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As pumpkin spice continues to run rampant — maybe a little too rampant (Seriously, has anybody else seen those pumpkin spice tortilla chips? Calm yourselves) — it’s time we admit it: Halloween season is finally here. And you know what that means: treats and tricks, boo baskets… and pumpkin-carving with some of the best jack-o’-lantern templates out there.
Maybe your Halloween tradition is to carve a single pumpkin, set out a bowl of candy, and watch from the window as all the tiny witches and ghosts clamor on your porch steps. Maybe you go for a full-blown haunted house, make a holiday treat, and have officially listed pumpkin carving as a special skill on your resume. Or maybe you’re a fan of watching kid-friendly Halloween movies,reading Halloween stories with the kids, and sending them off for trick-or-treating with their friends while you turn off all the lights and pretend no one is home.
However you do Halloween, if pumpkin carving is on the agenda, chances are you could use some inspiration (we know we could).
We’ve rounded up over 100 pumpkin-carving templates and patterns for Halloween to make sure your spooky squashes get oohed and aahed by trick-or-treaters of all ages. From classic to modern, easy to difficult, we’ve got something for everyone — and every skill level. (Need even more? Check out our adorable dog breed pumpkin-carving templates too!)
Once you’ve picked the perfect jack-o-lantern face, how you carve your pumpkin is up to you. Whatever utensil you use — serrated knife, linoleum cutter, X-acto knife — just make sure your kiddos aren’t handling them unsupervised (unless it’s this pumpkin carving kit just for kids)! An ice cream scoop makes getting those guts a simple task, and a thin coating of petroleum jelly on the cut areas helps seal in moisture to make it last longer.
So browse our selection of free pumpkin carving templates (just download and print ’em), roll up your sleeves, squish some pumpkin guts, and get ready to brag — because these templates are absolutely spooktacular.
A version of this article was originally published in March 2014.
A Purr-fect Pumpkin
This feline face is puuurrfect, especially if your kiddo is dressing up as a kitty this year.
Lovable Face
We’re all heart eyes for this free emoji template. This friendly face drawing from DLTK offers all the fun without the fright.
Smiley Creature
If ultra-frightening things aren’t your thing, this happier ghoul will do. Because the last thing you want to do is actually scare the living daylights out of your child. And if you’re in need of a kid-friendly carving kit, check this one out.
Witch on a Broom
There’s nothing more Halloween-y than a witch on her broom. Use a witch template like this one to coordinate the pumpkin with their costume. Anyone else want to try their hand at flying?
A Cute Bat
This little guy’s big eyes make him more cute than scary.
Is That You, Batman?
If your littles are obsessed with superheros, feel free to tell them this pumpkin is the Bat Sign for Batman. They’ll be thrilled — although you might have them walking around using the Batman voice for a few weeks.
Get to the Point
With its outstretched wings and pointy ears, this bat is spookily easy to carve. It will look sooo good with a little candle light coming through the pumpkin.
Three’s a Crowd
Did you know that a group of bats is called a colony?
Bats in Flight
With their wings extended, doesn’t it feel like these bats are coming right at you?
Cat Face
Sharp teeth, wide eyes, and whiskers, oh my! This cat is looking for trouble!
Contemporary Face
If the classic toothy pumpkin grin isn’t your thing, try this funky and modern face inspired by contemporary art.
Devil Pumpkin
Check out this ghoulish glare! It has more teeth than we can handle, but it’ll make an awesome pumpkin.
Dog Face
Where would we be without our loyal fuzzy companions? Don’t let the cats have all the Halloween fun.
The Jack O’Lantern
This jack-o-lantern is sure to scare off those kids who try to snag an extra handful of candy.
Lopsided Jack O’Lantern
Lopsided grins are in, aren’t they? So embrace the imperfections on your pumpkin.
Grinning Jack O’Lantern
Smile or grimace? Maybe they’re grinning. Who knows, just go with it.
Crescent Eyed Jack O’Lantern
Loopy crescent moon eyes? Why not!
Friendly Jack O’Lantern
Friendly and inviting, this jack o’lantern won’t scare anyone away.
