Glowing Bingo Heeler Face Pumpkin Cutout

From pumpkin to porch

1. 1

   Prep and gut the pumpkin

   Cut a lid from the bottom of the pumpkin so the opening faces down, which makes lighting and removing the LED easier. Scrape the interior walls to about an inch thick so light passes evenly through the scraped areas. Dry the inner walls with a paper towel to slow decay.

2. 2

   Transfer the stencil

   Tape the Bingo face stencil to the smoothest side of the pumpkin and trace the outlines with a poking tool or ballpoint pen. Press firmly enough to indent the rind without tearing through. Remove the stencil and check that all the cut and scrape lines are clearly marked.

3. 3

   Cut the eyes, nose, and smile

   Use a thin-bladed pumpkin saw to cut the oval eyes first, working slowly around the curves. Follow with the small round nose hole, then the wide smile arc. Keep at least three-quarters of an inch of rind between each opening so nothing cracks when you remove the pieces.

4. 4

   Scrape the ear, muzzle, and spot details

   Switch to a linoleum-style gouge or the tip of a clay loop tool to remove the outer layer of skin from the ear fronts, the muzzle oval, and any spot patches. Aim for a depth of about 3 millimeters, leaving the rind floor intact. This thinned area glows with a softer, mid-tone light compared to the full cutouts.

5. 5

   Clean the edges

   Use a small knife or the flat edge of a gouge to trim any ragged cuts so the openings have clean, smooth borders. Wipe away any flesh debris with a damp cloth. Tidy edges make a noticeable difference to how sharp the design looks when lit.

6. 6

   Light and display

   Place a warm LED tea light inside through the bottom opening and set the pumpkin on a flat surface. Step back and check that all the scraped areas glow at a mid intensity and the cut openings shine fully. If any scraped spot looks too dim, carefully thin it further from the inside with the gouge.

Written with AI to match this design