Almond Eyes Pumpkin with Teardrop Fan Cutouts

From pumpkin to porch

1. 1

   Plan and hollow

   Hollow to one inch of wall. Sketch both almond eye positions, including the vertical bar inside each, then mark the three brow cuts per eye and the eighteen teardrop positions fanning out from the eye corners. Total cut count before you start so you can pace yourself.

2. 2

   Cut the triple brow slots

   Cut three curved brow arcs above each eye, working outermost first. Leave clear rind between each arc. Thin brow arcs about a quarter inch wide project enough light to be readable without removing so much material that the forehead area weakens.

3. 3

   Cut the almond eye frames

   Score the almond outline of each eye fully through the wall. Before removing any pieces, score the vertical bar that bisects each almond. Cut along both sides of each bar, then push out the two almond segments on either side. The bar stays firmly attached at both the top and bottom tip of the almond.

4. 4

   Begin the teardrop fan

   Starting from the inner corners of each eye, cut the first teardrop of each fan. Teardrops closest to the eye should point with their narrow tip directly toward the eye rim. Leave rind between each teardrop and between the teardrops and the brow slots.

5. 5

   Complete the outer teardrop arcs

   Work outward from the inner teardrops in arcing rows until all eighteen are complete. For teardrops near the edge of the pumpkin where the rind curves away, approach from a low angle with the knife nearly parallel to the surface to maintain cut depth.

6. 6

   Light and photograph

   Insert a battery LED and view in a dark room. The four lit segments per eye plus the teardrop fans create a radiating, flamelike aura around the eyes with no nose or mouth to interrupt the effect. A wide-angle photograph captures the full fan spread.

Written with AI to match this design