Curved Horn Devil Pumpkin on a Brick Doorstep

From pumpkin to porch

1. 1

   Hollow and prep

   Cut a back-angled lid and scoop out all seeds and fibers, thinning the walls to about an inch in the carving areas. Pay special attention to the top of the pumpkin where the horn holes will sit since thick rind there makes the horn shapes harder to cut cleanly.

2. 2

   Mark the horn apertures

   Sketch two small curved horn shapes at the upper crown of the pumpkin, positioned symmetrically about two inches apart. Keep each horn aperture narrow and slightly arc-shaped. The orange rind between the horn slots evokes fiery light from below when the LED is on.

3. 3

   Cut the horn holes

   Use a narrow carving saw to cut each horn aperture as an isolated hole, starting at one tip and following the curve to the other. Remove the rind piece fully and clean up any ragged edges with a detail blade. Adults should handle this initial break-through cut.

4. 4

   Carve the slanted triangular eyes

   Draw two triangular eye shapes below and inside the horn positions, tilting each triangle inward toward the nose to create a fierce brow line. Cut the three sides of each triangle cleanly, meeting at sharp corners. The inward tilt is what gives the face its devil expression.

5. 5

   Carve the wide toothy grin

   Mark a wide smile curve below the eyes and indicate two tooth positions along the top rim. Cut the bottom and side arcs of the smile first, then define the two thick teeth by cutting the gap between them and the space outside each tooth. Leave each tooth rooted broadly in the top rim.

6. 6

   Seal and place on the doorstep

   Coat all cut edges with petroleum jelly. Set an LED inside and position the pumpkin on a brick doorstep where the upward glow through the horn slots creates the impression of hellfire from below. Reapply petroleum jelly every two days to preserve the tooth roots.

Written with AI to match this design