43 Free Pumpkin Carving Stencils for Your Best Jack-o'-Lanterns Ever

Crack a smile—this beginner's Halloween stencil of a grinning face is the perfect starting point for a whole set of amusing jack-o'-lanterns. For the perfect Halloween display, place these happy pumpkin faces around your front porch.

Let's be frank: This guy is a blockhead, but we love him anyway. To use this easy pumpkin template, open the pattern and print. If needed, you can size the pattern on your copier. Then tape the design to your pumpkin and use a pin to poke the outline of the pattern before carving.

Carving with this Halloween stencil is sure to be a hoot. This easy stencil calls for minimal carving—you'll mostly be etching around the image. If this design is too spooky for you, try carving a pretty owl pumpkin instead.

This snake pumpkin carving is actually made by etching out the body. Use our free pumpkin carving template to create the design. Once you've mastered the technique, try making several to create an eerie Halloween display.

This carved design produces an evil-eyed, glowing creature who'll guard your front porch throughout the Halloween season.

These zombie pumpkins are one spooky way to greet your Halloween guests. To create the zombie theme, cut a simple open circle around the hand stencil. Complete the scary pumpkin scene by etching grass below the hand, giving it the appearance of rising from the grave.

Plant an eerie Halloween forest on your front porch with these crow and tree pumpkin carving stencils. Complete the display with a scattering of artificial crows (Etsy) and stacked pumpkins.

Create a bone-chilling Halloween jack-o'-lantern with this free skull pumpkin stencil. Carve the face and use a simple etching technique to create the teeth. Add a truly creepy touch by threading a rubber snake through the eyes.

Create an enchanting Halloween display with our printable cottage pumpkin stencil. To build this charming house, simply etch and carve two windows and a door. Finish the display with a carved mushroom pumpkin and a few faux bugs.

Related: Learn How to Etch a Pumpkin for Halloween

Don't be a deer in the headlights when it comes to finding a pumpkin face to etch. Imagine a full moon for a buck's bright stroll through the woods. This easy pumpkin stencil requires just a simple etching technique.

Use our grinning Pomeranian stencil to carve a sweet puppy pumpkin. To create your dog Halloween pumpkin, print the stencil and gently trace it on to your pumpkin. Carve and etch to create the finished design.

Capture the beauty of falling leaves with our free pumpkin carving stencils. Etch the designs onto a pumpkin, then, when finished, coat with Vaseline. This will help extend the life of your etched pumpkins.

Create a Halloween pumpkin that looks just like your favorite cat. Our stencil outlines exactly how to etch the pumpkin to create realistic looking fur. Add a battery-operated tea light candle and the cat design glows from the inside out.

Guess which holiday this pumpkin face loves? Spell out your enthusiasm for Halloween by carving the word into your pumpkin's mouth with this clever design.

This free pumpkin face stencil might look mischievous for Halloween, but it's actually pretty easy to carve. Trick or treaters will love this pumpkin's fangs and big eyes peering out from your front porch.

Roar onto the Halloween scene with a pumpkin that'll show  you're king of the neighborhood carving competition. If this free animal pumpkin carving stencil stands out as a favorite, you can plan a whole zoo of pumpkins for next year.

Sink your teeth into this clever design that isn't a pain in the neck to carve. Our pumpkin face template will help you create a vampire with fangs and a frightening glare. If you want to create an entire front porch display, we've got quite a collection of free vampire and werewolf pumpkin stencils to choose from.

Display this smiley pumpkin face long enough and you're sure to elicit as many laughs from your neighbors as from the trick or treaters. This pumpkin template is perfect for beginners looking to carve their first Halloween design.

Strategizing for your best-ever Halloween pumpkin? This template is a guaranteed checkmate. Celebrate your inner gamer with this design.

He's got his (one) eye on you. Carve a simple ghoul that's sure to attract stares. As a bonus for beginners, there's no need to worry about getting the eyes symmetrical for this cyclops face—making it an easy pumpkin carving idea for kids.

