How to Carve a Pumpkin (Beginner’s Guide)
The step-by-step method: choose, cut the lid, scoop, trace the stencil and carve.
1 hr Cost $ 7 items
23 Pumpkin Carving Ideas
Every design here comes with a free printable stencil you can tape to your pumpkin and trace. Start with the classic face if it is your first time.
Free tool
How to carve a pumpkin
Pick, scoop, trace and carve — the step-by-step method for beginners.
Free tool
Free printable stencils
Original stencils you can print, tape on and trace.
23 ideas
Pumpkin Carving Tools You Actually Need
A small serrated saw and a scraper make carving easier and safer than a kitchen knife.
Cost $ 6 items
Classic Jack-o’-Lantern
Triangle eyes and nose with a toothy grin — the face everyone recognises, and the easiest to carve.
40 min Cost $ 4 items
Cat and Moon Silhouette
A sitting cat silhouette under a crescent moon — elegant and very popular.
1 hr Cost $ 4 items
BOO Lettering
Bold “BOO” letters — keep the middles of the Os attached with a thin bridge.
45 min Cost $ 4 items
Moon and Stars
A crescent moon with scattered stars — beautiful lit up on a step.
40 min Cost $ 4 items
Pumpkin Eating a Pumpkin
A big pumpkin with a wide-open mouth chomping on a mini pumpkin.
1 hr Cost $$ 4 items
Drilled Polka-Dot Pumpkin
Holes drilled in a pattern make a lantern that throws dots of light.
30 min Cost $ 4 items
Toothpick Teeth
Carve a mouth, then push in a row of toothpicks or pumpkin chunks as wonky teeth.
40 min Cost $ 3 items
How long does a carved pumpkin last?
Usually three to five days outdoors, less in warm weather. Carve as close to Halloween as you can, rub petroleum jelly on the cut edges, keep it out of direct sun, and use battery lights instead of candles.
How to use our stencils
Open any design and press “Print stencil”. Scale it up or down in your printer settings to fit your pumpkin, tape it on, poke along the lines with a pin, then carve. Black areas are cut out; white areas stay.
Pumpkin Carving questions
When should I carve my pumpkin?
Two to three days before Halloween is ideal — carved pumpkins only last three to five days.
What is the easiest thing to carve?
A classic jack-o’-lantern face with triangle eyes and a simple grin. Our free stencil makes it even easier.
Do I need a carving kit?
Not essential, but the small serrated saws in kits are safer and more precise than kitchen knives.
Are the stencils free?
Yes — every stencil on this site is an original design, free to print for personal use.