There are literally hundreds of free pumpkin stencils and pumpkin carving patterns to choose from online. All great alternatives to carving or painting a pumpkin. Here are a list of some of my favorite stencils….the best part? They’re all FREE!

Here are step by step directions for how to use a pumpkin stencil. The quick version is print your stencil on regular paper (so it can bend around your pumpkin), lightly clean the surface of your pumpkin, then have a friend hold the stencil in place while you trace the outlines. Easy!

Get these 250 FREE pumpkin carving patterns

Disney Pumpkin Stencils – If you’re looking for FREE Disney pumpkin stencils you’re in luck! Here is a list of over 40 Disney pumpkin stencils including everything from princesses to villains! Our favorite is Ariel..what’s yours?

Celebrity Pumpkin Stencils – Want to make your pumpkin look like Lady Gaga, Justin Beiber, or Kate Middleton? Better Homes and Gardens has a list of 12 pop culture pumpkin stencils that feature many popular celebrities!

Classic/Scary Stencil – Cats, scary faces, and ghosts are a few of the characters you’ll find among these stencils. This list of 10 classic pumpkin stencils has options for beginner and advanced pumpkin carvers that are sure to scare trick-or-treaters!

Reader’s Digest Pumpkin Templates – Reader’s Digest has created a slideshow of 27 cute and scary pumpkin carving templates. We love this starry night pumpkin! Do you?

Pumpkin Masters Carving Patterns – This year Pumpkin Masters is offering up 7 FREE pumpkin carving patterns. These include spiders, witches, and more!

Frozen Stencils – Do you have a Frozen obsessed child in your family? I do! My nephew is obsessed with Frozen so these stencils had to make the list. Parenting Beyond has a list of 6 FREE Frozen pumpkin stencils that all look pretty simple. Yay!

Hershey’s Pumpkin Stencils – Right now you can choose from 29 pumpkin stencils from Hershey’s. These stencils include everything from classic designs to Hershey Kisses. Fun! Even better, the designs are broken up into three categories: beginner, intermediate and advanced. This will make it easy to find a stencil that works for your skill level.

UnHalloween Pumpkin Stencils – This list of 100 UnHalloween pumpkin stencils has some very unexpected templates. These include animals, celebrities, patriotic designs, Christian designs and more!

Cat Stencils –  If you’re a cat lover you’ll love this list of 28 Cat Stencils. The stencils include cute and scary designs and range from easy to advanced.

Easy Pumpkin Patterns – If you’re a beginner (like me!) these 14 easy pumpkin patterns are perfect for you. These patterns are VERY simple which makes them great for kids!