Spotback the Crested Dinosaur

From pumpkin to porch

1. 1

   Choose a pumpkin and hollow it

   Pick a pumpkin with a broad, gently curved front so the long-crested profile fits. Open it from the bottom so it sits flat, scoop it out, and thin the front wall. A thinner wall makes the round cutouts crisp.

2. 2

   Transfer the dino profile

   Print the crested dinosaur to fit and tape it on, snipping the paper to the curve. Poke the outline, the eye, and each round back spot with a pin tool. Note which pieces are separate cutouts inside the body.

3. 3

   Cut the eye and back spots first

   Use a small round cutter or drill-style tool to cut the eye and each dorsal spot while the wall is fully solid. Clean circles look best when the surface is not yet flexing. Doing these first protects them from cracking later.

4. 4

   Open the body silhouette

   Trace and cut the full dinosaur outline, working in sections and removing waste as you go. Keep the crest, legs, and tail shapes smooth. Because the small circles are already cut, take care not to press hard near them.

5. 5

   Bevel and light it

   Shave the inside edges of the outline and circles so the light spreads evenly. Set an LED inside and check that the eye and back spots glow as distinct dots inside the body. Place it on a step where the friendly profile shows off.

Written with AI to match this design