Raccoon Pumpkin Stencil

Gather a variety of tools to form this cute raccoon face. A pin tool (like the one you'll use to poke holes along the stencil lines) is useful for creating small circles, such as the ones that form this raccoon's pupils. A drill fitted with a tiny bit works well, too. Just make sure the drill bit is long enough to completely puncture the pumpkin wall, otherwise candlelight won't shine through.

To carve:

1. Print out the free raccoon stencil and resize it with a photocopier to fit your pumpkin, if necessary. Tape the stencil to the side of your cleaned-out pumpkin.

2. Prick along the stencil lines with a long pin tool, puncturing through the stencil page into the pumpkin's skin. Keep pin marks closely spaced. When you've transferred all stencil lines to the pumpkin, remove the printed stencil but keep it nearby for reference.

3. Etch areas surrounded by dotted lines on the stencil. To etch, gouge away the pumpkin's skin with a scraper or etching power tool. Be careful not to puncture the pumpkin wall; you should scrape away just the top layer, revealing the light-color rind below.

4. Carve areas surrounded by solid lines on the stencil. Use a thin, serrated knife to cut completely through the pumpkin wall, sawing gently along the pin-prick guidelines. Leave cutout sections in place until you've finished carving the design, then press gently from inside the pumpkin to pop these sections outward.

5. Add a flameless candle to your carved pumpkin's interior for a pretty glow.