Pumpkin Carving Patterns: Fun Ideas from 27 Free Stencils

Get ideas to get carving: While lots of pumpkin decorating ideas don't involve a knife at all, there's nothing like a light-filled jack-o'-lantern to put that finishing touch on your homemade Halloween decorations. Years of pumpkin carving projects have taught us that it’s much easier to create memorable designs when you start with a stencil. So we found the best pumpkin patterns, from eerie faces to clever emoticons, and turned them into easy-to-use, free carving templates. Print the stencil you like, tape it on your hollowed-out pumpkin, and "trace" the pattern's lines by poking pinholes over them. Then pull the paper off, carve over the pinhole lines, and you’ll have a jack-o'-lantern ready for Halloween.