Illinois State Map Pumpkin

From pumpkin to porch

1. 1

   Pick a smooth-faced pumpkin and open the back

   Choose a pumpkin with one large, flat, mostly rib-free area for the map face. Have an adult cut a wide access hole in the back rather than the top, so you keep the front skin clean and the stem intact. Scoop the inside until the front wall is about one inch thick, using a metal spoon or scraper. A thinner, even wall makes the tapered tip much easier to cut cleanly later.

2. 2

   Transfer the Illinois outline

   Print the state shape sized to fit your flat face, then tape the stencil down snugly and poke closely spaced dots along every line with a pin or awl. Pay special attention to the small notches on the left edge that suggest the Mississippi River, and mark the southern point clearly. Remove the paper and connect the dots lightly with a washable marker so you can see the full connected shape. Double-check that the tip and river notches read as one continuous border.

3. 3

   Score and start the broad upper section

   Using a fine pumpkin saw, first make a shallow scoring pass along the entire outline to set your path. Then cut fully through the wide upper and middle portion of the state, where the wall is strongest and most forgiving. Keep the saw close to vertical and let it do the work with gentle pressure. Work in short segments and pause to clear pulp so you can see your line.

4. 4

   Carve the notched river edge

   Move to the left border and cut the small in-and-out notches that stand in for the Mississippi River boundary. Make each notch with short, controlled strokes and lift the saw between direction changes instead of twisting it. Leave the little points of skin between notches supported until the surrounding cuts are done. Rushing here can tear the delicate zigzag, so go slowly.

5. 5

   Finish the pointed southern tip last

   Save the narrow tapering point at the bottom for the very end, when the rest of the shape is already cut free. Use very short saw strokes and support the thin wall with your free hand from inside the opening. Ease the point out gently rather than forcing it, so the thin tip does not pop off. Once it releases, the entire Illinois shape should come away as one connected piece.

6. 6

   Light it and photograph

   Drop a battery LED light or two inside for a bright, even glow and skip open flames near the thin tip. Blot the cut edges dry and rub a little petroleum jelly on them to slow browning. Set the pumpkin on a dark surface and shoot in a dim room so the orange shape reads sharply. Turn it slightly until the tip and river notches are clearly visible.