Holidays & Occasions Halloween Halloween Decor 20 Easy Printable Pumpkin Carving Patterns By Southern Living Editors Southern Living Editors Since 1966, the editors of Southern Living have been carrying out the mission of the brand: to bring enjoyment, fulfillment, and inspiration to our readers by celebrating life in the South. We inspire creativity in their homes, their kitchens, their gardens, and their personal style. We are a friend they can trust, a guide to the seasons, a helping hand during the holidays, and a relentless champion of the Southern way of life. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on October 8, 2020 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Quentin Bacon If you've ever picked out a pumpkin carving template and realized you've bit off more than you were actually prepared to saw, we're here to help you out. You can achieve a beautiful, porch-worthy pumpkin without a complicated carving process, and these easy pumpkin templates are here to prove it. Free to download and simple to print, these pumpkin patterns will help you and your family create glowing designs that are sure to be the talk of the block. From a goofy ghost or monster pumpkin with a smile that's anything but spooky to phrases and sayings full of Halloween spirit, these easy pumpkin carving stencils will make you look like a pumpkin pro. With all of these printable pumpkin carving patterns, you're sure to find the perfect pumpkin ideas for your front door. If you need a little bit more direction, check out our complete guide to using a pumpkin carving pattern. No time for carving? Try one of our no-carve pumpkin decorating ideas instead. 01 of 20 Printable Daisy Pumpkin Pattern Printable Daisy Pumpkin Pattern It's that time of year again. Time to plan a pumpkin carving party and create some pretty decorative patterns. Whether you want them to adorn pumpkins placed on your porch, front steps, or mantle, we've got the pumpkin pattern for you. This pattern, an easy daisy print, is great for pumpkin-carving beginners. With a few simple steps, this cheerful pattern will make any pumpkin display pop. Our printable Halloween pumpkin carving patterns make it easy to create great luminaries to light up a walk, driveway, porch, or stairway. Click the links in this slide show to download printable PDF files for each of the patterns. 02 of 20 Bendy Ghost Template Download our Bendy Ghost template This template—as you can see—is a classic for good reason. The bendy ghost is a whimsical, if slightly spooky, addition to any pumpkin carving session. And it's true: Nothing says a Halloween jack-o'-lantern quite like a ghost glowing on your front steps. The bendy ghost is best paired with a smoke machine, as his shape looks like a diaphanous specter rising into the night sky. This template is also great for any art history lovers out there. Why? We this template looks a bit like Edvard Munch's painting, "The Scream." We guarantee that this template will be a crowd pleaser at your next Halloween gathering—for kids and art history buffs alike. 03 of 20 Fancy "Boo" Template Download our Fancy "Boo" template With this template, your gourds will have lots to say. Dive into the holiday by giving your front porch a fancy "Boo," which couldn't be easier thanks to this fun pumpkin template. For those pumpkin carvers who are smitten with type and design, this will be the holiday template for you. It's simple and classic with a cheeky Halloween flair. By adding a few tea lights to its hollowed out interior, every trick-or-treater that approaches your home will see a flickering "Boo" inviting them to the front door. Line up a series of these pumpkins on your front steps for major festive impact. 04 of 20 Scary Ghost Template Your front porch will be the spookiest one on the block when a Scary Ghost pumpkin is front and center. Carve a spooky pumpkin for your front porch or for your Halloween party with a little help from our easy as can be scary ghost template. With a little effort, this one will make major ghoulish waves. It is Halloween, after all, and we like a bit of fun, spooky decoration. Think of this pumpkin template as more Ghostbusters-inspired and less Caspar the Friendly Ghost. If you want to channel a friendly ghost, though, all you need to do is turn that template ghost's frown upside down. 05 of 20 Fall Cluster Leaves Template Download our Fall Cluster Leaves template For an elegant carving, try this template. In no time, you'll carve a pretty pumpkin for your porch with a little help from our Fall Cluster Leaves template. This template is one of our most autumnal; it is also one of our loveliest. It is made up of a cluster of cartoon shapes reminiscent of the season's falling red and gold foliage. This one is a favorite of gardeners, of course, as well as anyone who enjoys walking outdoors and crunching over piles of fallen leaves during this crisp season. This pumpkin looks great paired with an autumnal wreath. Weave some crisp red and gold leaves into your wreath to really tie in all elements of your fall display. 06 of 20 Bold "Boo" Template Download our Bold "Boo" template Be bold this Halloween season with our bold "Boo" template. This pumpkin carving template a fun way to lighten up your porch. It adds a little bit of festive typography to your home. Much like our slim Boo template, this one is a funny, cheeky addition to any porch or mantle. Alternate bold and slim "Boo" carved pumpkins for a cluster of designy Halloween decor. It is also a great addition to any haunted house. It is especially appropriate when there are people dressed up like ghosts stationed behind every corner, people who are primed to proclaim the pumpkin's message—"Boo!" to frighten thrill-seeking passersby. 07 of 20 Five Points Leaves Template Download our Five Points Leaves template Carve a pretty pumpkin for your front porch with a little help from our Five Points Leaves template. What are your favorite leaves with five points? We're partial to maple, sycamore, and sweetgum around these parts. (We like our oaks too, but this is a five points leaves template, after all.) These trees offer some of the brightest and boldest foliage in the area. With hues changing from green to red and gold, their leaves set our forests alight with their ever-changing autumnal radiance. There's a special thrill to seeing the first leaves of the season change their colors, and we like to celebrate that change with our five points leaves template. 