides so the lip strips stay supported.