Arkansas State Silhouette Pumpkin

From pumpkin to porch

1. 1

   Pick a flat panel and transfer the shape

   Choose the smoothest, flattest section of the pumpkin face so your outline sits without warping. Print the Arkansas silhouette at the size you want and tape it firmly in place. Poke the outline with a pin or a poker tool, spacing dots close together along the ragged right edge and farther apart on the straight sides. Peel the paper and connect the dots lightly with a marker so you can see the full shape before cutting.

2. 2

   Open a lid and clean out the pumpkin

   Cut a hole in the bottom or the back rather than the top so the front panel stays intact for your design. Scoop out the seeds and scrape the inside wall behind the state down to about one inch thick. A thinner wall cuts more easily and lets more light through the cutout. Save a handful of pulp in case you want to patch a slip later.

3. 3

   Saw the straight top and left edges

   Start with the clean geometry to lock in the overall shape. Use a fine carving saw and hold it perpendicular to the surface so the cut goes straight through the wall. Work the top edge and the left side first with steady, even strokes. These simple lines set your proportions and give you a reference for the trickier border to come.

4. 4

   Slow down along the ragged river border

   The right edge follows the Mississippi River, so it should look serrated and irregular, not smooth. Use short back-and-forth strokes and turn the saw in small increments to chase each little jog in and out. Cut the notch at the lower right where the southern corner meets Louisiana carefully, since tight inside corners are where blades bind. Take breaks and check your line against the marker guide as you go.

5. 5

   Push the piece out and clean the opening

   Once the full outline is cut, gently press the state-shaped piece inward and lift it free. Trim any stringy bits from the opening and true up the edges so the silhouette reads crisp when lit. If the wall still feels thick, scrape a little more from the inside behind the cut so light spreads evenly. Run your finger around the border to smooth rough spots.

6. 6

   Light it and photograph at dusk

   Set a battery LED tea light or a small puck light inside; skip real candles since the wide opening can create heat and soot. Place the pumpkin at eye level on a step or wall for the best glow. Shoot at dusk when the sky still holds a little color, as in the example image, so the orange cutout pops against the background. A second dim light off to the side keeps the pumpkin's texture from going flat.