I Love New York Heart Lettering Pumpkin

From pumpkin to porch

1. 1

   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.

2. 2

   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.

3. 3

   Transfer your 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.

4. 4

   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.

5. 5

   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.

6. 6

   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.

Written with AI to match this design