Last updated: August 27, 2022
Printable pumpkin carving stencils to help you carve the best Jack-o’-lanterns this Halloween! On this page you’ll find a huge range of easy and fun jack-o’-lantern patterns for how to carve a scary pumpkin face! And there are also pumpkin stencils for flying bats, owls, witches, ghosts, and lots more spooky Halloween designs!
On this page you’ll find lots of ideas for how to carve your Halloween pumpkin, with free printable stencils to suit beginners to advanced carvers. From spooky jack-o’-lantern faces to friendly pumpkin faces for little kids, we hope you find a free jack-o’-lantern pattern that you like! And be sure to keep scrolling to see all our spooky pumpkin stencils, including bats, ghosts, witches on broomsticks, spiders, and more!
Jump to: How to Carve a Pumpkin | Printable Stencils
How to Carve a Pumpkin for Halloween
Carving your pumpkin is a big part of getting ready for Halloween! Whether you’ve purchased your pumpkins at the store or picked them directly from the pumpkin patch, it’s time to find the perfect stencil to suit each pumpkin’s shape and start carving!
You can buy a pumpkin carving kit with a mini saw and other tools to help you carve your design, or simply use what you have in your kitchen drawer. A serrated knife, large spoon, a pointy tool like a toothpick, and a sharp paring knife are all that you need, plus a big bowl to put all the pumpkin goop!
Start by cutting a circle around the stem of the pumpkin using a serrated knife, and remove this piece. It should be big enough that your hand will fit through easily. Now it’s time to remove the pulp and seeds (which my children call the “guts”!) of the pumpkin. If the flesh of the pumpkin is really thick, you can scrape a spoon around the inside of the pumpkin to thin out the flesh before you carve.
Tape your chosen printed template onto the outside of your pumpkin. Use a toothpick or sharp pointed tool to push through the paper onto the pumpkin’s surface along the lines of the template. When you remove the printed template, you will see a line of dots showing where the template has been transferred onto your pumpkin. Cut along the dotted line using a serrated or paring knife to create your spooky masterpiece! Once you’re finished carving, place a candle (or several, depending upon size) inside, and put your jack-o’-lantern out on your porch for everyone to see and admire!
Free Pumpkin Carving Stencils to Download
In this section you’ll find lots of free pumpkin carving ideas and printable stencils to help you make this Halloween the spookiest one yet!
Our printable pumpkin templates are high-resolution letter-sized PDFs. To download, click on the image, or text-link underneath the image. These printables are for personal, non-commercial use only.
If the pattern isn’t the right size for your pumpkin, scale the size of the stencil up or down in your printer settings, or use a photocopier to shrink or enlarge the template.
Printable Bat Templates & Outlines
Free printable bat templates to help you create Halloween crafts in minutes! On this page you’ll find a great range of bat shapes and sizes for all your spooky creations! With blank outlines and black bat shapes to choose from, plus super cute vampire bat templates to color in too, we hope you find the perfect printable!
Printable Pumpkin Templates
We hope you found lots of pumpkin carving ideas on this page! If you’re looking for more pumpkin craft ideas, take a look at our pumpkin templates & outlines page. Use them as coloring pages or for fun fall crafts and activities.
Pumpkin Coloring Pages
Looking for more pumpkin activities to do this Halloween? Our free printable pumpkin coloring pages are fabulous for Thanksgiving, Halloween, or Fall-themed activities! On this page you’ll find a huge range of pumpkin images, from simple pumpkin outlines to spooky carved pumpkins, and more intricately-patterned designs for big kids and adults to color in too!
And while you’re in the mood for all things pumpkin, check out our massive collection of the best Halloween & pumpkin jokes.
Halloween Coloring Pages
For more spooky coloring sheets, take a look at our full collection of Halloween Coloring Pages, plus check out our Halloween and pumpkin jokes.
