Grumpy Snaggletooth Jack-O-Lantern With Crooked Teeth

From pumpkin to porch

1. 1

   Pick and prep the pumpkin

   Choose a tall, slightly oval pumpkin so the face has room to stretch vertically like the one shown. Cut a lid from the bottom instead of the top so the pumpkin sits flat and hides the cord for an LED light. Scoop the inside until the front wall is about one inch thick, which makes carving the teeth much easier. Scrape the area behind the face a little thinner so light glows through evenly.

2. 2

   Transfer the grumpy face

   Draw or print the design with heavy angled brows, narrow squinting eyes, and a wide mouth packed with blocky teeth. Tape the pattern on and poke through the outlines with a pin or transfer tool. Space the tooth lines a little unevenly on purpose, since mismatched teeth add to the grouchy charm. Step back and check the brows angle down toward the nose so the scowl reads clearly.

3. 3

   Shade the brows and cheekbones

   Before cutting anything open, use a lino or ribbon tool to peel just the skin off the raised brow ridges, the bridge of the nose, and the cheek edges. This exposed flesh glows a soft dim orange and gives the face its three dimensional, angry contour. Keep these peeled areas shallow so they stay in the mid tone, not full cutouts. Work slowly and support the pumpkin against your body, not your hand.

4. 4

   Cut the eyes and nose

   Switch to a fine carving saw and cut the two squinting eyes and the narrow nostril openings all the way through. Keep the top edge of each eye low and angled so the pumpkin looks like it is glaring down at you. Cut with gentle sawing strokes and let the blade do the work rather than forcing it. These small openings will be your brightest points, so clean up the edges for crisp shapes.

5. 5

   Carve the crooked teeth

   Cut the full outer outline of the mouth first so you know your boundary. Then remove every other section inside that outline to leave the teeth standing between the gaps. Angle each cut slightly so candlelight leaks between the teeth and they look chunky and three dimensional. Leave a couple of teeth a bit longer or tilted, since uneven teeth only make the grin grumpier. Save these larger openings for last so the face wall stays strong while you work.

6. 6

   Light it and photograph

   Drop in a bright LED puck or string light rather than a candle, which keeps the thin tooth bridges safe from heat. Turn off the room lights and check that the eyes and mouth glow strong while the peeled brows stay a dim orange. If any tooth looks dull, thin the flesh behind it from the inside. Shoot the photo slightly below eye level so the downward brows and toothy scowl loom over the viewer.