Heart-Eyed Pumpkin With Leaf Cutout Details

Prepare and map the full pattern

Scoop to an even inch of wall thickness. Using a pin tool and paper template, map every opening: two heart eyes, the toothy mouth, and all leaf and diamond holes. Mark minimum bridge widths of 12mm between any adjacent openings before you commit to the layout.

Cut the outermost decorative holes first

Begin with the leaf and diamond openings farthest from the face. Working outward-to-inward keeps the central face area supported while you are cutting in the periphery. Use a thin-bladed saw and full perimeter cuts for each shape.

Move inward to secondary decorative holes

Work toward the face with any remaining decorative cuts, still staying outside the heart eyes and mouth. Check rind bridge widths as you go; if any bridge is thinning below 12mm, adjust neighboring shapes slightly before continuing.

Carve the heart eyes

Each heart is cut entirely open with no retained pupil, so precision matters. Start at the top center dip and work one lobe at a time with careful slow strokes. Do not force the blade around the tight inner curve; let the saw find its path.

Carve the toothy grin

Cut the full outer boundary of the mouth opening, then cut each tooth gap individually. Keep every tooth joined to the upper or lower lip at its full base width. Cutting the large mouth opening last prevents it from weakening the face when you are still working on smaller nearby cuts.

Light and display

Place on a porch bench as the alt text suggests. A candle inside will cast warm heart-shaped silhouettes on the wall behind. Photograph it from the side to capture the full backlit effect.