Anger Jack-O-Lantern With Flame and Collar Slots

From pumpkin to porch

1. 1

   Transfer the stencil and plan

   Cut a bottom plug, scoop to 3/4 inch, and dry the exterior. Tape the stencil and trace by pin wheel. Mark the outer contour for shallow backing and flag the flame slot zone at the top as the first cut area.

2. 2

   Shallow-back the outer face contour

   Use a linoleum cutter to remove the outer skin within the face contour boundary. Work outward from the center in short strokes to maintain control. The resulting slightly lighter panel frames the portrait visually against the natural rind.

3. 3

   Cut the flame slots

   Cut the 5-8 short flame and upper accent slots first. These are narrow rectangular or pointed cuts with at least 3/16 inch of solid rind between each one. Finishing the top zone before the face keeps the important face area protected while you get comfortable with the spacing.

4. 4

   Cut the collar slots

   Move to the collar slot group below the face, repeating the same approach. Short narrow cuts with solid rind between them. A craft knife or narrow blade handles the tight slot ends more cleanly than a full saw.

5. 5

   Cut facial openings

   Open the nose and mouth, leaving teeth rooted to the lip. Then cut the eye openings, leaving broad pupil bars attached at the upper rim on each eye. Work through each opening in sequence without jumping between them. Adults handle all sawing.

6. 6

   Light and display

   An orange-warm LED inside plays up the unpainted rind's natural color. The flame slots at top and collar slots below frame the face with active, flickering-looking light that suits the character perfectly.

Written with AI to match this design