Bibble the Chubby Ghost

From pumpkin to porch

1. 1

   Pick a pumpkin and transfer the shape

   Choose a smooth, roughly round pumpkin with a flat-ish front so your ghost sits square to viewers. Print or draw a simple ghost outline with a rounded head, two little arm bumps, and a wavy bottom hem. Tape the pattern on and poke the outline with a pin or an awl, spacing dots close together on the curves. Mark the two oval eyes too, but do not cut them yet.

2. 2

   Open the lid and clean out the guts

   Have an adult cut a lid around the stem at an angle so it does not fall in later, or cut a hole in the back if you prefer to hide the light cord. Scoop out the seeds and pulp with a sturdy spoon or scraper. Thin the inside wall behind the ghost to about one inch so the shape carves easily and glows brighter. A thinner wall on the front face makes the whole silhouette light up evenly.

3. 3

   Cut the big ghost body first

   Using a small serrated carving saw, cut along the connected dots of the ghost outline. Work slowly and let the saw do the work, cutting the largest single opening before any small details. Push the cut piece out gently from the inside so the edges stay clean. Because this is the biggest opening, doing it first keeps the front wall from flexing while you still have detail work to do.

4. 4

   Add the two oval eyes last

   Now poke and cut the two small oval eyes above the body opening. Saving these for last means the wall between them and the big cutout stays sturdy while you work. Keep the ovals small and leave a solid band of skin between and around them so they read as a face and do not tear into the body hole. Angle the cuts slightly outward for a touch more glow.

5. 5

   Clean edges and test the glow

   Trim any ragged edges with a paring knife or a detail tool so the ghost silhouette looks crisp. Drop in a battery LED candle or a small LED puck, never a real flame, and check the light from a few feet away. If the body looks dim, scrape a little more from the inside wall behind it. Adjust the eyes only if they look uneven.

6. 6

   Set it out and photograph at dusk

   Place the pumpkin on a flat wall or step where the front faces walkers. Turn on the LED as the sky goes blue for that warm glow against cool evening light. Wipe the cut edges with a little petroleum jelly to slow drying and keep the ghost looking fresh. Snap your photo before the light fully fades for the best contrast.

Written with AI to match this design