I Love North Dakota Heart Lettering Pumpkin Carving Idea

Prep the pumpkin and plan the layout

Pick a pumpkin with a wide, fairly flat front so the letters have room to spread out. Cut a lid or a bottom access hole and scoop the front wall until it is about one inch thick, which makes clean cutting easier. Sketch or print the layout so 'I' and the heart sit on the top row and 'ND' sits below, keeping the spacing even. A thinner wall gives you crisp edges without fighting the rind.

Transfer and score the design

Tape your stencil flat against the front and poke the outlines with a pin tool, following every corner of the block letters. Remove the paper and connect the dots by scoring lightly with the pin tool so you have a shallow guide line. This scored groove keeps straight letter edges from drifting when you start cutting. Mark the inner counter of the D clearly so you remember to save it.

Cut the simple shapes first

Start with the letter 'I' and the heart since they are single open shapes. Use a fine saw blade and keep it perpendicular to the surface, following your scored lines with slow, steady strokes. Push the waste pieces gently inward and lift them out. Working the easy shapes first builds a feel for the rind before you reach the trickier letters.

Carve N and D, saving the D island

Cut the 'N' fully through, then outline the 'D' but do not remove the enclosed inner counter yet. Leave a thin ridge of rind, about a quarter inch, connecting that inner island to the body of the letter so it cannot fall in. This bridge holds the shape steady while you finish the rest of the cuts. Take your time on the diagonal of the N so the strokes stay clean.

Free the island and clean the edges

Once every other cut is finished, decide whether to sever the D counter for a floating look or leave the bridge to hold it in place. If you free it, support the piece with a fingertip and make the last cut slowly so it does not tear. Run your blade back along any rough edges to smooth them. Wipe away pulp crumbs so the openings read cleanly.

Light it and take the photo

Set a battery LED puck or string inside rather than a candle, since the tall letter openings channel a lot of light and LEDs stay cool and safe. Slide the light toward the back wall so the glow spreads evenly across all the letters and the heart. Test in a dark room and nudge the light until every shape reads at once. Snap your photo straight on to keep the letters looking square.