For years, we’ve carved our pumpkins in good ole jack-o’-lantern form (triangle eyes and all) but a few years ago we tried using a pumpkin carving pattern and now we’re hooked! There are loads of great free carving patterns online and I thought I’d share some of my favorite dog stencil patterns along with hundreds of other great non-pet related options too! (post includes affiliate links – see my full disclosure statement {here})
Pumpkin Carving Tools
If you haven’t used a carving pattern before, it’s pretty simple. Clean out your pumpkin as usual, print out the pattern you’ve chosen (if needed, you can resize it on your computer or use a photocopier to get the pattern size that best fits your pumpkin), and then attach the pattern to your pumpkin with tape. Then use a piercing tool to make closely spaced pin pricks along the stencil lines followed by using a small knife to carve the pattern.
You can use what you have at home (a nail or metal skewer as a piercing tool and regular knife for carving) but having a carving kit makes it SO much easier. I recommend a stainless steel kit instead of plastic one since the plastic tools have a tendency to break. I have and love {this pumpkin carving tool kit} that comes with a storage case:
Not only do I like the tools in it, but the scoop with the serrated edges is so helpful for scooping out the gunk!
Dog Stencils
Being a total animal lover, some of my favorite stencils are dog-related so I’ve tracked down some awesome dog pumpkin carving stencil patterns to share with you! A GREAT source for patterns of all sorts of different dog breeds is Better Homes and Gardens’ Set of 24 Dog Stencils that you can find {HERE}. We used {this pug pattern} in their stencil set several years ago to carve this pumpkin:
This golden retriever pumpkin carving pattern is also so cute:
Other dog breeds they have in their stencil set are a bulldog, border collie, schnauzer, Labrador retriever, beagle, boxer, cavalier King Charles, german shepherd, chihuahua, cocker spaniel, Pomeranian, Jack Russell, Scottish terrier, dachshund, German shorthaired pointer, doberman pinscher, Rottweiler, poodle, Shih Tzu, Siberian husky, and Yorkshire terrier. They also have a Boston terrier stencil pattern that we tried years ago – we had a little incident with the nose 😂 but it turned out pretty well too:
Better Homes and Gardens also has a collection of Carving Stencils of Favorite Cat Breeds that you can find {HERE}.
Vitabone also has a set of five simple dog-related pumpkin carving stencils that you can find {HERE} including stencils for paw prints, these crossed dog bones,
and more.
Also check out {this Etsy shop} that has several dog breed pumpkin carving stencils that you can buy and immediately download for use.
Other Pumpkin Stencils
Along with dog stencil patterns, Better Homes & Gardens has some great Woodland Themed Pumpkin Stencils {HERE} such as this raccoon carving pattern:
Martha Stewart’s online site includes several pumpkin carving patterns, including a pattern for creating this cool night owl pumpkin {HERE}:
Other design favorites I’ve found are this haunted tree stencil {HERE}:
and a flame design pattern {HERE} that allows you to create a faux campfire with a group of small pumpkins:
A few of my other favorites are this owl and falling leaves pattern found {HERE},
and this Happy Goblins pattern found {HERE}:
There are TONS of other free patterns out there too – here are some great sources if you want to continue your pattern search:
HGTV Beginner Halloween Pumpkin-Carving Templates: 99 templates designed for beginner carvers
DLTK Pumpkin Carving Patterns: over 50 patterns in a variety of designs
BHG Vampires, Werewolves, Ghosts, & Other Iconic Halloween Pumpkin Stencils: 12 traditional designs
Pumpkin Pile: Hundreds of patterns including traditional designs, cartoons, movie and sports figures, super heroes, celebrities, animals, video games, and car symbols
Looking for some fun Halloween treats to make too? Check out this post on Halloween treats (an oldie but goodie!) to see how to create two quick and easy ones – popcorn monster hands and witch hat cookies!
And see how to make a super simple Halloween mummy pillow in {this post}:
Happy carving!
Maria Morley says
Thanks for all of the resources! I love using pumpkin patterns — our pumpkins always turn out great that way! But I had no idea there were so many places to find them online!