Halloween Pumpkin Carving Contest · Starts October 1st · $500 in prizes

Pumpkin carving templates

1155 free printable stencils. Download, print, trace, carve.

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Simple Glowing Cross pumpkin carving stencil
Easy

Simple Glowing Cross

A tall Christian cross glows from the center of the pumpkin, with slightly tapered arms that give the shape a hand-hewn, rustic feel. The entire cross is cut through, so candlelight pours out in one bold symbol while the rest of the shell stays untouched. Since this is an easy single-opening design, take the vertical beam in two long, steady strokes and the crossbar last to keep every edge crisp.

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Sinister Eyes Pumpkin Stencil pumpkin carving stencil
Expert

Sinister Eyes Pumpkin Stencil

A pair of intensely glaring eyes fills this expert pumpkin stencil in a wide horizontal composition, with deeply furrowed brows, sharp inner-eye detail, and swirling flame-like linework around the eye sockets all rendered as intricate pierce cuts. The result when lit is a wall of illuminated eyes and chaotic energy that stretches across the pumpkin's face. Carve the small inner-eye iris details and fine flame points before opening the large eye-cavity cutouts, since those large voids will flex the pumpkin wall and make the remaining fine work harder to control.

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Six Curving Volleyball Windows pumpkin carving stencil
Intermediate

Six Curving Volleyball Windows

Six long curving windows sweep around a central hub, recreating the swirling panel seams of a volleyball across the pumpkin's face. The curved slots are cut through while the seam lines between them stay as bold ribs of skin, so the lit pumpkin reads as a glowing ball. On this medium carve, remove the slots one at a time and alternate sides as you go, keeping stress on the curved ribs balanced until the last piece comes out.

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Six Hearts and Tiny Top Heart pumpkin carving stencil
Intermediate

Six Hearts and Tiny Top Heart

Six hearts arranged in a ring point inward toward the center, with a tiny seventh heart crowning the top and small round dots filling the gaps between them like beads on a wreath. Every heart and dot is cut fully through, creating a lantern that throws a circle of glowing hearts across the porch. For this medium carve, poke a starter hole in each heart and cut the notch last; the dots are quick work with an apple corer or drill bit.

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Six-Leaf Tree pumpkin carving stencil
Intermediate

Six-Leaf Tree

A slender trunk rises from a curved ground line and branches into six almond shaped leaves, three on each side, each one a separate glowing opening. The trunk, leaves, and base arc are all cut through while the space between them stays solid, so the tree reads clearly from across the yard. Carve the leaves from the center outward and leave the narrow branch junctions for last on this medium design.

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Sixteen-Petal Sunflower pumpkin carving stencil
Hard

Sixteen-Petal Sunflower

A sixteen-petal sunflower blooms across the whole face of the pumpkin, complete with a dotted seed head, layered leaves, and a curving stem. This is a skin-shave design: you peel the skin inside every petal and leaf while leaving orange outlines and vein lines untouched, so no light shines through. Sharpen your tools before starting and shave the big petals in long strokes from base to tip for smooth, even texture.

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Skeletal Ghost Pumpkin Stencil pumpkin carving stencil
Hard

Skeletal Ghost Pumpkin Stencil

A skeletal ghost figure with a domed, skull-like head, jagged mouth slits, and broad swept wings dominates this pumpkin stencil. The design carves as widely spaced curved pierce-through sections that fan across both sides, leaving bold orange bridges to define the creature's torso and face. Lit from inside, the jack-o-lantern reads as a dark specter bursting outward. Cut the inner face details first before tackling the large wing panels so shifting your grip doesn't crack the delicate center column.

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Skeletal Grim Reaper Pumpkin Stencil pumpkin carving stencil
Expert

Skeletal Grim Reaper Pumpkin Stencil

A menacing skeletal Grim Reaper looms in three-quarter view on this expert pumpkin stencil, its ragged shroud trailing in torn tatters, one clawed bony hand gripping a scythe handle, a detailed skull face with visible teeth, sunken eye sockets, and a crescent scythe blade arcing across the upper left. Dozens of thin irregular shreds of robe create complex negative spaces throughout the body. Begin by cutting the large scythe blade and clearing the open background areas, then work into the tattered robe fringe from the outside edges inward so the narrow strips never lose support from adjacent uncut skin.

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Skeleton Hands Heart Pumpkin Stencil pumpkin carving stencil
Hard

Skeleton Hands Heart Pumpkin Stencil

Two skeletal hands with knuckle-ridge cuts reach upward and inward to frame a heart shape in the negative space between them in this hard-level pumpkin stencil, each finger outlined by rows of small rectangular cut-outs that read as bone segments when lit. The spaces around and between the fingers are cut away so the glowing pumpkin shows the hands as a warm orange lattice of bone detail around the central heart void. Cut the small rectangular knuckle cuts across all fingers before removing the larger surrounding background so every finger stays rigid while you work the fine detail.