08 of 20 Howly Ghost Template Download our Howly Ghost template It's getting spooky around here! Give your porch a spooky spin with our Howly Ghost template. We can almost hear the ghoulish cry emitting from this scary character's ethereal figure. He'll send shivers down your spine, so if you want the spookiest of all spooky templates, look no further. This ghost will be your go-to this holiday to scare any friends, family, or unsuspecting trick-or-treaters. It certainly hearkens back to the origins of Halloween, when Celtic people would celebrate the holiday Samhain and use fire to ward off any ghosts that may be lurking near the area around their homes or villages. 09 of 20 Variety Leaves Template Download our Variety Leaves template Give your porch a dose of fall-inspired flair with our pretty Variety Leaves pumpkin template. Carve a few pumpkins with our leaf-inspired templates. You can create a cluster of leaf-adorned pumpkins by using all of our leaf templates—the Variety of Leaves template, the Five Points Leaves template, and the Fall Cluster Leaves template. This way, you will ensure that all of the leaves are represented and that you have a pretty array of autumnal pumpkins, all a bit different but still gorgeous and foliage-inspired. It will create visual interest plus a sophisticated, varied pumpkin scene. After all, variety is the spice of life. 10 of 20 Solid "Boo" Template Download our Solid "Boo" template Don't be scared! Our "Boo" template is a fun, easy, and festive way to decorate a bunch of pumpkins for your porch. The two last letters in this template are completely open, giving your pumpkin the ultimate glow factor. The lights that you place in the interior of your jack-o'-lantern will flicker wildly, lending Halloween ambience and atmosphere to any area surrounding your carved pumpkin. We think it would be fun to cluster a variety of "Boo" carved pumpkins together, which ultimately intensifies their spooky effect. October is the time for this pumpkin template; you'll be a pumpkin-carving pro in no time! 11 of 20 Falling Leaves Template Download our Falling Leaves template Give your front porch a festive touch with a little help from our Falling Leaves pumpkin carving template. This is a perfect template to use if you want to call to mind long drives in the mountains, soaking in the warm autumn colors, and watching the foliage change its hue in waves across the treetops. Leaves carved into the orange flesh of a pumpkin conjures the leaf colors themselves, as orange is part of the autumnal rainbow that descends over leaves across the South during the season. Try the Falling Leaves template—we guarantee that you'll be dreaming of fall landscapes for weeks to come. 12 of 20 Easy Fall Branch Template Download our Easy Fall Branch template This one may look a bit more difficult than other templates, but in a few steps, your pumpkin will be ready to be poised on your porch. In fact, your porch will be the talk of the block when you decorate your pumpkins with our Easy Fall Branch template. This template uses six separate shapes to give the impression of a waving fall branch. All that's missing is the crisp October wind rustling the leaves overhead. Another great fall leaf template, this one is also elegant and substantial—a very nice design for any porch in your neighborhood. Try this one on any size pumpkin. You can shrink or enlarge the design so that it will fit on smaller or larger pumpkins, depending on your variety of gourds. 13 of 20 Autumn Leaves Template Download our Autumn Leaves template Nestle a pretty pumpkin carved with the help of our Autumn Leaves template on your front porch for a subtle seasonal touch. No matter what Southern state you're in, you can appreciate the beauty of autumn leaves. It's true that parts of Georgia and Florida don't see much of a foliage change, but there's nothing like making a drive through the Blue Ridge Mountains or the Ozarks in search of autumn leaves. Winding blacktop is littered with red and gold remnants of the season. Alternatingly sunny and cloudy skies glance off the leaves, sending sparkling, crisp seasonal sensation in all directions. Think of those trips when you try this template. 14 of 20 Fall Branch Template Download our Fall Branch template This fall branch template is made up of a branch filled with leaves, making it more ornate than our easy fall branch template. While the difficulty level is elevated here, the payoff of this template is fantastic. The frond-like branch pairs perfectly with any pumpkin and the miniature slits that form the leaves give your jack-o'-lantern a gorgeous glowing effect. Carve your pumpkins with our Fall Branch template and bring a major dose of festive decor to your porch. It will require some pumpkin carving effort from the brave carver tackling this template, but the final result is completely worth it. 15 of 20 Big Teeth Smiling Skeleton Download our Big Teeth Smiling Skeleton template bhg.com Bring a whimsical charm to your pumpkin carving with this smiling skeleton. Since it uses mostly large block cutouts, it's one of our easier pumpkin designs. For the best results, you may want to etch before you carve to avoid breakage. 16 of 20 Trick-or-Treat Pumpkin Download our Trick-or-Treat Pumpkin template bhg.com The spirit of the season will be front and center with this festive Halloween carving as a part of your front porch pumpkin display. Though it's one of our more detailed stencils, don't let this design spook you. It's a carving challenge worth taking. 17 of 20 Cat Pumpkin Download our Cat Pumpkin template bhg.com Celebrate your feline friends with this cat carving that's way too cute to be creepy. The cat's thin lips can be a little bit of a carving challenge, but this sweet face is worth the extra effort. 18 of 20 Smiley Face Pumpkin Download our Smiley Face Pumpkin template bhg.com This grinning pumpkin template will light up your Halloween display. With forgiving, wavy lines and a welcoming gap tooth smile, trick-or-treaters will get a laugh when they see this goofy face on your gourd. 19 of 20 Easy Vampire Pumpkin Download our Easy Vampire Pumpkin template bhg.com Sink your teeth into one of the easiest pumpkin carvings around. Kid-friendly and cute, the stencil is great for first time carvers or last-minute Halloween decorators. All it takes is a few simple shapes, and you've got a friendly vampire on your hands. 20 of 20 Frankenstein Pumpkin Frankenstein Pumpkin bhg.com Give this notorious monster life with easy-to-carve, rigid lines and a mischievous gapped smile. His zombie-like gaze may seem full of terror, but we can guarantee this monster is sure to spark some harmless fun. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit