I Love Rhode Island Heart Lettering Pumpkin

From pumpkin to porch

1. 1

   Plan and transfer the layout

   Pick the flattest, tallest face of the pumpkin so all four elements fit in one vertical column. Sketch or tape a stencil with the I on top left, the heart top right, and R and I side by side below. Leave at least a finger width of skin between letters so the walls do not blow out. Poke the outlines with a transfer tool or push pin before you cut anything.

2. 2

   Open the pumpkin and clean it out

   Cut a lid or a wide bottom hole and scoop the insides until the carving wall is about one inch thick. A thinner wall on the carving face makes the cutouts easier and lets more light through. Scrape the inside of the letter area smooth so the shapes cut cleanly. An adult should handle all knife and saw work.

3. 3

   Cut the simple letters first

   Start with the I on the top left, cutting it as a solid blocky shape all the way through. Then cut the heart to its right, working from the center outward and easing into the point at the bottom. Doing these first gives you a feel for the pumpkin wall before you tackle the harder letter. Push cut scraps out gently from the inside.

4. 4

   Carve the R and its counter

   Cut the outer bowl of the R first, then carefully remove the interior counter piece so the round hole reads clearly. Add the diagonal leg last, cutting slowly at the junction where it meets the bowl so that corner does not crack. Finish with the second I beside it. Take small strokes and let the tool do the work.

5. 5

   Clean edges and set the light

   Bevel the inside edges of each cutout slightly so more light spills out and the letters glow wider. Wipe away loose pulp and dry the cut faces. Set a battery LED or two inside, never a candle, and aim them so the heart and letters light evenly.

6. 6

   Stage and photograph

   Place the pumpkin at railing or bench height so the carved face catches both the interior glow and the fading sky behind it. Coat the cut edges with a thin smear of petroleum jelly to slow drying. Shoot at dusk when the LED balances the sunset for that deep amber look. Refrigerate overnight between displays to keep the letters crisp.

Written with AI to match this design