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Skull and Crossbones Pumpkin Stencil pumpkin carving stencil
Hard

Skull and Crossbones Pumpkin Stencil

A skull-and-crossbones design with a feminine twist fills this pumpkin stencil: a small round skull wears a decorative bow on top, its large eye sockets rendered as open flame shapes, while a pair of crossed bones extends to the left and right behind it. The cut-out eye flames and a tiny tooth row are pierced through against the solid skull mass, and four rounded bone ends glow as separate openings at the corners. Cut the small decorative bow petals at the crown before opening the larger eye shapes, so the thin pumpkin wall connecting the bow to the skull doesn't flex and tear.

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Skull Pumpkin Stencil pumpkin carving stencil
Easy

Skull Pumpkin Stencil

Two wide almond-shaped eye sockets with small fang-like lower details, a paired nasal cavity of two thin vertical slots, and a broad rectangular mouth with chunky upper and lower teeth make up this straightforward skull pumpkin stencil. The five main shapes are spread across the face with generous pumpkin skin between them, making this a stable carve. Cut the narrow nasal slots first since they are easiest to lose track of; follow with the eye sockets, and save the wide mouth for last so the pumpkin face remains solid while you finish the upper details.

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Slanted Cat Eyes and Whiskers pumpkin carving stencil
Intermediate

Slanted Cat Eyes and Whiskers

A low, wide cat face with menacing slanted eyes, a triangle nose, and long horizontal whisker slashes stretching across both cheeks. Each feature is pierced clean through, and the wide layout suits a squat, round pumpkin. Angle your saw to match the eye slant, and cut the long whiskers in two passes from the outside in so the thin slits stay crisp and even.

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Slanted Eyes and Zigzag Grin pumpkin carving stencil
Easy

Slanted Eyes and Zigzag Grin

The timeless sinister pumpkin: two sharply slanted eyes with hooked inner corners, a small angled nose notch, and a long zigzag mouth that saws across the lower face in jagged peaks. All five openings are cut clean through for maximum glow. It is rated easy because every shape is bold and open; the one spot that needs care is the zigzag mouth, where cutting into each point from both sides keeps the teeth from rounding off.

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Sloth Pumpkin Stencil pumpkin carving stencil
Easy

Sloth Pumpkin Stencil

A sloth clings with its long clawed arm across the center of this easy pumpkin stencil, its round face showing closed or half-shut eyes and a compact round nose, with a shaggy fur outline around the head and a rounded body below. The large body and arm openings are cut through while the face detail pieces stay solid, so the lit pumpkin shows the sloth's relaxed expression clearly outlined in orange. Cut the small eye-detail pieces before opening the large arm void so those delicate shapes have full surrounding support.

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Smiley Jack-o-Lantern Pumpkin Stencil pumpkin carving stencil
Easy

Smiley Jack-o-Lantern Pumpkin Stencil

Two large rounded arch eyes, each with a small notch cut from the bottom edge, sit above a wide U-shaped grin lined with four evenly spaced rectangular teeth in this easy pumpkin stencil. The result is a cheerful, friendly face rather than a sinister one, and when lit the broad open eyes and blocky smile radiate warmth across the porch. The small notches at the base of each eye are the only detail that can break off if carved too aggressively, so score those notch curves gently with the tip of your blade before removing the eye sections.

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Smiling Narwhal & Two Fins pumpkin carving stencil
Intermediate

Smiling Narwhal & Two Fins

A smiling narwhal glides across the pumpkin with a long spiral tusk, two side fins, and a happy upturned mouth. The whole body is skin-shave work with no pierced holes, so the pale shaved shape stands out against the dark rind by day and glows gently with a light inside. On this medium shading design, etch the thin tusk and smile lines first with a fine V-tool, then clear the wide body area so you never drag a big tool across your detail lines.

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Smiling Sea Turtle pumpkin carving stencil
Intermediate

Smiling 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.

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Snake with Forked Tongue pumpkin carving stencil
Hard

Snake with Forked Tongue

A serpent winds across the pumpkin in three graceful S-curves, its head raised with a forked tongue flicking out and its whole body filled with a diamond scale pattern. The design is continuous-wall shading, so the snake is shaved into the skin at varied depths with no pierced holes. Rated hard because of the scales: peel the full body smooth first, then press in the scale texture row by row with a small gouge.

