Pumpkin carving stencils
Tape it on, trace it, carve the black parts.
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Example
Example: four animal stencils for 10-inch pumpkins from the patch
A family brings home four carving pumpkins about 10 inches across, one each. Two thirds of 10 in is about 7 in, so: Designs “Cats, bats, owls and more”, Level “Easy — big shapes”, Pumpkin size “Large”, 4 stencils, design set 1, US Letter.
- The four pages are Black cat, Owl, Spider and Bat, one design to a page, its name at the top.
- Under the name: “Pumpkin carving stencil · Design 7 in wide”. On Letter paper Large is 7 in; the black parts are the ones to cut out.
- Along the foot of every page, four numbered steps: tape the stencil on, prick along every line, take the paper off and carve, and a grown-up handles the knife.
- The same settings always give the same designs. Change the design set to 2 and the Owl makes way for a Howling wolf.
| Pumpkin size | Design on Letter | Design on A4 | For a pumpkin about |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small | 4 in | 10 cm | 6 in across |
| Medium | 6 in | 15 cm | 9 in across |
| Large | 7 in | 17.5 cm | 10–11 in across |
pumpkin-stencils.pdf, four Letter pages, one per pumpkin. Scoop the pumpkins out before you tape the paper on; for finer faces for older kids, choose “More detail”.
How it works
- Choose faces, animals or pictures, easy or detailed, and the size of your pumpkin.
- Print, trim the paper and tape the stencil onto the scooped-out pumpkin.
- Prick along the edges with a pin or a poking tool, take the paper off and carve out the black parts.
Frequently asked questions
- How do I transfer a stencil to a pumpkin?
- Tape the paper on, then prick small holes close together along every black edge with a pin, a thumbtack or a poking tool. Take the paper off and the dotted outline shows you where to cut. Rubbing flour over the dots makes them easier to see.
- Which designs are good for beginners and children?
- The easy level has big shapes and thick bridges — children can transfer the design and scoop, while a grown-up does the carving with a small serrated pumpkin saw.
- Why do some shapes have little gaps?
- Those are bridges: they hold the inside of a shape (like the middle of an eye) in place. Cut them out and that piece of pumpkin falls out.
- Which size should I choose?
- Small for a pumpkin about the size of a melon, medium for a typical carving pumpkin, large for a big one. The design should fill about two thirds of the pumpkin’s face.
- How do I get other designs?
- Change the design set number. The same theme and set number always give the same designs in the same order, so a second print matches the first; another number brings the theme’s designs in a new order.
- Why is Large only 7 inches?
- That is the widest the design and the pumpkin outline around it fit on US Letter between the margins (17.5 cm on A4). For a giant pumpkin, scale the page up when you print, or centre the 7 in design and carve a wider rim.
- Is anything uploaded?
- No. The stencils are drawn in your browser.