Triangle Jack O’Lantern
Triangles are easy to carve, and younger kids will love trying their hand at this design.
Big Grin Jack O’Lantern
Grinning from non-existent ear to non-existent ear.
Melting Jack O’Lantern
Simple and perfect for those taller pumpkins, this melting face is super easy.
One Tooth Jack O’Lantern
All smiles from this gap-toothed pumpkin.
Jagged Jack O’Lantern
If you make a mistake, no worries: Make your pumpkin’s evil smile as misshapen as you like.
Slime Jack O’Lantern
Add some green slime oozing out for bonus points.
Cross-eyed Jack O’Lantern
Cross-eyed never looked so good.
Sad Jack O’Lantern
Tell your kids this is the face they’ll be making if they eat too much candy.
Spooky Jack O’Lantern
Thus guy is spooky and intimidating.
Menace Jack O’Lantern
Rounded edges are a little trickier for kids, so you might have to help them out with this goofy Halloween menace.
Reversed Jack O’Lantern
If you think triangle noses and square teeth are overrated, let your kid draw their own face on the pumpkin to make a masterpiece.
Eyebrow Jack O’Lantern
This jack o’lantern has better eyebrows than I do.
Funny Jack O’Lantern
All edges and lines make this face a funny one.
Creepiest Jack O’Lantern
Sheesh, talk about creepy.
Mean Jack O’Lantern
This design is truly terrifying, but we love the details on the teeth.
Surprised Jack O’Lantern
Surprise! Another modern twist on the classic face.
Minimalist Jack O’Lantern
Match your minimalist home decor style with this minimalist and perfectly Halloween pumpkin template.
Classic Jack O’Lantern
More along the classic lines, these are pumpkin features everyone will recognize.
Easy Jack O’Lantern
If you have younger kids, this is the template for them. One snaggle tooth makes it easy-peasy.
Alien Jack O’Lantern
Space your jack o’lanterns eyes apart for an alien look.
Cookie Cutter Jack O’Lantern
For round eyes, use cookie cutters to get that perfect circle, and then finish cutting them out with a knife.
Ghoulish Jack O’Lantern
This ghoulish smile will enchant all your trick-or-treaters.
Oh! Jack O’Lantern
To be super extra, save some of the pumpkin guts as you’re scooping out your pumpkin, and once you’ve carved a face, leave a glob of the guts hanging out of the mouth. Instant pumpkin vomit. Gross.
Frown Jack O’Lantern
Use this template as an example to show your kiddos how many teeth they’ll have left if they eat all their Halloween candy.
Wailing Jack O’Lantern
Wailing pumpkins warn trick-or-treaters of what creepy crawlies are out tonight.
Nosey Jack O’Lantern
The triangular dual nostrils make this jack o’lantern look skeletal.
Winking Jack O’Lantern
This cheeky bugger is pro-trick, anti-treat.
Sad Clown Jack O’Lantern
If a sad clown is what you’re gonig for, this template is perfect.
Skull Jack O’Lantern
This skull-looking template accentuates its scary mouth with fangs.
Original Jack O’Lantern
Mix it up with different-shaped mouths and eyes for a really original jack o’lantern.
Jagged Jack O’Lantern
This jagged grin is sure to make your trick-or-treaters smile.
Evil Stare Jack O’Lantern
Is it just me, or is this guy looking AT you?
Grumpy Jack O’Lantern
All work and no play makes this jack o’lantern one for the books.
Angry Jack O’Lantern
Let the trick-or-treating begin!
Goofy Smile Jack O’Lantern
This template has a lot of curves, which are easier to achieve if you use a spoon to scrape any hard edges away once you’ve carved your face.
Toothy Smile Jack O’Lantern
Those eyebrows, though!
Spooky Ghost
Spooky ghosts, goblins and ghouls come out to play on Halloween night.
Creepy House
Haunted houses are the perfect Halloween night fright, and this template is complete with tiny tombstones.
Moon and Bats
This trio of furry friends are flying around a crescent moon, but feel free to customize the moon to whichever phase you like best.
Pumpkin
A pumpkin on a pumpkin. How meta.
Spikey Smile
Yikes, check out that spiky smile.