Who needs a full set of chompers when you've got a grin this goofy on your Halloween pumpkin? This grinning pumpkin stencil will light up your Halloween display—and luckily, fewer teeth mean fewer difficulties when carving.

This Halloween scaredy cat looks like it's crossed its own path. The Halloween black cat stencil is a bit tricky to carve, but it's definitely a treat for the kids in your neighborhood. If you want your pumpkin to look more like the family cat, choose from our free pumpkin stencils of favorite cat breeds.

This "trick-or-treat" stencil will have you ready with a welcoming carved pumpkin on Halloween night. The design is meant for advanced carvers—so be sure to print out the template before starting.

This skeleton stencil is scared speechless. Carve our stitched pumpkin face with wide eyes, a pointed nose, and a thin smile.

Turn your front porch into a graveyard with this bony pumpkin carving stencil. Pro tip: Start with the detail work on the skeleton's face, then work your way down to the arms and out to the face's outline. This will fit right in with your existing skeleton decor.

Our cat stencil is so cute, you might find yourself wanting to cuddle with your jack-o'-lantern. This design is the sophisticated version of our "scaredy-cat" pumpkin stencil, so print this template when you're in the mood for a Halloween carving challenge.

This vampire has its next prey in sight—and it's definitely your Halloween candy corn. When you're brainstorming pumpkin faces to carve, choose this template to celebrate the shadowy figures of the night.

Ready for a challenging pumpkin template? Use this detailed design to carve special Halloween wishes for all who pass by your yard.

A bewitching pumpkin stencil will turn your yard into the perfect hangout for neighborhood ghouls. This face will glow at guests, creating flickers of fear. For the ultimate haunted house, display this witch on your front porch, surrounded by other witch-themed Halloween decorations.

Trace this beginner's bat template onto your pumpkin, and it just might take a quick flight around the block. Carry the theme through the rest of the house with more bat-inspired Halloween crafts you can make yourself.

A full moon is the perfect backdrop for a howling wolf pumpkin template. You'd be barking mad not to try this clever pumpkin carving design for Halloween.

A smiling pumpkin will get everyone into the Halloween spirit. This goofy design will have trick-or-treaters smiling right back.

This creepy crow stencil might have guests flying away before they even get to the door. If you're free as a bird when it comes to pumpkin templates, consider this design.

A cheesy grin and fun freckles will have your pumpkin ready for his closeup. Print this Halloween stencil, carve along the dotted lines, and get ready for a selfie with this toothy jack-o'-lantern.

When this scary tree came to life, even the bats were spooked away. Carve this detailed design with intricate branches reaching around the pumpkin, then top it off with fluttering bats for a truly haunted tree.

No one would dare steal candy while this snarling pumpkin is watching—but young pumpkin carvers will enjoy this easy stencil.

Even with his long fangs, this goofy Dracula looks friendly. This pumpkin carving stencil can make a really easy last-minute Halloween design when you use cookie cutters to form the eyes. Once that's done, all that's left to carve is a grin and two fantastic fangs.

Create a ghostly graveyard by carving this free pumpkin stencil into a group of pumpkins decorated as Halloween's favorite monsters.

A creeping cat is on the lookout for spooky creatures. This difficult design will challenge the best of pumpkin carvers, so bring your best stenciling skills.

This goofy pumpkin carving design will have kids laughing all night. Use our free stencil to make your own silly-faced jack-o'-lantern.

This jokester prefers tricks over treats. Carve out the eyes, nose, and mouth, but don't carve the tongue shape. Instead, use a scraping tool to etch the tongue so that the lighter color rind shows.

If there's a mystery that needs solving, invite this disguised pumpkin into your yard. We're loving the sunglasses and mustache combination on this not-so-spooky jack-o'-lantern.

This pumpkin is all grins—even if he only has two teeth. Use our free stencil to transfer this funny face to a festive jack-o'-lantern. Choose from our other printable pumpkin stencils to make your front porch the spookiest on the block.