Create creepy Halloween carvings with these pumpkin stencils

Along with dressing up as monsters and eating more sweets than you probably should, carving a pumpkin is one of Halloween’s main events. And while some people are skilful enough to make their pumpkins optical illusions that border on trompe l’oeil, it’s no secret that some people struggle with the task.

Luckily the team at Real Simple are here to help with a collection of Halloween stencils that are sure to transform your pumpkins into petrifying powerhouses. Simply print them off, cut out the black areas, then stick them onto your pumpkins as a guide.

Once you’ve carefully used a knife to carve out the negative space on the stencil, simply pop in a candle and your pumpkin is ready to terrify kids of all ages.