Arched Eye Grinning Jack-O-Lantern Traditional Pumpkin

From pumpkin to porch

1. 1

   Hollow and prep

   Scoop the pumpkin to an even 25 mm interior wall thickness. Thicker walls make the pupil tabs more durable and give the tooth slots cleaner edges. Mark a center line down the face so the arched eyes and tooth slots land symmetrically.

2. 2

   Score the pupil tabs before cutting the eye arches

   Lightly score the outline of each pupil tab with a craft knife, leaving only the top edge unscored. Then cut the full arched eye opening, working around the scored pupil perimeter and stopping just short of the top. The scored lines guide the final separation of the eye opening while the tab remains firmly attached above.

3. 3

   Complete the eye arches

   Finish each eye arch with slow, smooth strokes of the saw, freeing the eye piece while leaving the pupil tab hanging from its top-edge attachment. Trim the inner face of the tab attachment with a craft knife to clean up any ragged connection. The pupils should hang squarely centered inside each arch when the pumpkin is upright.

4. 4

   Cut the triangle nose

   Cut a small centered triangle nose hole. This is a simple straight-edged cut that requires no special technique; keep it proportionally small relative to the large arched eyes.

5. 5

   Cut the seven tooth slots

   Sketch the curved smile line and mark seven evenly spaced slot positions along it. Cut each slot from the outer edges of the smile inward, working one slot at a time and clearing the cut piece before starting the next. Cutting from the outside edges inward prevents the saw from drifting into a neighboring slot.

6. 6

   Light with a warm candle

   Place a warm-toned LED inside. The attached pupils appear as dark silhouettes against the glowing arch behind them, an effect you can only see once the light is on. Adjust the LED position so it illuminates both eyes equally and the tooth slots glow in a consistent row.

Written with AI to match this design