Bengal Cat Pumpkin Stencil

Creating a detailed pumpkin design, like this etched and carved Bengal face, places more stress on the pumpkin shell than carving a basic jack-o'-lantern face. To prevent accidental breakage, we recommend starting in the center of your design and working your way outward. Complete all etched sections first, then return to the center of your design when you're ready to carve. For best results, we recommend carving sections from the center outward, too.

To carve:

1. To start, clean out your pumpkin and scrape the interior wall to about 1" thickness on the side you're intending to carve. Stick the Bengal cat pattern on the pumpkin's side and secure it with tape.

2. Use a push pin or needle tool to pierce the pattern lines, keeping pin marks within 1/8" of each other. Be sure to puncture both the paper and the pumpkin skin. After all lines have been duplicated onto the surface of the pumpkin, remove the stencil.

3. Review the printed stencil to find areas within dotted lines. Etch those areas by removing the pumpkin's top layer with a gouge, following our etching tips above. Find stencil areas within solid lines and carve them with a thin linoleum-cutting knife.

4. Light up your Bengal face design by placing a tea candle in the pumpkin's hollowed-out cavity.