Eight-Heart Row Flat Pumpkin on a Dark Garden Bench

From pumpkin to porch

1. 1

   Hollow the pumpkin

   Cut a wide angled lid and hollow to a 2 cm wall. On a very flat pumpkin, work in sections and verify the wall thickness around the bottom edge, which is where it tapers most aggressively.

2. 2

   Measure and mark all heart centers

   Measure the full 45 cm width and divide by eight to find 5.6 cm per heart slot. Mark the center of each slot with a small dot using a dry-erase marker. Then draw each heart around its center, keeping hearts no taller than 4 cm so they fit within the face area with rind to spare above and below.

3. 3

   Mark the small drilled holes above

   Above each heart, mark one small circle for the drilled accent hole. Space these centered above their corresponding heart. Confirm the rind strip above the hole row is at least 1 cm at its narrowest point before the top edge.

4. 4

   Drill the accent holes first

   Use a small spade bit to drill all eight accent holes. Drilling before cutting keeps the pumpkin rigid while the drill forces lateral stress on the shell. Pop each plug free.

5. 5

   Cut the hearts from center outward

   Begin at the middle two hearts and work outward toward the edges. For each heart, pierce the rind at the top cleft with a jab saw, cut down and around the left arc, then repeat for the right arc, meeting at the bottom point. Push each piece inward after the final cut. Check that 8 mm of rind remains on both sides of each heart before cutting the next.

6. 6

   Light and display on the garden bench

   Insert an LED tea light, replace the lid, and place the pumpkin on the garden bench. The horizontal row of eight glowing hearts reads like a banner of light at close range.

Written with AI to match this design