@cider_sam
Sep 5, 2026
Hungry jack
Caught mid-bite with a striped gourd in its teeth and scheming curled brows. Pumpkin-on-gourd crime in broad daylight.
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Our tips for carving a similar design
The whole joke rests on the open mouth clamping a small striped gourd, so the teeth and jaw are shaped around a prop rather than lit from behind. Plan the mouth as a wide toothy grin with a gap sized to hold your gourd, then add the curled, comma-shaped eyes and brows for that scheming look. Everything else is clean cutout work with a light-hearted, cartoonish face.
Written by PumpkinCarvingIdeas.com, inspired by @cider_sam's photo above. These are our suggestions, not instructions from the uploader, and this approach hasn't been tested on their exact carve.
From pumpkin to porch
Pick your pumpkin and prop first
Choose a round, smooth pumpkin with a flat-ish front for the face. Before you carve anything, find the small decorative gourd you want in the mouth so you can size the grin to fit it. Set the gourd against the pumpkin and mark roughly how wide and tall the mouth needs to be. This keeps you from cutting a mouth that is too small or too loose.
Open and clean it out
Cut a lid around the stem at an angle so it drops back in place, or cut a hole in the back if you prefer. Scoop the insides and scrape the front wall where the face goes down to about one inch thick. A thinner wall makes the teeth and curled eyes much easier to cut cleanly. Blot the inside dry so your stencil sticks.
Transfer the face
Tape your stencil or draw directly on the skin with a washable marker. Sketch two curled, comma-like eyes that hook inward for the scheming brow effect, spaced fairly high and wide. Draw the mouth as a long lopsided grin with a row of chunky rectangular teeth along the top and bottom. Leave a clear gap in the center of the grin where the gourd will sit.
Carve the eyes and brows
An adult should handle the sharp tools here. Start with the eyes since they are the trickiest curled shapes, cutting slowly and letting the blade follow the curve. Keep the inner hooks of each eye fully attached so the brow shape stays strong. Push scraps out gently from the inside rather than pulling from the front.
Cut the toothy mouth last
The mouth is the biggest opening, so save it for last to keep the pumpkin sturdy while you carve. Cut around each tooth, leaving the teeth connected to the top and bottom edges of the grin so none fall out. Widen the central gap gradually and test-fit the gourd as you go until it wedges in snugly. If the gourd wants to slip, trim a tiny flat spot on the mouth edge or add a hidden toothpick to steady it.
Light it and stage the snack
Drop a battery LED inside, never a candle, since the gourd blocks airflow in the mouth. Set the striped gourd into the grin so its stem points out like a caught snack. Pose the pumpkin on a stump or step in daylight for that broad-daylight crime look, then photograph it from straight on to show off the grin. Bring the gourd inside overnight so it does not roll away or spoil.
Gather your supplies
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.
Three levels of light
- Leave intact
The broad orange cheeks and forehead stay untouched so the face reads as one solid, friendly pumpkin.
- Peel & shade
You could shade-peel a faint outline around the eyes or a hint of jawline for a soft dim glow that frames the grin.
- Cut through
The curled eyes and the toothy mouth gap are full cutouts, letting the brightest light spill out around the snacking gourd.
Before you start cutting
How do I keep the gourd from falling out of the mouth?
Size the central gap so the gourd wedges in with a little friction rather than dropping through. If it still slips, trim a small flat spot on the lower mouth edge for it to rest on, or push a hidden toothpick into the pumpkin wall as a shelf. Bring it inside overnight so it stays firm.
Can I light this if the gourd is blocking the mouth?
Yes, use a battery LED placed low and toward the back so light still escapes through the eyes and the open corners of the grin. Skip real candles entirely, since the gourd restricts airflow in the mouth and traps heat. A couple of small LEDs give a brighter, more even glow.
What if I do not have a striped gourd?
Any small decorative gourd, mini pumpkin, or even a smooth apple works as the caught snack. Just choose something that fits the grin and has a fun stem or shape poking out. Match the mouth width to whatever prop you pick before you finalize the cut.
Your take belongs here, too.
Changed a detail? Made it simpler? Share a photo of your version and tell the community what worked.
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