Cat on a Broom Pumpkin Stencil

Feel free to experiment with different tools and methods to achieve the best effect. For example, if you find that small details, like this cat's carved eyes, are difficult to create with a regular pumpkin-carving knife, try etching the area with a gouge and using a needle tool to punch through the pumpkin rind and clear out the space. If you don't mind perfectly-circular eyes, you also could use a power drill fitted with a tiny bit to bore through the pumpkin wall.

To carve:

1. Download and print our free cat-on-a-broom stencil pattern, and secure it to the side of your hollowed-out pumpkin with clear tape. Mark the pattern onto the pumpkin's surface by punching holes along the stencil lines with a large nail or a pin tool; keep holes closely spaced for best results.

2. Take off the pattern, and use a skinny, serrated pumpkin-carving knife to saw smoothly along the hole guidelines. Allow cutout sections to remain within the pumpkin wall until the entire design has been carved; dislodge those pieces by pressing on them gently from within the pumpkin.

3. Highlight your design by placing a tealight candle or flameless candle inside the pumpkin.