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South Carolina Heart Lettering pumpkin carving stencil
Easy

South Carolina Heart Lettering

State pride spelled out plainly: a bold serif I, a big glowing heart, and the letters SC stacked in two rows across the pumpkin face. Each letter and the heart cut fully through, and the thick strokes make this an easy lettering carve with no fragile pieces. Cut the heart's top notch first to set its shape, then saw each letter stroke in straight runs, squaring the serifs from inside the openings.

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South Dakota State Shape pumpkin carving stencil
Intermediate

South Dakota State Shape

The full silhouette of South Dakota is cut through the pumpkin wall, glowing as one clean rectangular shape with the Missouri River notch tracing its jagged southeastern corner. Everything inside the border is removed, so the state reads instantly from across the yard. The medium rating comes from those small river-line zigzags; cut the long straight edges first, then slow down and nibble the notched corner in short strokes.

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Spooky Tree Face Pumpkin Stencil pumpkin carving stencil
Expert

Spooky Tree Face Pumpkin Stencil

A gnarled, bare tree with an angry face carved into its trunk fills this expert pumpkin stencil. Dozens of branching limbs spread across the upper half, tapering into fine tips, while the lower trunk reveals a grimacing face with heavy brow, sunken eye sockets, and a roaring open mouth. The many thin branch tips and the narrow spaces between limbs make this one of the most demanding cuts in any tree pumpkin stencil design. Start from the outermost branch tips and work inward toward the trunk so the fine ends are cut while the wall is still fully supported.

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Spotted Eagle Ray pumpkin carving stencil
Hard

Spotted Eagle Ray

A spotted eagle ray glides diagonally across the pumpkin, its wide wings dotted with rows of round spots, a long whip tail trailing off behind, and a curled loop near the tail base. The whole creature is rendered by etching the skin: outlines and spots are shaved to glow softly while the wall stays sealed. Rated hard for the fine linework; carve the spots with a small round gouge and keep your outline strokes shallow and consistent.

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Spotted Whale Shark pumpkin carving stencil
Hard

Spotted Whale Shark

A whale shark glides across the pumpkin, its wide flat head, tall tail fin, and body covered in the species' signature grid of pale spots, with a few bubbles drifting nearby. The shark's outline and spots are shaved to glow while the surrounding skin stays dark, so no section is pierced through. Do the long body outline first, then the spots; a small round scoop or melon-baller keeps all those dots consistent.

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Spouting Whale & Three Drops pumpkin carving stencil
Easy

Spouting Whale & Three Drops

A chubby, smiling whale with a curled tail sprays three playful droplets from its spout in this sweet ocean design. Nothing is pierced through; instead you shave away the orange skin inside the whale and droplets so they glow as soft golden shapes against the untouched pumpkin around them. That continuous-wall approach makes it very kid-friendly; scrape shallow, even layers with a loop tool until light shows through evenly across the whale's body.

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Standing Duck with Webbed Feet pumpkin carving stencil
Hard

Standing Duck with Webbed Feet

A standing duck in profile, from its rounded bill down to its webbed feet, with layered feather detail across the folded wing and breast. This is a skin-shaving pattern rather than a pierced one: the duck's body is etched to glow while the surrounding skin stays dark, and feather lines are scored deeper for texture. Shave the broad body areas first, then add the fine feather strokes last so a slip cannot erase your detail work.

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Standing Mummy Pumpkin Stencil pumpkin carving stencil
Hard

Standing Mummy Pumpkin Stencil

A mummy figure wrapped in overlapping bandage strips stands upright in this hard pumpkin stencil: a round hooded head with two crescent eye cutouts and small circle pupils, a neck section, and a torso crisscrossed with diagonal and horizontal bandage-strip cutouts that create an intricate lattice pattern in the lower half of the design. Lit from inside, the bandage lattice glows as a grid of bright lines framed by solid pumpkin strips. Begin with the two eye crescents and pupil circles in the face, then work downward through the lattice section one row at a time to keep the remaining skin stable.

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Star with Four Curved Trails pumpkin carving stencil
Intermediate

Star with Four Curved Trails

A five-pointed star streaks diagonally across the pumpkin with four curved trails tapering away behind it, like a comet caught mid-flight. The star and each sweeping trail are cut fully through, with strips of rind left between the trails to keep the motion lines distinct. On this medium carve, the tapering trail tips are the tricky spots: cut each trail from its wide end toward the point and stop just short, finishing the tip with a single small stab cut.

