Sep 14, 2026

I Love Ohio Heart Lettering Pumpkin

Rounded block letters reading "I" and "OH" with a glowing heart form a two-row layout on this I Love Ohio pumpkin carving idea, the cutouts filling the tall pumpkin face with warm even light. The letter O contains an inner oval island that will fall out if not secured, so trace a tiny connecting bridge at the 12-o-clock position before carving and remove it only after the rest of the design is done. This jack-o-lantern looks best on a front porch where passersby can read the message from street level.

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

ohio words artistic cutout heart lettering state-pride usa

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Want to try this?

Turn a tall pumpkin into a glowing message anyone can read from the sidewalk.

Some experience helps \u00b7 Lettering + cutouts

Read our carving tips

Similar stencils

Browse word and state-pride stencils for more clean lettering layouts.

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.
View on Amazon
Speedball 4131 Lino Cutter Set
Handle + 5 interchangeable cutters
Interchangeable cutters for peeling and shading the face. Useful for the finer details.
View on Amazon

A little extra help

Our tips for carving a similar design

The core trick here is a two-row layout of rounded block letters, an I and OH, with a heart standing in for the word love. Everything is a full cutout, so the whole face glows evenly, and the one thing to watch is the inner island inside the letter O. Keep that island attached with a tiny bridge until the very end so it does not drop out mid carve.

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 tall pumpkin and plan the layout
Choose a tall, fairly flat-faced pumpkin so the two rows of text have room to breathe. Wipe the front clean and dry it. Sketch or print the design at a size that fills the face, with the I and heart on top and OH below. Center it so the words read clearly from a few feet away.
Open and clean the pumpkin
Have an adult cut a lid from the bottom or the back rather than the top, which keeps the tall front face uninterrupted. Scoop out the seeds and pulp with a scraper. Thin the inside wall behind the design to about one inch so your cutting tool passes through easily. A thinner wall also lets more light escape once the LED is inside.
Transfer the pattern and mark the bridge
Tape the stencil flat against the face and poke holes along every letter edge with a pin or a poking tool, or trace the lines with a washable marker. Pay special attention to the letter O, which has an inner oval island that will fall out if left free. Mark a small connecting bridge at the 12 o clock position of the O so the island stays anchored. Remove the stencil and connect your dots into clean outlines.
Carve the small details first
Start with the smallest, most enclosed shapes, which are the serifs and the tight curve of the letters. Use a fine detail saw and let the tool do the work with gentle strokes, no forcing. Leave the tiny bridge on the O intact for now so the island has support. Cutting small before large keeps the pumpkin wall strong while you work.
Cut the large openings, island last
Move on to the big shapes, the heart and the open counters of the letters, saving them for after the small cuts are done. Push each freed piece gently inward and out. Once every other cut is finished, slice the little bridge on the O and lift out the inner island. Tidy any rough edges with your saw held straight up and down.
Light it and set it out
Slide a battery LED light inside and skip open flame, which is safer and gives steadier glow. Test it in a dark room and rotate the light until every letter reads evenly. Set the pumpkin on a front porch or step at eye level for passersby. A quick rub of petroleum jelly on the cut edges slows drying and keeps the letters crisp for 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 whole orange face around and between the letters stays untouched and dark.
Peel & shade
Optionally shave a thin halo just outside each letter for a soft dim outline that frames the words.
Cut through
The I, the heart, and the O and H are cut all the way through for the brightest even glow.

Learn the carving basics

Before you start cutting

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

The letter O has a floating oval island in the middle that has nothing holding it in place once you cut around it. Leave a small connecting bridge at the top, around the 12 o clock spot, while you carve everything else. Slice that bridge and remove the island only after the rest of the design is complete.

Where should I cut the lid on a lettering pumpkin?

Cut the opening from the bottom or the back instead of the top. That keeps the tall front face clean and uninterrupted for your two rows of text. A bottom opening also lets you set the carved pumpkin down over the light easily.

How do I make sure the message is readable from the street?

Size the stencil so the letters fill most of the face and keep even spacing between the two rows. Test the finished pumpkin in the dark and confirm each shape glows clearly from several feet away. Setting it up at porch or step height helps people read it as they pass.