Sep 14, 2026

I Love New York Heart Lettering Pumpkin

Block letters spelling "I" and "NY" with a large heart between them glow brightly from this I Love New York pumpkin carving idea, cut in two rows with chunky rounded letterforms that read clearly from several feet away. The enclosed interior of the Y can become an isolated island if not handled carefully, so leave a thin rind bridge connecting the inner triangle of the Y to the surrounding skin until the very last cut. An LED light placed inside during carving helps confirm each letterform is still properly attached before moving on.

This is an AI-generated concept image: a realistic, carvable design idea rather than a photo of a finished carve. AI concepts are always labeled and sit out the leaderboard and the contest.

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Medium Words & Letters Artistic Classic Cutout

new-york words artistic cutout heart lettering state-pride usa

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Want to try this?

Want to try this? Grab a stencil and a sharp saw, and you can carve a clean I Love NY glow in an afternoon.

Some experience helps \u00b7 Block lettering + cutouts

Read our carving tips

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Tools for this approach

Our suggestions for trying a similar carve. Start with what you already have.

Elmchee Pumpkin Carving Kit
13-piece kit with carrying case
Saws for the larger cutouts, plus a scoop for hollowing. Covers both jobs in one kit.
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Speedball 4131 Lino Cutter Set
Handle + 5 interchangeable cutters
Interchangeable cutters for peeling and shading the face. Useful for the finer details.
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A little extra help

Our tips for carving a similar design

This design is really a lettering puzzle: chunky block letters and one bold heart cut all the way through so they light up bright and read from the sidewalk. The core trick is keeping the letters evenly spaced and structurally sound, especially the enclosed triangle inside the Y, which wants to fall out as a loose island. Since this is an AI concept, no real pumpkin exists, but you can build the same look by planning your spacing first and saving the risky inner cuts for last.

Written by PumpkinCarvingIdeas.com, inspired by the image above. These are our suggestions, not instructions from the uploader. This approach to the AI concept has not been tested on a real pumpkin.

From pumpkin to porch

Pick a firm pumpkin and plan the layout
Choose a tall, smooth pumpkin with a wide flat-ish front so the two rows of letters sit clearly. Lightly mark a center line and two horizontal guide lines, one for the top row and one for the bottom row. The top row holds a small I and the large heart, the bottom row holds N and Y. Spacing matters more than anything here, so eyeball it from a few feet back before you commit.
Open the pumpkin and clean the wall
Cut a lid from the bottom or the back rather than the top so the stem stays intact as shown. Scoop the insides and scrape the inner wall behind your design down to about one inch thick. A thinner, even wall carves faster and glows more evenly. Drop in an LED tea light now so you can check brightness as you work.
Transfer the stencil and score the outlines
Tape your I, heart, N, and Y pattern to the surface and poke through the outlines with a pin or transfer tool. Connect the dots with a fine marker so every letter edge is clear. Trace the whole design with light scoring cuts first, but do not push through yet. This lets you confirm all four shapes are balanced before any material comes out.
Carve the simple shapes first
Cut fully through the I, the heart, the N, and the outer body of the Y using slow, steady saw strokes held straight into the pumpkin. Remove each piece by gently pushing inward. Work the smaller, safer shapes before the fragile ones so the pumpkin stays strong while you have the most material to hold onto. Keep your free hand clear of the blade path and let an adult handle the sharp tools.
Save the Y island for last
The enclosed inner triangle of the Y can drop out as a loose piece, so leave a thin rind bridge connecting it to the surrounding skin until the very end. Carve everything else first, then decide: you can either keep a small bridge as a design detail or make the final release cut carefully so the triangle pops free clean. Check the LED glow to confirm each letter is still attached and reading correctly. Trim any ragged edges with a small detail blade.
Light it and photograph
Set a bright LED light or two inside and place the pumpkin on a flat ledge like the brick wall in the concept. Shoot at dusk so the warm letter glow stands out against the darker background. Wipe cut edges with a little petroleum jelly to slow drying and keep the letters sharp for a few extra days.

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 full pumpkin face around and between the letters stays as untouched skin so it reads dark and frames the message.
Peel & shade
Optional: shave a thin skin border just outside each letter for a soft halo of dim orange that makes the shapes pop.
Cut through
The I, the heart, the N, and the Y are cut fully through so they burn brightest and carry the design from a distance.

Learn the carving basics

Before you start cutting

How do I keep the inside of the Y from falling out?

Leave a thin rind bridge connecting the inner triangle of the Y to the surrounding skin until your very last cut. Carve every other shape first so the pumpkin stays sturdy while you work. When you are ready, either keep a small bridge as a subtle detail or make one careful final cut to release the triangle cleanly.

What spacing works best for the two rows?

Treat the top row as I plus heart and the bottom row as N plus Y, centered under each other. Mark horizontal guide lines and a center line before transferring anything. Step back a few feet and check that the letters look evenly spaced, since crowded or drifting letters are the most common reason lettering pumpkins read poorly.

Should the heart be one big opening or broken up?

A single bold heart cutout gives the brightest, cleanest glow and matches the concept image. Cut it all the way through in one continuous outline rather than in pieces. If you want a softer look, you can skin-peel a thin border around it, but keep the main shape as a full opening.