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Starry Witch Moon Pumpkin Stencil pumpkin carving stencil
Hard

Starry Witch Moon Pumpkin Stencil

A tall oval moon dominates this hard witch pumpkin stencil, with a thin vertical broomstick cutting through the center and a small witch figure silhouetted at the bottom, surrounded by four-pointed star cutouts. The moon is carved as a large open oval, so the broom handle remains as a solid pumpkin bridge crossing the glow. Stars scattered inside and outside the moon add sparkling pinhole light around the scene. Cut the large moon oval first to establish the dominant glow, but do not sever the broomstick bridge at the center until the very last pass.

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Sugar Skull with Crossbones Pumpkin Stencil pumpkin carving stencil
Expert

Sugar Skull with Crossbones Pumpkin Stencil

A Day of the Dead sugar skull topped with a crescent moon cutout sits above two crossed bones on this expert ghost pumpkin stencil. The skull face is packed with ornate floral-style cut-out circles, petal shapes, a nose diamond, and a grid-patterned mouth, all surrounded by thin decorative bridges. Because so many small circular cutouts cluster around the eye sockets, carve both large eye circles first to relieve the surrounding tension, then work outward through the smaller petal and dot details.

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Sunflower with Eleven Petals pumpkin carving stencil
Intermediate

Sunflower with Eleven Petals

A tall sunflower blooms across the whole pumpkin face, with eleven glowing petals radiating around a dark seed disc dotted with tiny pinprick holes, plus a straight stem and two leaves below. The petals, stem, and leaves are shaved to the flesh rather than pierced, while the seed dots are drilled through for sparkle. For this medium shading design, etch all the petal outlines first, then peel each petal evenly and finish by drilling the seed dots in a loose spiral.

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Swept Eyes and Melting Grin pumpkin carving stencil
Intermediate

Swept Eyes and Melting Grin

A wicked jack-o'-lantern with two swept, flame-like eyes, a small notched nose, and an enormous melting grin whose edges drip and ripple across the lower half of the pumpkin. All features are pierced through, and the wavy mouth throws dramatic, uneven light. This is medium work with one long tricky opening, so carve the mouth in sections from the center out and leave the drippy lower points attached until the very end for support.

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T-Rex Pumpkin Stencil pumpkin carving stencil
Expert

T-Rex Pumpkin Stencil

A T. rex tears across this expert pumpkin stencil in a side-profile attack pose: massive jaws open wide with individual pointed teeth, a large round eye socket, muscular body sections, short forearms with clawed fingers, and powerful hind legs with three-toed feet all rendered as separate cut-through shapes. The jagged teeth line along the upper jaw is the most technically demanding element. Cut each tooth gap individually from the back of the jaw toward the snout tip, finishing the tooth row before opening the large body cavities so the wall stays rigid during the fine work.

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Teardrop Eyes Stitched Smile pumpkin carving stencil
Intermediate

Teardrop Eyes Stitched Smile

Two droopy teardrop eyes hang over a long curving smile crossed by short stitch marks, giving the face a sweetly sinister rag-doll look. The eyes and the full stitched mouth are pierced through, with each stitch cut as a small notch branching off the main smile line. At medium difficulty, carve the long mouth curve first, then add the stitch notches one at a time so the thin rind between them stays supported.

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Tears of Joy Emoji Pumpkin Stencil pumpkin carving stencil
Easy

Tears of Joy Emoji Pumpkin Stencil

This emoji pumpkin stencil captures the classic tears-of-joy face: a large circular outline frames squinting crescent eyes, a wide open-mouth smile, and two teardrop shapes streaming from the outer eye corners. Most of the interior is pierced through, leaving thin curved bridges for the eyes, brow shapes, and a tongue strip inside the mouth. When lit, the laughing face reads instantly from across a porch. Keep the two small teardrop cutouts for last, as they are isolated from the main body and can shift if the stencil loosens.

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Teddy Bear Pumpkin Stencil pumpkin carving stencil
Hard

Teddy Bear Pumpkin Stencil

A seated teddy bear with tattered, drip-edged fur fills this hard-level pumpkin stencil: a round head with small round ears, two circular cheek spots, a nose-and-muzzle cutout, and a tummy split into two glowing panels flanked by small round paws. The ragged fur silhouette along the top of the head and across the body creates dozens of short, jagged points that must stay connected. Work from the center facial features outward, and avoid pressing too hard on the bear's narrow fur-tip points so they do not snap before the larger belly sections are removed.

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Tennessee State Shape pumpkin carving stencil
Intermediate

Tennessee State Shape

Tennessee's long parallelogram runs nearly the full width of the pumpkin, flat across the top with the jagged mountain border stepping down the eastern end. The entire state is removed as one wide glowing band. Since the opening is long and shallow, cut the straight top and bottom edges first, then work the stepped eastern corner in small bites to keep every notch sharp.

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