AIEach tall eye on this vintage jack o lantern is split by a sturdy vertical rind bar, and the smile is made up of separate rounded vertical cutouts with connected rind strips between each tooth. Set this pumpkin on a tree stump at night and the divided eyes give it a watching, wide-awake expression. Cut the rind bars last in each eye to preserve stability throughout the process.
Each tall eye is divided by a sturdy vertical rind bar running from the eye's lower rim to its upper edge, creating the wide-awake vintage look. The smile is made of separate rounded vertical cutouts with rind strips between each tooth rather than an open grin. Cut the rind bars last within each eye to preserve maximum stability throughout, and score the tooth rind strips before removing any tooth section.
Hollow to a 22mm wall. Mark both tall eye outlines and draw the vertical bar down the center of each eye, minimum 12mm wide. Mark the stacked arched brow positions, the long triangle nose, and the full row of rounded vertical tooth cutouts with the rind strips between them.
The stacked brows are two arched slots stacked above each eye, creating a layered brow effect. Cut the lower arch first and the upper arch second. Keep both arches narrow (6 to 8mm) and consistent in curvature so they read as matching pairs.
Cut the full outer outline of each tall eye as a single closed shape. Remove the surrounding rind but do not touch the bar yet. The bar remains as a solid column inside the empty eye opening. Cut the bar last within each eye: score both sides of the bar to its full depth, then slice along those scored lines to define the bar's edges and confirm it is clean.
The long triangle nose extends further down toward the mouth than a standard nose, reinforcing the tall proportions of this vintage face. Three clean strokes, pivoting at each corner, with a careful pop of the piece after all cuts meet.
Score all vertical rind strips between planned tooth openings before cutting any window. Each tooth is a rounded vertical cutout: slightly wider at the top, narrowing slightly toward the base. Remove each tooth opening from center outward, always working away from a scored strip rather than toward it.
A bright LED inside throws the bar shadows and tooth gaps into sharp contrast. Set the pumpkin on a natural surface like a tree stump or rough stone step where the rustic display surface complements the vintage character. The divided eyes give it a watchful, alert expression that reads across a yard.
Written with AI to match this design
Check things off as you get ready.
Work on a stable surface, keep your free hand out of the cutting path, and have an adult handle sharp tools.
The vertical rind bar through each tall eye, all rind strips between tooth openings, and the cheek panels flanking the nose
None, all features are full cutouts
Both tall eye sections on each side of the rind bars, both pairs of stacked arched brow slots, the long triangle nose, and all rounded vertical tooth cutouts
Cutting the bar first leaves two narrow half-eye openings as your next cut targets, which are harder to saw cleanly because there is less solid rind to brace against. Cutting the full outer eye shape first and then defining the bar last gives you a clean reference for the bar's edges and maximum stability during the outer cut.
Make a single paper tooth template scaled to the final size and trace it for every tooth position. Even a hand-cut paper shape traced in marker will give more consistent results than drawing each tooth freehand. Transfer all tooth outlines before cutting any of them so you can compare and adjust spacing before removing material.
Narrow slots let light leak through as thin bright lines that actually enhance the wide-awake vintage expression rather than being invisible. As long as the wall behind each slot is thinned to no more than about 15mm, the light will be visible. If a slot looks dark when held against a flashlight, use a gouge to thin the wall behind it from inside.
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