Pumpkin Carving Stencil: Cat Face Pumpkin

Pumpkin with a cat face, slanted eyes, a triangle nose, a w mouth and whiskers – printable pumpkin carving stencil

Difficulty: ●●● Tricky · 🥰 Cute & Sweet

Slanted eyes, a tiny triangle nose and a w-shaped mouth: that is all a cat needs. This pumpkin carving stencil even adds four whiskers that shine through as fine slits of light.

Why this face?

Cats and pumpkins belong together at Halloween, and this stencil combines both. The face looks mysterious but not mean, so it suits anyone who loves cats. The many thin slits make it harder than our other faces, but the finished pumpkin is especially expressive.

⭐
Difficulty 3
Lots of small shapes, so plan some extra time.
🕯️
In the dark
The slanted eyes flash and the whiskers glow softly.
🐱
For cat lovers
A pumpkin for everyone who adores furry friends.
✨
Special touch
Four thin whisker slits are the detail.

✂️ 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
1
Cut the lid
Cut a lid at the top, angling the knife inward so the lid won’t fall in.
2
Scoop it out
Scrape out the seeds and pulp – on the face side, thin the wall to about 3/4 inch.
3
Tape on the stencil
Trim the stencil, snip the edges so it hugs the curve, and tape it in place.
4
Poke the outlines
Poke holes through paper and skin along every black shape, about 1/8–1/4 inch apart.
5
Carve
Remove the paper and cut along the dots – small shapes first, big shapes last.
6
Light it up
Pop in an LED tea light, put the lid back on – and turn off the lights!
💡 Tip for this stencil: Cut the eyes, nose and w-mouth first and the whiskers last. The four slits are narrow, so use a small carving knife or saw blade and hold the pumpkin steady.
ℹ️ Black areas get cut out; everything white stays. The dashed line just shows roughly where the pumpkin ends – don’t cut along it.

⚠️ 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: cat night on the steps

Two cat pumpkins next to an owl pumpkin look like they are keeping an eye on each other. A flameless LED tea light is the safe choice, since the thin whiskers would suffer from hot wax. For a window version, color the stencil on tracing paper in orange and black so the cat sits right on 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)

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What age can kids help?
This one suits kids from about age 8 who like working with small details. Younger kids can color it and help scoop the pumpkin, while adults do the carving.

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 Katzengesicht-Kürbis.