A ghost floats across the pumpkin with a wavy hem at the bottom and two tiny arms waving up. This pumpkin carving template is a full figure instead of just a face, and it's still very doable.
Why the Ghost Pumpkin?
The ghost is a Halloween classic that doesn't need to be scary. Its round shape fits the curve of the pumpkin nicely. The soft lines also make it a good fit for families who want to carve together.
Soft waves along the hem, with slightly finer arms.
A full ghost instead of just a face.
The waving arms look cute rather than creepy.
The large shape shines white and warm.
✂️ 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: Ghost and spider
Combined with a Spider or Bat pumpkin, the ghost makes a nice trio for your steps. White LED light suits the ghostly look. For a window version, print the stencil on tracing paper and color the ghost light blue.
📦 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?
Kids from about 4 can color the sheet and scoop the pumpkin. The soft lines are fine for poking from around 6; 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 Gespenst-Kürbis.