Photo: Irina Wilhauk (Shutterstock)
Even if you hate basic fall activities prefer to do something more unique in the autumn, you’ll probably find yourself at a pumpkin patch at some point this month. It is jack-o-lantern season, after all. And while pumpkin-hunting may be basic, your carvings don’t need to be. There are cool, unexpected patterns to be had—for free—all over the internet. Here are some of our favorite resources.
If you love funky designs…
For interesting patterns that are anything but run-of-the-mill, check out Pumpkin Lady, a site with loads of free templates for you to print and use. There’s a whole section dedicated to skulls, but there’s more than your standard Halloween fare, too. For instance, there’s also a “Winter Wonderland” section so you could theoretically carve pumpkins...to use as Christmas decorations?
We’re partial to this one, which looks like the Mothman, or this ridiculously adorable goblin answering a door. The stencils for individual bubble letters allow you to make your own phrases. (Bonus: This one just says “eat, drink, and be hairy,” which is hilarious.)
If you’re into pop culture…
Pumpkin Lady also has a section of famous faces, which includes the likes of Angelina Jolie, Danielle Radcliffe, and Edgar Allan Poe, but you have plenty of options if you’re looking for pop culture templates elsewhere. Interested in Wonder Woman or Baby Groot? Halloweencostumes.com has those for free—and they’re super easy to carve.
If you like sports…
Big sports fans who love Halloween will really love some athletic-themed jack-o-lantern patterns. If you care more about college football than trick-or-treating, carve your pumpkin to cheer on your favorite team. Spook Master has patterns for the Alabama Crimson Tide, Florida Gators, Kentucky Wildcats, and way more.
If pro sports are more your speed, Pumpkin Pile has NFL teams (as well as the NFL logo itself) and MLB teams like the Braves and the Twins even have free templates available for download on their official sites.
If you want to DIY it…
We already covered one set of bubble letters above, courtesy of Pumpkin Lady, but if you really want to make your own sayings or custom patterns, you have more options. At Muse Printables, for instance, there are a ton of intricate, detailed letters for you to choose from. Download them and size them as small as you need to so they fit on the pumpkin. You can choose letters and numbers in candles, ones surrounded by delicate leaves or by flames, and way more.
