One eye open, the other squeezed shut: this pumpkin looks like it is about to share a secret. With a small triangle nose and a crooked smile, it is a pumpkin carving template with plenty of mischief.
Why the winking pumpkin?
The uneven pair of eyes adds movement to the face even though the shapes stay simple. You only cut one oval, one arc, a little triangle and the mouth. It is a nice pick for anyone who wants funny instead of frightening.
Easy: a few clear shapes.
The wink gives the face its own personality.
The open eye shines extra bright.
Doable even if you are new to carving.
✂️ How to Carve a Pumpkin with a Stencil
🧰 What You Need
- A pumpkin (carving pumpkin, or a small pie pumpkin for little faces)
- The printed stencil (100 % for a medium pumpkin, about 10–12 inches)
- Tape and scissors
- A big spoon or ice cream scoop for scooping
- A poking tool, toothpick or thick nail
- A small serrated knife or carving kit (adults only)
- An LED tea light
Cut a lid at the top, angling the knife inward so the lid won’t fall in.
Scrape out the seeds and pulp – on the face side, thin the wall to about 3/4 inch.
Trim the stencil, snip the edges so it hugs the curve, and tape it in place.
Poke holes through paper and skin along every black shape, about 1/8–1/4 inch apart.
Remove the paper and cut along the dots – small shapes first, big shapes last.
Pop in an LED tea light, put the lid back on – and turn off the lights!
⚠️ Safety: knives and carving tools belong in grown-up hands. Kids can pick and color the stencil, scoop out the pumpkin and, with supervision, poke along the outlines. Use LED tea lights instead of real candles.
Idea: A winking pair
Set the winking pumpkin next to a smiley pumpkin and it looks like they are winking at each other. LED tea lights keep the light going safely all evening. For a window version, color the stencil on tracing paper.
📦 All 30 Stencils in One PDF
Can’t decide? Download every pumpkin face as one PDF (30 pages, A4) and take your time choosing the perfect face for your pumpkin.
📄 Download the all-in-one PDF (30 stencils)More stencils from this group:
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What age can kids help?
Kids from about 4 can color the stencil and scoop the pumpkin. From around 6 they can poke the outlines with supervision; adults do the cutting.
Will the stencil fit my pumpkin?
Printed at 100 %, the face is about 6.7 inches wide and fits a medium pumpkin (10–12 inches). For small pumpkins, scale to 70–80 % when printing; for giant pumpkins, print on tabloid/A3 or scale up to 140 %.
Do I need to print the black areas?
The black areas show what gets cut out. To save ink, choose “draft” or “ink saver” in your print settings – the outlines will still be easy to see.
Is the stencil free?
Yes, all carving stencils and coloring pages on PureSketchy are free for personal use, preschools and schools.
Is there a German version?
Yes! You can find the German version at Zwinkernder Kürbis.