Mischevious Smile
This guy is clearly up to no good.
Scary Face
The jagged edges to this creature’s mouth look like stitches.
The Most Scary Face
This is a pretty scary-looking face; the curved edges to the smile give it that extra-creepy touch. Tiny ones might want to steer clear of this pumpkin.
Terribly Scary Face
This template is great if your kiddos aren’t great at making straight lines. This more free-form face is very forgiving of any carving mistakes your kid might make.
Another Scary Face
Again, this template is very forgiving for tiny hands that aren’t great at following straight lines.
Devilish Scary Face
Devil horn-shaped eyes make this demonic visage extra creepy.
Ghostly Teeth
These teeth are goofy and make your Halloween pumpkin stand out.
Skull
Skeletons and skulls are Halloween royalty, and this skull is no exception.
Unusual Skull
This is an unusual skull that adds crossbones to the design.
Old-School Skull
Skulls are the perfect Halloween decor, for graveyards or your porch.
Detailed Skull
This skull has finer lines and more detail to make it look more realistic.
Skull and Crossbones
Cartoony and perfect for kids, this template gives you the ultimate universally known symbol for danger, with a fun twist.
Dracula
Dracula is king of the night, and doesn’t his smile look a lot like a bat?
Drippy Face
Yiiiiikes.
Intense Spider
Spiders and creepy crawlies, oh my!
Graphic Spider
This more wavy spider template is easy and fun.
Spooky Tree
Bare tree branches suddenly look like arms reaching out for you in the night on Halloween.
Scaredy Cat
You can almost hear this cat hissing.
Ghost and Moon
These ghosts around the moon are the perfect Halloween silhouette.
Animal Face
This cute face is adorable, and a welcome break from the spooky pumpkins that usually grace peoples’ porches.
Crescent Moon
The simplest design, and you can keep it up as long as your pumpkin lasts, as it’s not Halloween-specific.
Scream Face
This recognizable droopy scream face wil give fans of the horror genre an instant throwback.
Eerie Melting Face
Unusal and eerie, this face will haunt your dreams.
Smiley Face with Teeth
This is perhaps the most unsettling face you could put on your pumpkin.
Big Smile with Teeth
Alright, I take it back, THIS is the most unsettling face you could put on a pumpkin.
Halloween Symbols
All the iconic symbols of Halloween, together on one pumpkin.
Spiked Trick or Treat
The two most spoken words on Halloween night.
Trick of Treat
Tell it like it is.
Happy Halloween
Say it loud, say it proud.
Classic Happy Halloween
You know it.
Spooky Tree
This spooky tree lives up to its name, and will be even spookier by candlelight.
Haunted House
Haunted houses scream with Halloween spirit, and now you can bring one to your front door with this cute template.
Creepy Tree
Ok this is a super difficult one to carve, but more power to you if you try.
Back from the Dead
Zombies are out tonight — beware!
Graveyard
Graveyards are the perfect place for some Halloween magic.
Cat
This cute and cuddly buddy is a great sidekick for all your little witches in training.
Black Cat
This feline has her eye on you.
Hogwarts
Potterheads will recognize this as the infamous Hogwarts — but it’s a great creepy castle even if you’re not a Harry Potter fan.
Scary Ghost
Ghosts aren’t all cute like Casper, and this one looks like it’s up to no good!
Storm Trooper
Star Wars fans rejoice: Now you can have your very own storm trooper for Halloween thanks to this template.
One-eyed Monster
This cyclops is too friendly to scare trick-or-treaters.
Frankenstein
Frankenstein is back from the dead and feeling festive.
Ninja
Halloweeninja.
Friendly Frank
Frankenstein’s monster may be scary in the book, but this version is more cute than spooky!
Pumpkin Pikachu
Who doesn’t know a kid that’s Pokémon-obsessed? Give them a thrill this Halloween by letting them carve a pumpkin Pikachu!
A Devilish Donald
Donald Duck is dressed up for Halloween too in this devilishly-good template!
A Creepy Crawly
Yikes! Stick this template on multiple parts of the pumpkin to have a whole family of spiders crawling their way down.
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