Nervous Face Pumpkin Stencil

Looking for a fun and easy pumpkin carving to add to your Halloween porch vignette? Put this high-strung jack-o'-lantern in context by positioning menacing decorations nearby. We think a fiery-eyed Angry Face Pumpkin looming overhead would perfectly justify his anxiety. Some pumpkins just can't take the heat!

To carve:

1. This nervous face is one of our favorite pumpkin faces to carve, but it isn't the only one! Log in to BHG.com to download our free pumpkin face stencils. Print the pattern; reduce or enlarge the pattern size to fit your pumpkin if necessary.

2. Fasten the pattern to the pumpkin's side with tape, and reproduce the pattern onto the pumpkin by using a pushpin to puncture the stencil lines, piercing both the paper and the pumpkin skin. (Hint: For best results, keep pin pricks within 1/8 inch of each other.)

3. Take down the pattern, and slice along the pin holes with a linoleum-cutting knife. Leave cutout sections in place until you've carved the entire design, then push gently on the sections from the pumpkin's interior to dislodge them.

4. Place a votive candle inside the pumpkin to highlight your carved design.