Hooded Grim Reaper With Scythe Pumpkin

From pumpkin to porch

1. 1

   Pick a tall pumpkin and clean it out

   Choose a tall, wide pumpkin with a smooth front panel so the diagonal scythe has room to run corner to corner. Cut a lid from the bottom or the back rather than the top, which keeps the top skin intact and easier to light. Scrape the inside wall behind the design down to about one inch thick so cuts pass cleanly. A thinner wall makes the long channels much less work.

2. 2

   Transfer the reaper and scythe pattern

   Tape your stencil flat and poke the outline with a pin or a transfer wheel, following every edge of the hood, robe, arms, and scythe. Mark the scythe as a single unbroken line from the blade tip down through the shaft so you can trace it in one pass later. Peel the paper and connect any faint dots with a washable marker. Step back and check that the diagonal reads as one clean sweep before you cut anything.

3. 3

   Cut the scythe shaft first

   Using a fine detail saw, carve the scythe shaft as one continuous thin channel from tip to base before touching the robe. Going slow here gives you a rigid reference line to carve the rest against, so the composition stays aligned. Keep the channel narrow and even so it still glows without weakening the wall. Support the blade end with your free hand as you finish the cut.

4. 4

   Open the robe and background around the figure

   With the shaft done, carve out the bright negative space that surrounds the reaper so the hooded body stays as untouched dark skin. Work from the center outward and save the widest openings for last so the wall stays firm the whole time. Leave small skin bridges where the arms cross the shaft so those thin parts do not snap. Cut the curling ground wisps as separate flame shapes near the base.

5. 5

   Clean the edges and test the light

   Trim any ragged edges with a paring knife so each cutout has a crisp line. Drop in an LED light, never a candle, since the thin shaft and wisps are fragile and the design shines best with steady light. Turn off the room lights to check that the reaper stays a solid dark shape against the glow. Widen any spots that look muddy.

6. 6

   Seal, stage, and photograph

   Rub a thin layer of petroleum jelly on the cut edges to slow drying and browning. Set the pumpkin on a covered porch or step out of direct rain, since soaked pumpkins soften fast. Photograph it at dusk with the LED on so the diagonal scythe catches the eye. Refrigerate it overnight to stretch its life for a few extra days.