AIThis easy jinu pumpkin carving idea captures the K-pop idol's face as a large glowing aperture with swept hair rooted at the upper-left shell. Cut the broad face and neck opening first, then leave the ear and neck strip intact as a connecting bridge. A battery-powered tea light lets the warm glow show off the hair silhouette without scorching the thin rind.
The main trick here is a single large face-and-neck aperture that lets a warm LED glow pour out, while the swept hair remains attached to the upper-left shell to frame the light. The ear-and-neck strip acts as a connecting bridge that stops the whole face opening from becoming an uncontrolled cutout. Big shapes and simple geometry make this an excellent first character carving.
Select a round pumpkin with a smooth front panel. Clean the outside and cut a lid from the back rather than the top, so the light source sits low inside and shines toward the face opening. Scoop the interior walls down to about 2 cm thickness using a large spoon or scraper.
Tape the stencil to the front of the pumpkin and trace the face aperture, the swept-hair silhouette, and the ear-neck strip with a pin tool. Remove the stencil and connect any interrupted dotted lines with a marker so the cut path is clear.
Use a thin pumpkin saw to cut the broad face-and-neck shape, keeping the blade moving steadily along the traced line. Cut toward the ear-neck strip but stop short of it, leaving that bridge fully intact. The opening should be one continuous hole with the strip running through its right side.
The swept-hair shape roots to the upper-left shell and should not be removed. If the stencil calls for narrow hair-strand slots within the hair mass, cut those carefully now using a detail saw. Keep any hair strand at least 4 mm wide so it does not snap under its own weight.
If small diamond shapes appear in the design, use a paring knife to remove the outer skin and a thin layer of rind from those areas rather than cutting fully through. This gives a dim mid-glow effect that adds texture without weakening the pumpkin.
Place a battery-powered tea light inside and position it near the bottom center so it shines up toward the face opening. A warm-white LED flatters the orange rind color better than cool-white. View from a few steps back and adjust the light angle for the best glow.
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 swept-hair mass and ear-neck bridge remain as dark rind framing the bright opening
Small diamond accent areas, if present, shallow-backed for a mid glow
The large face-and-neck aperture cut fully through for bright light output
Measure the strip width before cutting and aim for at least 1.5 cm. If the pumpkin wall is unusually thin, widen the strip slightly in your traced outline to compensate. A battery tea light rather than a candle also eliminates heat that can soften and weaken thin rind.
Yes, the asymmetric swept look is intentional for the character and is what makes the design recognizable. Position the stencil slightly off-center to the left before tracing so the hair root falls on the upper-left side of the pumpkin as the instructions describe.
Absolutely. The large face opening does all the visual work, and the diamonds are optional texture. Skipping them reduces the risk of cracking thin rind between small holes and still produces a bright, attractive result.
Changed a detail? Made it simpler? Share a photo of your version and tell the community what worked.
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