Who turned the lights on? This pumpkin opens its eyes wide, lifts its brows and gapes in amazement. The shapes are few and clear, so this jack o lantern face works well for a very first carving project.
Why this face?
Two ovals, two slits and one big O: that is all it takes, and the expression still reads at a glance. The face is cute rather than creepy, which makes it a good match for preschools, elementary classrooms and small trick-or-treaters. The simple shapes also keep the pumpkin sturdy for several days.
Few large shapes and no fine bridges.
The big O sends light far out into the yard.
A great first pumpkin for the whole family.
The raised brows carry the whole expression.
✂️ 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.
Decorating idea: a row of amazed pumpkins
Put the surprised pumpkin next to a sleepy one and a silly one and the three tell a little story on your steps. LED tea lights keep everything safe around kids. For a window version, print the stencil, color the shapes on tracing paper and hang the sheet in the glass.
📦 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 age 3 can color the sheet and help scoop. Because the shapes are so simple, elementary-age kids often enjoy poking the dots themselves under supervision, but 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 Überraschter Kürbis.