Anyone looking to create an eerie feel around a front stoop to scare trick-or-treaters will want to make sure to place an especially scary pumpkin near the door or walkway.
Scary pumpkin stencils are readily available for free online. Below are two sources of creepy Halloween patterns, ideas for creating unique evil pumpkin faces from scratch, and links to additional pumpkin carving resources.
Free Scary Pumpkin Stencils
The Martha Stewart website offers three scary pumpkin carving patterns in a single PDF file. These three Halloween pumpkin templates have evil-looking eyes and toothy grins that are sure to scare neighborhood children.
Because these pumpkin patterns are sized to print three to a page, they may need to be resized on a copier to the size appropriate for a particular pumpkin.
Printable Halloween Patterns – Creepy Jack-o-Lantern Templates
The Pumpkin Masters website offers several free printable Halloween patterns. Two of the patterns on this page are truly scary. In the one called “Ichabod’s Fate," the pumpkin’s eyes and mouth appear to be made of flames. With a flickering candle inside this design, the effect would be tremendously scary. The other scary pumpkin stencil is named the “Grim Creeper;” it is a creepy hollow-eyed skeleton shrouded in a robe.
By clicking on each thumbnail at the link above, users can open each image as a separate PDF file. To use these Halloween templates, print them and attach with tape to the pumpkin’s flesh, then carve along the pattern’s outline.
Scary Pumpkin Faces – Unique, Evil Designs to Carve
Anyone can create a scary pumpkin face with a little imagination. The key to making a creepy jack-o-lantern is to give it evil eyes, a creepy smile, and a sharply shaped nose.
- Eyes. Slanted eyes always look creepy when paired with an equally scary smile. Triangle shaped eyes may also work in an evil pumpkin design.
- Nose. The key here is to make the nose have pointy edges. A rounded, circle nose shape doesn't have the same effect. A triangle shape looks universally scary. Also, a single tilted slit may achieve a haunting effect.
- Mouth. Consider a zipper look in any shape (smiling, straight across, frowning). This will give the illusion of a toothy grimace. Keep in mind that pointy teeth typically look scarier than square teeth.
Create Creepy Jack-o-Lantern Faces Children Will Remember
When many people think of Halloween trick-or-treating as a child, they think of the times they had to walk up to a house that had an eerie feel, one decorated in cobwebs with haunting music playing in the background. Then, they remember gingerly walking by a scary jack-o-lantern with an evil toothy smile, hoping not to get bitten on the way. Use the free scary pumpkin stencil resources and pumpkin carving tips above to create an evil pumpkin face that all neighborhood children are sure to remember.
Related articles:
- Free Pumpkin Stencils – Two sources of unique pumpkin carving patterns, including cute Disney and fall designs.
- How to Use Pumpkin Stencils – Learn standard pumpkin carving techniques.
- Traditional Pumpkin Carving Design Ideas – Get ideas for creating a traditional Halloween pumpkin.
Lena Gott - Lena Gott is a Certified Public Accountant who gives practical financial advice to her readers.
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