Crying Laughing Emoji Jack-O-Lantern Face

From pumpkin to porch

1. 1

   Open and clean the pumpkin

   Pick a large, round pumpkin with a smooth front and cut a lid from the bottom or back so the stem stays intact for that cheerful look. Scoop the insides and scrape the inner wall of the carving side down to about one inch thick. A thinner wall makes relief shading much easier and lets light pass through the peeled areas. Dry the inside with a paper towel before you start.

2. 2

   Transfer the emoji face

   Print or sketch the classic layout: two curved, squeezed-shut eyes up top, a wide grinning mouth below, a small teardrop on each cheek, and a tongue peeking from the mouth. Tape the pattern flat and poke closely spaced holes along every line, or draw it on directly with a washable marker. Keep the mouth centered and slightly lower than the eyes so the face reads as looking up and laughing. Step back and check the spacing before cutting.

3. 3

   Rough out the shapes with a knife

   Using a small serrated carving knife, make shallow score cuts along your outlines, no more than a quarter inch deep at first. Define the eye slits, the mouth outline, the two teardrops, and the tongue as raised islands. Do not cut through the wall yet. These score lines are your fences for the shading work that follows.

4. 4

   Shade the face in relief

   Switch to a spoon or a loop tool and start shaving away the skin around your shapes so they stand slightly proud of the surface. Peel the skin fully off the raised teardrops and tongue so they glow a soft orange, and cut the eye slits a little deeper for stronger shadow lines. Work slowly and keep checking the depth by holding a light inside. This gentle terracing is what makes the emoji look sculpted rather than flat.

5. 5

   Cut the open mouth last

   Once all your shading is set, cut cleanly through the mouth opening so it becomes the brightest part of the face. Leave the carved tongue attached at the back and bottom of the mouth so it has support and does not snap off. Trim the inside edges of the mouth at a slight bevel toward the back to let more light escape. Save this full cutout for the end so the wall stays sturdy while you sculpt.

6. 6

   Light it and photograph

   Set a battery LED puck or string inside and aim it upward so it catches the tongue and teardrops. Skip candles, since the heat warps thin relief work and the open flame is a fire risk. Test the glow in a dark room and add a second small light if the shaded areas look flat. Snap your photo at dusk when the porch light and the pumpkin glow balance nicely.

Written with AI to match this design